Your Brand Is Who You Are

Do you want to be a designer or a brand? Choose one, because you can’t be both, a consultant told us in 2005. Uri and I pushed back that we needed to merge them. How could we create handbags a woman loved if we didn’t know her? We decided to lift the curtain on the fashion world and invite our consumers in. Industry experts deemed it a nail in the coffin.

Our conversations began on an online purse forum. I spent hours talking to customers and asking for feedback every night. These women became an integral part of my creative process. When the social media era began soon after, we had a community eager to join us.

I never aspired to design for women. I’ve always wanted to design with them. Collections used to be embargoed until Fashion Week. Designers would say - Ta da, here it is! - without knowing if they were satisfying a need. My team never enjoyed that as consumers. Why would we adopt the same mentality? I love being on the journey with my favorite brands. You feel like you’re a part of something. 

We reach out to our community during the earliest stages of ideation, most recently with our fragrance. They helped craft our scent; from smelling samples at our store to voting on their favorites and joining our sustainability quest. Our launch was even more successful than we hoped. We’re debuting our second perfume soon and attribute the positive response to their involvement.

Our community’s input doesn’t solely shape our aesthetics. It influences what we create. I’m always asking: Hey, what do you think of this jewelry? Would you wear this dress? Short or long? The dialogue gives us a license to experiment and identify where to invest. I’ve wanted to launch a baby bag since I had my first son. Every time I asked, I was met with crickets. We finally saw an interest this year and partnered with Medela to design one. It quickly sold out, which likely wouldn’t have happened nine years ago. 

How do you measure a successful brand? I wish there was a metric for that. Sales numbers may tell you what’s tactically working. They don’t capture emotional impact. The best marker I’ve found is personal sentiments; a woman who wore Rebecca Minkoff the first day of her dream job or at her child’s birthday party. Their stories make me feel like this all matters. 

Social media enabled us to cultivate a one-on-one relationship. We’ve grown up together and share the realities (and hilarities) of building our careers and families. I’m always asking: How can we be closer to her? My goal is to be on every platform she is and to create resonant content. I never predicted I’d be recording TikTok videos as a mom, yet here we are!

The more our brand grew, the more we strived to use it to spotlight women and social issues. We started with events at our stores, my podcast, and then ultimately, The Female Founder Collective. We feel a responsibility that the company stands for more than just fashion. We don’t want a woman to feel like she’s buying a handbag. We hope she feels like she’s joining a tribe of women who are cheering her on.

Your brand is constantly evolving. It requires attention and care. The marketing side may make it seem strategic. None of that matters if it’s not genuine. Any challenge we’ve faced stemmed from veering off our path. 

The most important lesson I’ve learned is to stay true to who you are. Authenticity is the best compass. 

What was an essential choice you made building your brand? Share your tips in the comments!