FabSugar

Countdown to the Zoe Show: "My Priority Is Always Going to Be My Job"

FabSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:08 -0700

I hope you've enjoyed the countdown to The Rachel Zoe Project. And I hope you'll tune in to the premiere of the show Tuesday, Sept. 9. I'm going to be in the midst of Fashion Week, but I'll try to keep my eyes open for it. We'll have to reconvene and chat all about it. In the meantime, Zoe shares more . . .

What The Rachel Zoe Project is really about:

"You’re really going to see a lot of what it is that I do, what it is that being a stylist really means - at least for me in my world. Everybody is going to see how much work and how much time and effort goes into everything that we do. You’re going to get bits of certain clients. You’re going to get a lot of designers, a lot of the biggest designers in the fashion world. And you’re really going to get that drama that plays out through award season and Fashion Week, and a lot of the dynamics that exist between myself and my team that works with me.

My priority is always going to be my job. I’ve had nine fittings in the last 48 hours, and that’s not going to change. I’m doing a show and that is what it is and I’m proud of it. I’m never going to let the attention shift too much towards me to take away from what it is that I do."

To hear Zoe really open up about her fashion faux pas and jetset style, read more.

Opening up:

"I’ve run out of excuses not to do this, and I say in the show, it’s a bit of my mantra about my life and my job - I’m much more scared not to try than I am to fail. There’s always hesitation when you’re opening yourself up like that. As you very well know, the press has not always been kind to me. So I said OK, well what do I have to lose at this point?"

Not a fan:

"I’m not a huge advocate of cleavage. Midriffs, no more showing midriffs unless you’re on the beach. Too much. I think better left to the imagination.

When hair and makeup doesn’t work with the dress is number one. Sometimes young girls look older than they should and sometimes older women look younger than they should. Age appropriate dressing."

Jetset style:

"I think you should always look super when you’re traveling. Probably an incredible coat, one to the knee. And then one that’s more kind of cropped like to the hip, one that’s a little more casual. I would say incredible boots. For the Fall it’s all about your boot - an ankle boot and a knee high boot. Clearly a platform; super high pump that you can wear with everything all the time. Your perfect bag that you can take day to night and not too big but maybe a midsize. Travel gear is very important. And of course, big, big fabulous sunglasses."

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Countdown to the Zoe Show: "I Probably Have a Bit Too Much of Everything"

FabSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:00:22 -0700

Whether you love her, hate her, or aren't sure yet, it's soon to be judgment day for celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe when her docudrama premieres Tuesday, Sept. 9. We're kind of loving her and all her Zoe-isms ("bananas") and fashion advice she's given us via our countdown to The Rachel Zoe Project. One thing's for certain: this woman lives a fabulous life. Here's more of it . . .

How many pairs of shoes does Zoe have?

"I haven’t done a count in awhile, but I probably have a bit too much of everything. And that’s not in a sort of extravagant sense as much as it’s from a standpoint of, my rationale is being a collector of things. My vintage collection, and things like that, those are things I can’t ever part with and therefore, it just keeps growing. Instead of getting rid of things and then replacing them, I just keep adding. I am a shopper. I am a collector and I am a shopper, and I can’t really make an excuse for it other than that it’s my art and it’s what I do. And it’s something that in the back of my mind I hope someday my daughter will benefit from, you know what I mean?"

For more, more, more, read more.

Confessions of a shopaholic:

"I don’t really ever shop with intention, if that makes any sense. I’m never really out looking for a specific thing. And Lord knows I have enough in my closet to probably wardrobe me for several seasons of television. I think how we all dressed in the show was really how we all dress in our day-to-day life. It’s sort of about fashion meets function because we work on our hands and knees all day. It’s trying to look decent and still be comfortable because when we get dressed at 7 a.m., we’re in those clothes for 20 hours in a day."

