Avelle

I remember quite vividly surfing Bag, Borrow or Steal during my first year of full-time work. The site had just launched, and despite its unfortunate design, I found it to be quite cheeky--and in many ways, appealing. And although I never could bring myself to take the plunge, I knew plenty of women who "borrowed" one of the company's bags for weeks at a time, whether it was for job interviews or big meetings. So I was pretty shocked when Bag, Borrow or Steal decided to change its name to Avelle in 2008, shortly after its prominent mention in the first Sex and the City movie. Sure, BBS isn't the the most glamorous moniker, but it was catchy, and people knew what it meant. Since then, Avelle kind of fell off the map. Well, at least that's what it felt like. But it seems my instincts may have been incorrect. Recently, I chatted with Avelle CEO Michael J. Smith, who attempted to set me straight on what the brand's been up to. While I still don't fully agree with the name change, Smith, previously president of Nordstrom.com, made a compelling argument in its favor. Here's my Q&A with the exec:

• By Lauren Sherman
  Jun 1, 2010