Rachel Zoe: Living Her Fantasy
Rachel Zoe is adamant: “I’m never going to design something that I wouldn’t want to wear or own myself. I want to make clothes that excite me. I want to identify with them. I want to love them. otherwise, what’s the point?” In the hierarchy of top-name designers, Zoe is a nov- ice, albeit a novice on the fastest of fast tracks. this month, she debuts her third collection, for spring 2012, in a private press and retailer presentation during New york’s mercedes-benz fashion Week (Sept. 8-15).
Concurrently, the first Rachel Zoe Collection, for Fall 2011, is in stores: in New York, at Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Intermix; and nationally, at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. A second, transitional collection, Resort 2012, goes on sale later in the fall. In less than a year, the TV star and style arbiter (her daily news- letter, The Zoe Report, is a must-read for fashionistas, who can subscribe at www.rachelzoe.com) has established herself in the front rank of new de- signers to watch—and wear. Who is the woman for whom she creates?
“I will always design on trend, but I won’t be trendy. Timelessness is super important to me. When I’m designing, I’m 100 percent thinking, ‘OK, I want to be able to wear this in five, 10 years from now.’”
“I don’t really want to typecast the person who’s wearing my clothes,” she answers. “I design for the girl who loves fashion, who has confidence in herself and who wants to look good, but doesn’t ever want to look like she tried too hard.” Priding herself on the diversity of her collection, Zoe’s clothes span the generations and appeal to “girls” in their mid-20s to their 60s.
Diversity is certainly built into every look. When asked what elements from the fall collection a woman with a budget of $1,500 must have—pieces range from $150 to $600, with much of the line priced between $200 and $350 — Zoe doesn’t hesitate: the RZ tote bag; the classic ankle boot with 4-inch heel in camel, black or embossed snake; and the tuxedo in either winter white or black. The tuxedo trouser is a core silhouette in every Rachel Zoe Collection, available in denim, as well as suitings.
Boasting the signature RZ Cut, the pant is fitted to the knee and then flares out. “It’s my personal favorite,” Zoe says, “because it makes your legs appear longer. It’s the most flattering universally and is a good investment because you can really mix and match it. You can wear the pant with a tank top or a blouse and flats, just as you can wear the tuxedo jacket with jeans and a T-shirt. There’s no science to it.”
After a career spanning 15 or so years, not much jolts Zoe. Yet she is hardly blasé when it comes to her collection. “I was in the middle of a shoot, and I got an email that Jennifer Lopez was wearing my tuxedo dress from the fall collection. I almost fell off my chair. It was crazy.”
Crazy, too, are the emails racing back and forth from friends who have seen the Rachel Zoe Collection displayed in Bloomingdale’s. “I’m freaking out,” the designer says. “This is like the most surreal thing ever. It’s a fantasy. I’ve been shopping at Bloomingdale’s since I was 5.” Now women are shop- ping for her line at Bloomingdale’s. Crazy, but good.
