No one loves Cinderella stories like the fashion industry. From The Devil Wears Prada, to Rodarte – the sisters/design duo from Pasadena who went from creating couture clothing in their bedrooms to becoming the darlings of the high-fashion industry – it’s all about making the American dream a reality. As long as you’ve got the talent, and the guts, you’ve got a chance.

Or, as another all-female design duo can tell you, as long as you’re packing a really sick business plan. Meet Rachel Antonoff, 24, and Allison Lewis, 23, the former roommates responsible for the thriving fashion label, Mooka Kinney. In just two seasons, the girls have been picked up by Barneys (as well as a number of reputable boutiques and high-volume e-commerce sites), and amassed a following of young, modern women. Their designs are both whimsical and feminine, and are all underlined by an explicitly childlike quality. Fabrics are ridden with vintage references – unstructured jumpers and dresses are often adorned with unicorns, florals, paisleys and plaids. But, while Mooka Kinney’s designs are charming, they lack the CV that many other labels pack. In other words, nearly all of the actual construction of the garments is outsourced. Neither Antonoff nor Lewis knows how to make patterns let alone how to sew together a shift dress. So, what fuels their success? We asked:

How was the line initially conceived?

AL: I think our line sparked from our love of vintage clothing and things of the past rather than us wanting to always be clothing designers.

In what ways do you think the confidence to start your own business is an embodiment of the current generation?

AL: We just said we were going to do this and we did. New York offers so much opportunity as far as small business and making something that’s your own. We realized we had nothing to lose, and all the right skills to make something great, and so we figured we’d try.

How did you get representation at Barneys? And, how do you feel about being represented by such a big retailer, seeing how unique and personal your collections are?

AL: The fashion editor at Teen Vogue referred us to Barneys and they contacted us. I think Barneys - while it is a big chain - is also notorious for representing small and upcoming designers, so for us it was a huge accomplishment to be part of that.

What about the other downtown boutiques, like I heart and shop. How did those opportunities come about? How does that relationship compare, in your minds, to that which you have with Barneys?

RA: As far as getting into smaller boutiques goes, we got really lucky with press early on and that helped us out a lot with stores. We love being in small boutiques, like shop and I heart and satine, because it’s so much more personal than big department stores. We love knowing the owners and the people who work there.

How do you see Mooka Kinney expanding? How will you reconcile that expansion in light of your intimate aesthetic? Do you risk losing it?

RA: That's such a tough issue since our whole original idea was for people to feel like they were discovering an unearthed treasure, and obviously that will be difficult to maintain while expanding. I do think it’s possible to expand without becoming completely over-saturated.

~Megan Zanke