Rebecca Minkoff is making a play for the dollars of budget-conscious shoppers with her new leather-free label, R&Em.
In place of Minkoff’s favorite skin we see flat, perforated, and washed polyurethane and whipstitched straw. Personally I think PU always looks a bit cheap, like it’s trying too hard to be leather, but I think the straw designs have real potential. I also appreciate the fun spring color palette which includes vibrant hues like rhubarb and curry along with more subdued cashew, navy, and black hues.
If you think this new collection is missing Minkoff’s usual design flair you could be right. Minkoff isn’t actually involved in the design process of the R&Em goodies, but they are developed by an in-house team from her parent company. I suppose the designer can only spread herself so thinly, and with her signature label and the newish Ben Minkoff menswear collection to consider there’s only so much creative juice to go around.
The collection, which the company describes as “fun and flirty,” has been available through Macy’s for some time but now it’s finally hitting other retailers, including R&Em’s own website. Most of the R&Em purses cost under the magic $100 mark. Clutches and mini-bags are priced from an affordable $75, while the most expensive tote fetches $115.
