Rachel Zoe Interview: The Good, Bad And Ugly In Fashion

August 25, 2008

Stylist Rachel Zoe was the wisp-thin Henry Higgins who transformed a non-descript Nicole Richie from a fluffy Paris Hilton sycophant into a real fashionista.

Zoe is in demand and has dressed half of Hollywood's A-list machers, moguls and starlets, including Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson. She commands a big salary for her help in dressing the client for high-stress fashion tests: Award shows, film junkets, premieres and magazine layouts.

Zoe has been criticized for promoting Hollywood's size-zero obsession and dressing her clients like herself. Bravo has stepped in and mined this treasure trove of controversy and content and found a new real reality star in Zoe.

"The Rachel Zoe Project" debuts September 9th on Bravo. Her reality is compelling to observe. Like any good Bravo effort there are great side players: Zoe's right hand, Taylor Jacobson, the abuser the new assistant, ex-Vogue staffer Brad Goreski.

As Oxygen reality star Janice Dickinson would say, "Let the games begin."

Monsters and Critics spoke to Rachel about current fashion faux pas, forecasts and cool collecting.

You’re one of the few celebrity stylists I’ve noticed that has a really good eagle eye for quality vintage and great design.

Rachel Zoe: Because I’m obsessed with it.

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 is just something that I hope someday my daughter will benefit from, you know what I mean?

My vintage collection, and things like that. I think those are things that I can’t ever part with and therefore, it just keeps growing. Instead of like getting rid of things and then replacing them, I just sort of keep adding.

I notice on the Bravo site you said that the 60s and the 80s are going to be influencing the fashion look that you’re putting together in this show in the upcoming season.

Rachel Zoe: Actually, you know what’s interesting? It’s actually 60s and 70s.

Oh, okay. It says a lot of the 80s, unfortunately they quote you as saying.

Rachel Zoe: I know. I think that actually - I actually have to address that. It’s actually 60s and 70s. The 80s -- and I think that’s where the unfortunately came in -- I think it was just sort of just a little mix-up. I mean, the 80s is a huge trend right now...because it did come down the runways a lot.

Is it something that I’m a huge advocate of? Not necessarily. I think that it works on certain people. It doesn’t work on me personally. But I think - for certain people, I think it’s fantastic, But I think it’s about not getting too literal into the 80s.

And I think if it means a sharp shoulder and a very cropped leather jacket, and, you know, a very spiked heel and a very skinny pant or a leather legging, then I think that’s great. But I think little bits at a time.

What vintage pieces would you recommend people to be on the lookout for from the 60s and 70s to augment their fashion wardrobe?

Rachel Zoe: I think it’s always going to be - there’s always sort of a top ten. It’s like Pierre Cardin, Courreges, Lanvin, Ossie Clark, Yves St. Lauren, of course, Chanel always. I mean, it just goes on and on. I mean, I could go on for days.

Let’s talk about makeup for a second. I know that you’re not a big fan of the 80s, but John Stapleton - a MAC makeup artist who works with Margaret Cho on her new show says that the 80s look is going to be the return of the Robert Palmer face.

Rachel Zoe: Okay, yeah.

So the lips, the eyes, the really heavy, smoky eyes,

Rachel Zoe: And a very pale, pale, pale skin.

What’s your feeling about that makeup palette?

Rachel Zoe: I think that there’s ways to look at things in a magazine and wear things for photo shoots and runways, but not necessarily that you should wear it in your everyday life.

I think that you draw inspiration from that.

And you take bits and pieces. So, I’m always a huge advocate of the smoky eye and I’m a huge advocate of a very, very jewel-toned red lip. I think it’s so beautiful.
But I think that I don’t necessarily always love the combination of the two for real life.

I like one or the other generally. I prefer a paler mouth with a smoky eye and, if you’re going to do a dark mouth, then a very bare eye.

Okay, what is the one fashion look right now you’d like to shoot dead right on the spot?

Rachel Zoe: Oh god.

Tell everyone to stop doing it?

Rachel Zoe: Oh god.

Come on.

Rachel Zoe: Oh god. I’m so in love with fashion right now.

What’s the biggest, most egregious fashion faux pas?

Rachel Zoe: I don’t know the answer to that.

Well, what would you say on your show if somebody walked by and was doing something that just made your eyes cross? Say it.

Rachel Zoe: I’m not a huge advocate of cleavage. I’m just - midriffs, like just no more midriffs. No more showing midriffs unless you’re on the beach…

Yes, that’s a very good piece of advice - and cleavage, too. Too much cleavage, especially in Los Angeles.

Rachel Zoe: Too much. I think better left to the imagination.

Do you think there’s a big style difference between New York and Los Angeles as far as what’s acceptable?

Rachel Zoe: Oh god yeah. Oh, as far as that goes? I don’t know. I think it’s just an overall difference in style. There’s just ...it’s worlds apart really.

Do you appreciate New York more?

Rachel Zoe: I’m actually a New Yorker. I’m a New Yorker and I live between both cities, and I wear different hats in each place.

I like to mix it up. I mix it up when I go to Paris and Milan. And I like to do different things.

What’s something you’d wear in New York but you’d never wear in Los Angeles?

Rachel Zoe: Probably a pencil skirt and a great little fitted jacket and blouse. I tend to do a little bit more of the Coco Chanel thing in New York and in LA you just seem very overdressed.

More coming from Rachel the week of her show premiere on Bravo September 9th at 11p.