Zoe on '80s style:

"The '80s is a huge trend right now, it did come down the runways a lot. Is it something that I’m a huge advocate of? Not necessarily. I think it works on certain people. It doesn’t work on me personally. For certain people, I think it’s fantastic. But I think it’s about not getting too literal into the '80s. If it means a sharp shoulder and a cropped leather jacket, and a spiked heel and a skinny pant or a leather legging, then I think that’s great. But I think little bits at a time."

See you at Fashion Week:

"I will be attending parties. I will definitely be at many fashion shows. I will also be promoting the show during Fashion Week, so it’ll be juggling that. I love to support my friends when I’m in New York and I would never miss Marc Jacobs. I would never miss Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, Zac Posen, Peter Som - all of them. Rodarte, of course. It’s always fantastic."

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Countdown to the Zoe Show: "I'm Sort of Obsessed With Topshop"

FabSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:00:22 -0700

As we continue our journey into the mind of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, here she is at a Lanvin party during Couture Week, with actresses Chelsea Tallarico and Liv Tyler, Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, and Eva Mendes. Yes, we know she has friends in high places; I just like this photo. Speaking of celebrities, in this installment, Zoe talks about how her famous clients handled being filmed for her upcoming show, The Rachel Zoe Project. She also talks vintage and low fashion - Fab stuff.

Smile for the cameras:

"Most of my clients didn’t even know I was filming the show while I was shooting it. I kept it very, very under the radar because my clients always take precedence over anything that I do. And so I didn’t really ask many of them to participate. And the ones that did were just incredible support. It wasn’t a secret. It was just more that I was very focused on them and I don’t ever want any client to think that there’s anything distracting, which it didn’t. Joy Bryant has been a friend and a client for over six years. And Molly and Deborah, I think that I’m very, very fortunate because the women that I work with are just unbelievable women. They’re just incredible spirits."

For more Zoe tidbits, read more.

Zoe's biggest challenge:

"The biggest challenge of my life is trying to have a personal life and trying to build my brand."

Zoe does low fashion:

"I’m sort of obsessed with Topshop. I love Topshop. I think Topshop is amazing and I think H&M is great. I love what Target is doing with all the young designers. I think it’s fantastic. And I love the Gap. I think the Gap is amazing."

An eye for vintage:

"There’s always a top 10; Pierre Cardin, Courreges, Lanvin, Ossie Clark, Yves St. Laurent, of course, Chanel always. I mean, it just goes on and on. I could go on for days . . . "

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Countdown to the Zoe Show: "Honey, I Only Wear High Heels"

FabSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:00:22 -0700

I guess it does only take 21 minutes for you to change your mind about someone. The Rachel Zoe Project will soon be unleashed and it's already at the top of my Tivo. To further convince me this is going to be one of the Fall season's best, Zoe got on the phone with a group of reporters and dished. What about? Plenty. So plenty I figured we could do countdown of the juiciest bits leading up to the premiere of the show: Monday, Sept. 9 at 11 PM. Oh, and be sure to watch the 21 minutes to get up to speed. Ready, set, Zoe!

Meet Brad and Taylor:

"Taylor has been with me for three years. Taylor, as she would say about herself, she’s not the easiest person all the time. I love her like family. She’s like one of my children. And she is about keeping a very tight ship, and there’s no margin for error in what we do. But I think that you will enjoy, for better or for worse, the dynamic between the two of them. It’s not edited and is extremely real, and there is absolutely no acting in this show.

I feel that style is people’s way of expressing themselves and their mood. And I think if you notice it, Taylor is always in black and she’s very dark, and she’s very hard. Brad is always in very happy clothes all the time and he’s very dandy and very, you know - I think they’re equally as obsessed with fashion. I think that’s why anyone gets into this and I’m very lucky that they are. They both have such incredible style."

For the rest, read more.

Rachel Zoe, the brand:

"My goal is to create a lifestyle brand. Something there’s no limit to, that will go from belts and sunglasses to jewelry and clothes and fragrance and home. Sometime in 2009 we’ll start to see products. I really love what I do and I think that however I can challenge myself to broaden that scope as much as possible is my ultimate goal."

