For decades, to reach the big time, brands in the fashion sector relied on splashy ad campaigns, endorsements from an elite cadre of magazine editors, and decisions made by a handful of retail buyers.
Rebecca Minkoff, by contrast, has built her eponymous fashion line around digital media. Having unveiled a collection of just five apparel offerings in 2001, and an iconic handbag four years later, her brand has not so much ridden on the coattails of the online revolution as served as a digital style guide for the rest of the industry to follow.
“In the past, competitive edge was...