George Chinsee for StyleCaster
When I think of household names in fashion, Rebecca Minkoff is top of mind. I remember the day my mom bought me my first Rebecca Minkoff design—a navy blue leather mini M.A.C. bag with gold hardware. It was 2011, and I was elated. The clutch was one of the first pieces I had that felt edgy and cool, so you can imagine how “in my feels” I was to talk to the designer about the label’s 20th anniversary and her Real Housewives of New York City debut.
My lens is, this is a girl with an entrepreneurial spirit who is looking for love in an urban city.
It’s rare to find a brand that feels so aligned with its founder as an individual and that also meets the needs of its consumers—but Minkoff has managed to pull it off for two decades. She’s a walking representation of what it means to be dainty but fierce, rough but soft—capturing this essence through timeless offerings that feature leather, ruffles, studs, and glitter. She actually wears the clothes she makes and rocks the bags she crafts, all while pioneering accessible luxury and this idea that you can be put together and also a bit messy.
“It feels crazy when I say 20 years,” Minkoff tells StyleCaster. “It feels like the longest, shortest time.” When she started her career, there was a huge gap between luxury items and budget buys—and no middle-ground. “I wanted something that I could afford that would feel timeless but still hit the trends at the moment,” she says. “My lens is, this is a girl with an entrepreneurial spirit who is looking for love in an urban city. She’s a little bit of rock n’ roll and a little bit of boho.”
Since the label’s birth, Minkoff has prioritized staying true to the brand’s identity and maintaining closeness with shoppers via social media and her podcast, “Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff.” She also pushes for inclusivity in business via The Female Founder Collective, which aims to support, develop, and elevate women-owned and female-founded businesses. Now, however, Minkoff is ready for people to see a different side of her.
Entering the world of reality TV can be a slippery slope. While inviting fans into your life on a deeply personal level can be rewarding, it also leaves room for hate and criticism. Minkoff says she’s aware going on RHONY is a “risk”—but it’s one she’s willing to take for her brand.
“I looked at how [the brand] has been in touch with our customer from the beginning—I realized these people have grown up with me,” Minkoff says. “So I thought, if I can show [them] another dimension of myself as an entertainer, a prankster, a girl’s girl—that just establishes more closeness to my customer.” And she didn’t switch things up to try to get more screen time. “I was very conscious, going in, that [who] I am on the show [is] who I am in life,” she says. “I’m not suddenly going on the show and gossiping about the girls behind their backs or being catty.” Fans can expect to see the Rebecca Minkoff they already know and love. “Hopefully, if I’m edited correctly, you’ll see that I’m a peacemaker and the one who’s constantly trying to get us to get along,” she says.
So I thought, if I can show [them] another dimension of myself as an entertainer, a prankster, a girl’s girl—that just establishes more closeness to my customer.
Ahead of the highly anticipated season 15 premiere, Bravo released an explosive trailer that hints at tension between Minkoff and the cast after Brynn Whitfield slammed Minkoff’s brand for being sold “at Nordstrom Rack.” Elsewhere in the teaser, the women grapple with a pregnancy rumor—with Minkoff seemingly confronting Jessel Taank for spreading it. “You f–king told her?” Minkoff told Taank. (The rest of the cast includes Jenna Lyons, Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, and Ubah Hassan, who joined the show for its rebooted season last year, and newcomer Racquel Chevremont.)
“I can say that a trailer exists to get everyone’s attention and get butts in seats,” Minkoff says of the clip. She also revealed that she’s the closest to Lichy and recently had dinner with De Silva. Minkoff declined to comment on who she’s at odds with, but shared that Hassan was the “most welcoming.”
Season 15 of The Real Housewives of New York City premieres Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