Honey, I only wear high heels:

"How?! Platforms and inner cushions at the ball of your foot. You know, some designers actually put those in for you now. Like Brian Atwood puts a little kind of cushion right at the ball of your foot which makes them very comfortable. I think if there isn’t one in existence then you just put one in yourself."

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FabSugar Exclusive: Rachel Zoe, The Morning After

FabSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:01:50 -0700

Thrilling. That best describes The Rachel Zoe Project premiere last night. The glamour, the gowns, the jewels, the tension - I knew I would be hooked the second time around, what about you? Last night we witnessed the countdown to the Golden Globes, saw Team Zoe's new studio, met some new staff, and bit our nails over the lost pink Chanel haute couture dress. Or was that just me and Rachel? I caught up with the stylist extraordinaire this morning for some coffee talk. We mostly gushed about the gorgeous gowns on last night's show, but we also chatted Brad and Taylor. Here's last night's rehash . . .

Eva's white Dior was my favorite from this year's awards season. It wasn't on the runway, how did you find it?

"The PR people sent me photos even though it wasn't sent down the runway. I'll know that Eva has something coming up, I call it a check note. That necklace is probably my favorite piece of jewelry - ever. When I worked with Keira Knightley for the Oscars in '06, there was this vintage Bulgari piece and this brought that memory back to me. There's nothing like an incredible blob of turquoise. It's a dream scenario."

Speaking of jewelry, how did emeralds call out to you for Debra's navy Vera Wang?

"I love to see color. I don't want to do anything expected, or odd. The idea of emeralds with the navy is a younger, modern way to make something glamorous. You don't need diamonds for glamour. I love mixing colors, the less perfect the better."

To read about asking Karl to alter the Chanel and for some Brad and Taylor scoop,

Cameron's pink Chanel - have you asked designer's to alter before? Just not Karl? Why were you so nervous?

"Yes, I have, but Karl Lagerfeld is up there with my three heroes of all time. When you ask to make a change to an already-brilliant design, it's scary. What if it doesn't work? At the end of the day Cameron is my priority. I want to do what's politically correct, but also what's best for my client. You weigh your odds there. It was scary. Had he said no, I would have had to move on. The worst he could say is no."

New studio? Upgrade! And more staff?

"We actually have two studios now. One for the digital side of my business (The Zoe Report). We're growing Rachel Zoe Inc. And Jordan (the intern) and Marisa (Zoe's assistant). Poor Marisa is so innocent, she's the golden child of the group. She helps balance it out. Brad provides a lot of comic relief, when I'm having a really tense moment, Brad makes me laugh at it all."

It appears Brad and Taylor are getting along better. When they moved the desks downstairs, they banded together as brats. It was funny to see that banter.

"They are, but trust me they still have their moments. And they banter, for better or for worse."

When they talk about you, how does it make you feel?

"Brad isn't really built that way. It's more important to me that they get along with one another than they get pleasure out of making fun of me or patronizing me. If they weren't doing their jobs the way they do, they wouldn't be there. I wouldn't put up with it. We all know where we stand with one another. I compare it to a real family. You take abuse and you make up as if nothing ever happened. Or we don't even make up and just move on. They are so loyal."

It seems this season is going to get heavy with Taylor questioning her loyalty.

"Oh yeah. She'll be doing all season what she did last night. She's bored to tears, but she's not going to complain. But you do see a lighter side of Taylor. She's not programmed that way. I prefer she is who she is on camera, and not pretending to be something she's not. She has a heart of gold, I promise you that." Photo courtesy of Bravo

Absolutely Fabulous

FabSugar — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:22:22 -0700

Two of our favorite shows ended this week. Project Runway is over - congrats Leanne! And we want to know: Are you sad The Rachel Zoe Project is over?
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