In contrast to others in the luxury space, few would accuse Rebecca Minkoff of standing still. Since launching her namesake brand in the early aughts with a five-piece apparel collection, the designer has grown her business to a global lifestyle brand spanning ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, jewelry and, most recently, swimwear, sold in 900 stores worldwide.
At the same time, the accessible luxury company has become known for being an early adopter of new technologies, including in designs, in store, online and in runway shows. As Minkoff tells it, it’s all about serving the customer.
“It’s not for the sake of being first, but for evolving as our customer is evolving,” she said. “We want to be in touch with her in a way that’s as seamless and frictionless as possible. The question is always: How do we keep up with the technology that is allowing us to do that?”
Currently, she’s got her sights set on livestreaming and shoppable video, motivated by the success of a top Rebecca Minkoff customer who regularly livestreams in-store shopping experiences and places orders for Chinese viewers.
Recently, Minkoff walked Glossy through a typical jam-packed workday, which included hitting handbag market, enjoying a glam session over lunch and moderating a panel discussion at her Soho store, part of the recently-launched RM Superwomen platform and centered on the work-life challenges of modern moms.
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“The word balance is a bad word, because it makes women feel like they’ve failed when they can’t achieve it,” said Minkoff, a mother of three. “It’s more like a juggle. You’ve have to explore what your boundaries are, then stick to them.”
7:30 a.m.: I get to sleep in until 7:30 a.m. because I’m awake at midnight, 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00 feeding my newest addition, who is 12 weeks old. I keep telling myself this is only a phase, and to soak up my last baby and all that comes with it!
7:40 a.m.: I shower, though that’s rare in the morning, wash my face with Honest’s cleanser, and apply a bit of Joanna Vargas’s facial oil and face cream. For makeup, it’s just Dior mascara, Josie Maran’s highlighting stick, and then chapstick or a bit of Honest’s crayon on my lips, in a light color. I try to keep my makeup quick and clean.
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7:50 a.m. I throw on my Rebecca Minkoff Wes moto jacket, jeans and a T-shirt, and sling on my Christy bag. I take the subway daily, so comfort is key — I’m always wearing Rebecca Minkoff sneakers. Tonight, I have an event at our Soho store, so I bring a fancier shoe with me to change into beforehand.
8:00 a.m.: I say goodbye to [my 6-year-old son] Luca — my husband has been a saint, taking him to school since I had the baby so that I can get 30 more minutes of sleep. I make sure [my daughter] Bowie is awake and getting dressed. Then I head into the kitchen to get breakfast ready and make myself a big cup of coffee. For breakfast, I usually have a smoothie or a bulletproof bar — both are easy to take with me, too. I finish in the kitchen by making Bowie lunch and ensuring she has what she needs for the day before she is off to preschool.
8:15 a.m.: Since I’ll be out tonight, I pump — I use a [breast] pump by Medela — to make sure Nico has enough food for the day.
8:40 a.m.: Time to commute to work! I take the subway and use that time to catch up on email. This is a key moment in the morning — I have complete silence and some me time.
9:30 a.m.: Every morning, I have a quick check-in with my assistant to review the day’s events any updates from the day before, as well as any key deadlines and urgent requests that are pending.
10:00 a.m.: This week we’re in handbag market for holiday 2018. I do a presentation to the sales team, passing off the inspiration and concept for the collection. I do this at the start of every market week, before appointments kick off. The team should be able to tell the story to each customer and bring them along on the season’s journey.
11:00 a.m.: I head to The Wing Flatiron for a meeting with some women to discuss a potential collaboration for fashion week in September. Always planning ahead!
12:00 p.m.: Lunchtime. Since market is always hectic, I went ahead and ordered Sakara Life for the week; I didn’t want to have to worry about planning my meals. Today, lunch will double as prep time for tonight’s event — it’s the only time of day I can fit in getting my hair and makeup done. Glamsquad is my go-to; it’s so convenient, because they can come to wherever you are. I have been using them for years.
1:00 p.m.: With some downtime between meetings, I skim through emails and add things to my never-ending to-do list.
2:00 p.m.: Time for my weekly board meeting with vps and execs. We touch base on the current initiatives and campaigns to make sure we’re all aligned.
3:00 p.m.: I kick off an afternoon of market appointments with our buyers from Neimans, Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdale’s, Shopbop and more. I give a tour of the collection, describing the inspiration and pointing out the things I’m personally excited about wearing, which they tend to ask about. When I wear our pieces on my Instagram, they always see a nice lift!
4:00 p.m.: I manage to fit in some time to work on new color shades and inspiration for Essie, which has appointed me global color designer. I flip through trend analyses and forecasts on WGSN for inspiration, and pull images from Pinterest.
5:00 p.m.: Coffee! I want to take a nap and wish I had a place to do that, but until then, caffeine.
6:00 p.m.: I head to our Soho store for tonight’s fireside chat. Tonight, we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with a panel featuring Rachel Blumenthal, Tze Chun, Naomi Davis and Marina Garcia. We wanted to gather a diverse group of women to have an honest and vulnerable conversation about motherhood and work, and all the in-between.
6:15 p.m.: I arrive at the event. Guests are starting to arrive, and are being greeted with Chandon champagne and small bites. We all begin to take our seats for the fireside chat. I quickly review all the questions I planned to ask them, so that once we begin, I look like I have it together.
8:00 p.m.: The event ends, and I take the time to meet and take photos with all the attendees, and thank them for their support and attending. Then it’s time for me to head home. I hop in an Uber and head back to Brooklyn. Tonight, it’s just a protein bar for dinner — I’ve been very into Bulletproof bars lately. On nights when I know I’ll be out a little later, I push the kid’s bedtime to 9:00, so I can have a good hour with them before they go to sleep. I focus really hard on planning my calendar so I am able to balance work and family; I try to limit evening events and dinners to two or three times a week, so I can spend the other nights at home. It’s very important for me to ensure I am there for my kids, especially at their young age.
9:00 p.m.: Kids are in bed. I use this time to pump for Nico again and catch up on any emails I missed earlier in the day.
10:30 p.m.: Finally, I go about my nightly regimen: I take my vitamins: D, A, prenatal, calcium, fish oil, probiotics and a host of others. With this type of schedule, I try to give my body extra nutrients so I can keep up the pace. Then I make myself my nightly drink, which is called Calm. It’s made of calcium and magnesium, and is supposed to help relax and destress. It helps me fall asleep, as well. I scroll Instagram and catch up on news on Flipboard.
11:00 p.m. Lights out!
Image courtesy of Rebeca Minkoff, photo by Paul Maffi
