BEYOND THE T-SHIRT
Minnie Rose’s signature ruffled cashmere dusters, crocheted shawls and fringed cotton ponchos are what you want to reach for on those inexplicably cold summer mornings by the beach.
That’s probably why Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was seen in an olive green, ruffled cashmere Minnie Rose shawl in that famous photo taken with the grocery cart at a Waitrose supermarket a few days after her wedding. And it’s why Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan and a host of other celebrities are taking notice of the fledgling “knitwear lifestyle” brand, founded in 2006 by Lisa Shaller-goldberg.
Named after Shaller-goldberg’s grandmothers, Minnie Rose is based in New York City’s fashion district. But the designer does know a thing or two about Southern California style, having worked as the sales and marketing representative for such well-known L.A. labels as Juicy Couture, Earl Jean, True Religion and Hard Candy.
“When I came to L.A. back then for Juicy, I had never heard of June gloom,” the designer said during a recent trip to Southern California to show her line at a trade show. “I went to Fred Segal to get a sweater, and the only one in the store was $1,000. That launched Minnie Rose in my mind.”
In six years, the business has grown from three cashmere pieces to include a range of fashionable knitwear in dozens of new colors each season, colors including hazelnut, hibiscus, mango, merlot and brown sugar. For fall, she’s offering color-blocked or hooded and fur-trimmed Rowana shawls, Southwestern-style ponchos, boyfriend cardigans trimmed in fringe, sequin-dusted cashmere tank tops, dresses, Shaker knit leg warmers and cotton leggings. Everything is designed to be layered, and many items are one-size-fits-all.
“This is for a woman who grew up wearing Juicy. But now, maybe she has kids of her own. She wants to look comfortable, pretty and elegant,” said Shaller-goldberg, adding that knitwear is the logical extension of the Socal lifestyle brands she helped to build in her first career in the 1990s. “What goes with jeans besides Tshirts? Knitwear. It’s the next step.” Minnie Rose, $70 to $900, sells at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Intermix, Madison and other upscale boutiques and online at Minnie Rose.com.