that’s right – the amazingly talented designer, rebecca minkoff, very kindly took some time out of her busy day to tell all of us about her exciting new collection for fall ’08, as well as to share some more of her fantastic tips on fashion and design!  she also graciously granted us a sneak peek at her fall collection…and trust me, you’re going to want to see this!  just click “read the rest of this entry” below, and check it out!

shoppingsmycardio:  Your new line for fall is amazing!  You’ve really expanded your collection with so many new shapes and styles.  What inspired you with some of these newer designs?

rebecca minkoff:  Well, I was just in Paris recently, getting ready to open up sales there and all around Europe, and I really got inspired being there.  I just thought, “Let’s make a really big group and come out with a bang!”. 

SMC:  What is your design process like?  Do you have a specific bag in mind, a gap in the collection?  Or do you design for a specific type of woman, or a certain situation in life (like the “morning after,” for example)? 

RM:  I would say my design process is wild and varied.  It’s a mix – I get inspiration from vintage shows and research, or I’ll start getting ideas just on the street, like I came up with the design for my Matinee bag when I saw someone on the street wearing a Michael Jackson “Thriller” jacket.  I see great clothing everywhere, and it definitely inspires me.

SMC:  What is the one item in your closet that you just couldn’t live without?  Besides your handbags, of course!

RM:  I have this pair of Ixos shoes, they’re kind of strappy and gladiator-like, but not like the gladiator shoes that everyone and their mother has these days.  These are sort of more bondage-style, but they’re definitely my favorite right now. 

SMC:  The last year must have been amazing for you – I thought you were popular before, but you’ve developed an incredibly loyal customer base, to say the least.  Has it surprised you that it’s gotten to the point that people collect, say, the Morning After Bag in every color it’s available in? 

RM:  You know, it was always what I wanted and hoped for with the Morning After Bag when it came out, so for me it’s more like a dream come true. I couldn’t have asked for that bag to have a better play-out.  And it’s not just in the states – they’re discovering it everywhere now.  The Morning After is catching on in places like London, Singapore and Korea.  And we’re just starting to sell in Europe, so I’m excited about what’s ahead.

SMC:  It seems like you’re experimenting more with texture this fall – the crinkled leathers, the distressed, etc.  Can you tell me a little about that?

RM:  For fall we definitely mixed it up a lot.  We have a faux stingray, patent, crinkled patent, red & cream stripe and a black & cream stripe coming for September.  I really want to keep having a lot of the same shapes but putting a twist on them to keep them fresh so that people keep having a reason to buy the Morning After.

SMC:  What’s your favorite bag from the new collection, and what do you love about it?

RM:  For fall, the Cheri satchel is my favorite, especially in purple patent.  I love how much room it has and how it’s structured, but the more you wear it the more it gets a little slouchy but still retains its structure.  It also has a double strap so that if you don’t want to carry it on your shoulder, you can carry it cross-body.  Almost every girl these days is requesting cross body straps for their bags. 

SMC:  Really?  I had no idea they were becoming so popular…but it makes sense!

RM:  Yes, I get so many questions about why the Morning After doesn’t have a cross-body strap.  And the reality is I’d love to do it, but it becomes a price resistance thing for my distributors.  Straps are really expensive to make because you waste so much leather, and it’s a matter of convincing them not to increase the retail price too much when we add in the strap.  But I’m working on it!

SMC:  What are some other new trends you’re seeing for handbags?

RM:  Well, my Nikki bag is experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity – people are discovering it again, so that’s been great.  Also, our Market Tote was featured in the Sex and the City movie, so that’s been huge.  Also, oversize clutches – we have the Rendezvous clutch for fall, that’s been doing well – I have girls tell me they can take it out in the evening and it holds absolutely everything they need.

SMC:  What’s coming up for your brand? 

RM:  Oh, I’m really excited about our holiday collection, it’s so fun – lots of metallic colors, so you can take them to holiday parties.  I get so many letters and emails from fans of the line, and girls tell me stories about how they love their bags so much that they sleep with them the first night they get them, or that they’re getting in trouble for checking out their bag more than their boyfriend, so we did a whole photo shoot on girls loving Minkoff.  We’ll also be doing a gift with purchase with a heart shaped mirror compact, so that will be exciting. 

For our resort line, we’re using very rich leathers, and a lot of bright, great colors.  We’re also doing some faux croc!  Resort is a really fun collection.

SMC:  Okay, now, some easy questions!  Heels or flats?

RM:  Both, it depends on where I’m going!

SMC:  Coffee or tea? 

RM:  Usually tea, but lately it’s been coffee, since we’re moving our offices, which has kept me so busy.

SMC:  Appetizer or dessert? 

RM:  Oh, dessert – definitely!

SMC:  I’m guessing days off are something you don’t get that often.  What’s your perfect Sunday like? 

RM:  I have a newfound affection for kickball, so we’ll get a group of friends together and go to the park and play kickball.  Or, just go up my friend’s house in the Hamptons – the pretty, laidback part – and just sunbathe. 

SMC:  And, last but not least – I still remember your tip from our last chat about having a tailor put a dart in your old jeans to give them a butt-lift!  Can you give us another fabulous fashion secret you’ve learned?

RM:  You’re going to think I’m crazy, but lately I’ve been sleeping with my mascara on.  You know when you’re trying to get that whole blurred, smudgy effect with your eye makeup?  I usually can’t get it right, but sometimes if I sleep with my mascara on, I wake up and it’s perfect.

thank you so much to rebecca for chatting with us – as always, she is just amazing to talk to!  for those that are lusting after every bag above (like, say, me) – the pre-fall collection is available online now.  and the rest of the collection will release in september, so keep an eye on rebecca’s website! 

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