How ‘Laguna Beach’ helped catapult Rebecca Minkoff from ‘podunk designer’ to fashion powerhouse

Let’s go back, back to the beginning. 

Fashion designer-turned-“Real Housewives of New York City” star Rebecca Minkoff says MTV’s “Laguna Beach” was instrumental in the early success of her brand. 

While taking a ride with Page Six during New York Fashion Week in one of Tri-State Cadillac’s iconic LYRIQ electric vehicles, Minkoff, 43, explained how her physician father facilitated a feature on Season 1 of the hit MTV reality show. 

Rebecca Minkoff, pictured here at her NYC showroom, tells Page Six how MTV’s “Laguna Beach” aided in the success of her fashion brand. Tamara Beckwith Minkoff explained that her physician father — whose patient was the dad of cast member Trey Phillips — facilitated a feature on Season 1 of the MTV hit. Tamara Beckwith

“I was doing a fashion show in LA. I think this was 2003 or ’04 and my dad was like, ‘Hey, I have a patient whose son is really interested in design and he’s on this show,’” she recalled, referring to Trey Phillips, a then-creative high-schooler who eventually went on to design for Vera Wang.  

“‘It’s some reality show…’ — ‘cause obviously we didn’t know what that was — ‘It’s called, like, “Laguna Beach?” They want to come, they want to film and they want to sit front-row.’”

Minkoff said she immediately agreed to the opportunity. 

Stephen Colletti, Lauren Conrad and Phillips sat front row for Minkoff’s fashion show, which was shown in an episode. Minkoff said it was a no-brainer to invite MTV cameras to her runway presentation. MTV

“I was like, ‘Yes, MTV. Duh!’” she exclaimed. 

Minkoff first made a splash in the fashion world in 2001, designing an “I Love NY” T-shirt worn by actress Jenna Elfman on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” In the years that followed, she continued to work hard at making her apparel more mainstream — and she had a feeling MTV could help.

“I needed it! I was like this podunk designer literally rubbing sticks together to get this show done,” she recounted. 

At the time, Minkoff said she felt like a “podunk designer” who “needed” the exposure. Tamara Beckwith Today, her company has reportedly raked in north of $100 million in its nearly two decades of business. Tamara Beckwith

“And they came and it was in the show and that really helped propel the name.”

By 2005, Minkoff had shifted her focus to handbags after her signature “Morning After Bag,” aka the “MAB,” made its debut. But reruns of “Laguna Beach” spotlighted her ready-to-wear work, prompting her to return to her roots four years later. 

“The bags got known. We closed down clothing because we were just like, ‘Let’s just focus on this,’” she said. “And ‘Laguna Beach’ replayed and due to that replay is why we relaunched clothing.”

Minkoff’s “Laguna Beach” experience set the stage for a relationship with series star Lauren Conrad, pictured here with the designer at a 2010 fashion show. Getty Images Conrad showed ample support to Minkoff’s brand by attending several shows, events and carrying her famous handbags. Andrew H. Walker

While Minkoff is proud of her “Laguna Beach” cameo, she jokes that her one regret is “wearing way too much makeup” on camera. 

Beauty blunders aside, the experience became the catalyst for a long-lasting relationship with Lauren Conrad. 

The series star — who, after “Laguna Beach,” went on to front her wildly popular spinoff, “The Hills,” from 2006 until 2009 — was a noted fan of Minkoff’s designs, attending many fashion presentations and carrying her bags when paparazzi were present to capture photos that often landed in celebrity weeklies. 

She was spotted shopping the collection on multiple occasions. Getty Images Minkoff said getting so much love from a prominent “it-girl” of the time “meant a lot.” FilmMagic “The Hills” stars Lo Bosworth (center) and Stephanie Pratt (right) also showed off their love for the brand when they attended its fall 2011 fashion show together. FilmMagic

“I love Lauren Conrad, she was always so supportive,” said Minkoff, whose company has reportedly raked in north of $100 million in its nearly two decades of business. 

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“She really was such an it-girl, so to have her love the brand so much really meant a lot,” the 43-year-old fashion designer added. “That carried a lot of weight.” 

While Conrad, 38, stepped away from reality TV, Minkoff is just entering the unscripted space as a “friend of” the “RHONY” Season 15 cast. 

Minkoff is gearing up to enter the unscripted space as a “friend of” the “Real Housewives of New York City” Season 15 cast. Tamara Beckwith She described the experience of filming Bravo’s hit show as a “new adventure.” Tamara Beckwith

“It’s a new adventure,” she said of filming the Big Apple-set iteration of Bravo’s juggernaut franchise.

“I’m excited for my customers to get to know me in a different way. And it’s been really cool to get to know all of these women.” 

“The Real Housewives of New York City” — also starring Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, Brynn Whitfield, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva and Racquel Chevremont — returns to Bravo on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET.