10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT RACHEL ZOE

The celebrity stylist dishes on her star clients, her show, and what’s on her fall shopping list

2009/09/23

Rachel Zoe helps dress A-list stars such as Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz, but that clearly isn’t enough for her. With the launch of her own website and daily e-newsletter, an accessories line for US-based online store QVC and a new book in the works, the super stylist is ready to bring fashion to masses. Meanwhile, her hit reality show on CosmoTV, The Rachel Zoe Project, returns for it’s second season on October 12. FLARE caught up with the accessory-clad, vintage-gown-collecting celebrity stylist to get the scoop on her clients, what she’s coveting this season and to find out what really drives her b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

1. She wishes she had worn less makeup last season…
Rachel says: “I was like wow, why didn't anyone tell me I looked like that? I wouldn’t go back and change it though because I'd sort of be acting not as myself. Because I really am that person, you know.”

…But you’ll see a lot more designers and bigger names this season.
Rachel says: “I've always said from the beginning: designers are my heroes…they’re my celebrities. Standing there talking to Karl Lagerfeld or Christian Lacroix, I'm like a 16-year-old teenager. It’s really important for me to take the viewer into that fantasy world and have them see them up close and personal.”

2. None of her clients are a size zero.
Rachel says: “The women that I work with are just so extraordinary for so many different reasons. It’s really like picking your favorite child. Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, Cameron Diaz, Anne Hathaway, Liv Tyler, Demi, I mean they’re all so fantastic [but] not one out of the 10 women I work with right now are a size zero. Not one.”

3. She’s had to fire clients for bad behaviour.
Rachel says: “They made my assistants cry or they were nasty to my team and I won't stand for that.”

4. She archives all her clothes.
Rachel says: “I can't get rid of my prized possessions. Even if I'm not going to wear them for a long time, I have to know that they’re there. They’re all organized: some by designer, some by long dresses, short dresses, short jackets, you know, shoes by color, things like that. I hope to, give them to my daughter some day.”

5. She thinks money doesn’t buy good style.
Rachel says: “That’s my number one rule of thumb. There’s so much access to affordable fashion at this point. Check your vintage stores and just do a little bit of treasure hunting for great vintage items. And with the help of H&M, Mango and Zara, anyone can really have style and buy great pieces. I think the industry has figured out ways to make good quality clothes for very low prices. And I think they've had to do that with this economy.”

6. She thinks runway trends won’t work on you.
Rachel says: “If someone is sending skinny jeans and leggings down the runway and they don't look good on you then don't wear them. Stick to your slouchy trousers if that’s what you look better in. You can't just copy them because it’s what the models are wearing. Take whatever it is about your body that you love the most and put the most attention there.”

7. She doesn’t think you’re wearing the wrong thing, just too much of it.
Rachel Zoe: “I've seen women who are trying to wear animal prints and then they wear an entire animal print outfit with an animal print bag and an animal print shoe and I'm like oh, too much. The biggest problem is just over doing in general.”

8. She believes in age appropriate dressing…to a point.
Rachel says: “If you’re over a certain age and a mom, then don't dress like your daughter. I think you have to really take the time to think 'is that going to work on me? Is that appropriate for me? Should I be in a denim miniskirt right now?' I wouldn't want to put an age on it because you dress how you feel. But, I think the best thing to do is to spend your money wisely and buy pieces that are not going to be out of style two months from now.”

9. She likes the established designers…
Rachel says: “Balmain is amazing. Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton - amazing. Chanel is pretty flawless. Gucci was an incredible season.”

…But loves the new guard.
Rachel says: “I love Prabal Gurung. I love Thakoon. I love Phillip Lim. I love Jason Wu. He’s so adorable. So sweet. I think Chris Benz is great. There are a lot of goodies; a lot of the new young talent out there and I love it. I love to see it.”

10. She says if want to be a stylist, don’t do it for the money.
Rachel says: “100% you need passion. Never ever be driven by money ever. Just be driven by what you love. It was my grandfather that taught me that saying take what it is that you love and success will come because you’re going to work that much harder at it. I respect those that can, you know, suck it up and just do something because it’s what they think they’re supposed to do but I for one cannot work really hard at something that doesn't interest me. If you love it and work really hard, you'll get to where you want to be. And at least you'll enjoy it in the process.”