The spring collection Rebecca Minkoff sent down the brick road at The Grove in Los Angeles on Saturday, for her third see-now-buy-now runway show (or what she refers to as see-buy-wear), might not be entirely new to editors and buyers who saw her low-key presentation in New York last September. But brought to life on models, actresses and digital influencers, this collection was made to spark immediate shopping.
Minkoff said before the show that the collection was inspired by her California roots — she’s a San Diego native. “It’s just easy, effortless kind of beauty. A lot of color, a lot of different floral prints. A lot of ruffles,” she said.
The feminine and floaty printed viscose dresses that opened the show weren’t reinventing the wheel — shoulder-baring, bohemian-inspired dresses are by now standard fare in the contemporary market — but Minkoff’s was a pretty and appealing take. No doubt seeing Aimee Song and Chriselle Lim wearing the dresses also convinced their legions of followers to want one, too.
She also offered her version of the white cotton and lace frocks popular for Mexican resorts and music festivals; cute denim overalls and wide-leg jeans; graphic sweatshirts and Ts, and some leather and suede jackets for layering. In other words, a contemporary lifestyle collection for the seasonless Southern California girl.
If the collection seemed eminently salable, that’s because it is. The looks were also culled based on what editors and retailers had already chosen. All the show-watcher had to do was get out her phone to buy any of the looks on Minkoff’s web site or nordstrom.com. But for those who were actually at the show, which took place at a retail center, there was also a pop-up shop a few hundred yards away carrying all the bags and limited-edition leather accessories, as well as a healthy selection at Nordstrom.
As Minkoff put it, “At The Grove, they’ve got this s–t on lockdown.”