The Luxury Institute, LLC. The Knowledge of Luxury. How a Young Fashion Designer Stands Out in a Crowded Market. From listening to customers to creating a unique product, Rebecca Minkoff shares her top tips.
New York-based accessories and apparel designer Rebecca Minkoff. When Rebecca Minkoff co-founded a New York-based luxury handbags company in 2005, her goal was to develop a high-quality product that was both practical and sexy. What she didn't expect -- especially in the competitive fashion industry -- was that sales would rise so quickly. Revenues at Rebecca Minkoff LLC jumped to $17.5 million in 2010 from $5.5 million in 2008, according to the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), which ranked Rebecca Minkoff No. 6 on its recently released Top 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Led Companies annual list. "We came out at a time when contemporary bags were hot and exciting," says Minkoff, who is 30 and also the youngest business owner on the WPO list.