I want – I got has a little interview with US designer Rachel Roy. This is a first for the site as I normally interview Canadian designers. It was an email interview but I was hoping to meet Rachel at The Hudson’s Bay Queen Street on March 25, 2010 for personal appearance. Unfortunately I’m booked, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go, it’s a public event.

The Spring Summer 2010 collection for Rachel Rachel Roy is pretty cute. I love all the pieces that use the colourful flora print.

1.What factors influenced your decision to create the Rachel Rachel Roy line?
“I wanted every woman to have the opportunity to express herself through style in an accessible way. The Rachel Rachel Roy collection allows me to mix elements of downtown cool with uptown chic for a result that is simultaneously edgy, elegant yet youthful. I hoped to design a fashion forward contemporary collection that accentuated a woman’s best features and allowed her to express her own individuality.”

2. I imagine plans for the line were in the works for some time before launch, did the economy change that roadmap to launch?
“I have always wanted to create a line that was fashion forward yet affordable, so I am thrilled to provide my customer with accessible, trend driven clothes.”

3.Why enter the Canadian marketplace? What makes it appealing to your business?
“I’m excited to launch my collection in Canada at the Bay. It is a huge market which provides a great opportunity to grow the RACHEL Rachel Roy brand.”

4.You have embraced social media within your company. Were you dragged kicking and screaming or was it something you immediately saw the value in?
“I really chose to embrace social media with the launch of RACHEL Rachel Roy. I saw the value in social media and really began to embrace it with the launch of RACHEL Rachel Roy. Twitter and Facebook allow me an opportunity to connect with the RRR girl and the RRNY woman in a more intimate way. I like being able to interact with customers on a different level than at a store or event. There is an immediate dialogue that you can have with people.”

5. Has your social media engagement lead to an increase in profits? What else do you feel social media has provided for the company or consumer?
“Social media is a great tool as it allows me to interact with my consumer and gain valuable feedback about what she likes and wants more of. I think people are able to learn more about what I stand for as a designer, what fashion means to me, things that inspire and more about me. The possibilities with social media are endless and I am always interested in what is going to come next.”

6. New York Fashion Week has been over for a few weeks but we saw many designers streaming the show and many articles talking about the “invasion of fashion bloggers”. How do you think fashion week will change in terms of delivery of content and the demographics of the audience?
“Fashion Week is no longer about appealing strictly to the top magazine editors. Online and digital outlets and their editorial voices have become as important in the fashion world since the content is more easily accessible to the masses with the click of a mouse. These days, many designers are streaming fashion shows and presentations live on the internet on their websites and using other innovative ways to share news and information about their brands.”

7. Who are your fashion heroes?
“I love old movie starlets like Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner or Talluah Bankhead and am also very inspired by Coco Chanel, Carine Roitfeld, Amy Fine Collins and Lauren Santo Domingo.”