Rebecca Minkoff is the cool New York designer who crept onto our fashion radar during 2010, first with the handbags loved by Agyness Deyn, Leighton Meester and Olivia Palermo and then her leopard-print skinny jeans, which became a hot must-have item. We've also been loving how she names her bags with sexy monikers such as ‘Lovers’ ‘True Love’ and even ‘The Morning After’ – a bag big enough to fit your spare bits and a pair of shoes in. Oh and we mustn't forget Vincent, the sexy French guy whose business card comes inside any Rebecca Minkoff purchase, featuring a number to call, which takes you through to a husky voiced recorded message! So off we popped to meet lady herself while she was in London last week showing her S/S ’11 collection .

Grazia Daily: How did you get into fashion in the first place?

Rebecca Minkoff: When I was eight-years-old I begged my mom to buy me this dress that I wanted. She said no, but instead she bought me a sewing machine and put me in classes to learn to sew. As an eight-year-old that’s not what you want to hear, but I took classes there for several years. Then I went to a performing arts high school and I took all my elective classes in pattern-making and costume design. When I was 18 I did my first internship with a designer in New York and after three years working for someone else, I started making bags and clothes out of my apartment to sell to boutiques.

GD: And how did you come to set up your own label?

RM: It was one bag in particular, ‘The Morning After’ that got all that press. Then I started selling loads and that's how we got the label off the ground. At that time I decided just to focus on bags, but after a few seasons we introduced apparel, which is what I started out doing anyway.  Now we’re launching shoes for S/S ’11 so they’ll be in the shops in January.

GD: And which do you prefer? Womenswear, shoes or bags?

RM: At the moment shoes are the newest thing for me, so that’s what I’m finding most interesting. But overall I don’t have a favourite, I like doing all of it.

GD: Your bags are famous for being owned by a lot of celebrities. Who was the one that you were most excited to see the picture of them wearing it?

RM: When I saw the picture of Agyness [Deyn] with my bag I was sooo excited. I was like – this is the pinacle of my career! Now she’s a friend of mine, but that moment was so cool. We were introduced by a mutual friend who's a DJ and she so nice. She is the nicest person ever!

GD: Have you been keeping up with the shows this month? Who are your favourite designers?

RM: I was able to see what was going on at New York Fashion Week, because I was there - I had my presentation there - but as for Milan and London, I’ve been too busy flying around and I haven’t been able to go on the internet yet to check. That said I made sure I saw some of the pictures from Paris - Isabel Marant is maybe my favourite one. I know it's silly to say ‘The American so and so’ or whatever, because everyone is different, but if people thought of me as ‘the American Isabel Marant’ I’d be really happy. I think she is the closest thing on the runways to what I aim to do.

GD: And what about Vincent, the sexy French boy that you’ve enlisted to seduce all your customers?

RM: Ah yes, Vincent. We definitely haven’t heard the last of him. Vincent’s next thing is that we are making a mini film to show off the collection and Vincent does the voiceover. It’s all in French with English subtitles!

Sounds adorable, Rebecca! We can’t wait to see it.

- Naomi Attwood