Rachel Zoe, stylist to the stars, is very busy these days.
Not only is she in the midst of a conference call to promote the second season of her reality TV series, “The Rachel Zoe Project,” which premiered Monday on the Bravo network, she’s just started a blog (rachelzoe.com), is getting ready to debut an accessories line on QVC and is planning to write a book.
Already the author (with a co-writer) of “Style: A to Zoe” (Grand Central, $24.99), which hit stores two years ago, Zoe says she told herself she’d pen another tome as soon as she had enough to say. That time, apparently, has arrived, although when one of the conference-call reporters asks what the book will be about, Zoe says, “I don’t know.” Then she adds, “I definitely think it will be a wealth of information.”
That’s exactly what the conference call turns out to be. Did you know, for example, that Zoe — who is often criticized for being too thin and too bossy — wanted to be a psychiatrist? She studied sociology and psychology in college before dedicating her postgraduate life to fashion and the dressing of A-list stars such as Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz and Eva Mendes.
Here’s more info from her chat:
On the reality of reality TV: “Whether they like me or not, I think that at least if they watch the show they can . . . form a real opinion of who I am. Because it is who I am.”
On what she decided to change about herself after Season 1: “I wanted to wear much, much less makeup. I said, ‘Oh my God! Do I really look like that every day?’ But I don’t think that I’d change what I was in Season 1 because if I did that, I’d sort of be acting not as myself. Because I really am that person, you know.”
On being a control freak: “It’s just one of those things. It’s like I micromanage and I … have a very strong voice and everything.”
On what every woman needs in her wardrobe: “A great, like, statement necklace, a great pair of earrings, a big cocktail ring. Then you can sort of dress up any outfit. And it’s also not size-dependent. That’s the best thing about jewelry. “
On budgets: “You so don’t need money to have style! I mean, that’s my No. 1 rule of thumb. It’s just, you know, I think that there’s so much access to affordable fashion at this point.” (She mentions H&M.)
On trends: “You shouldn’t take trends from the runway and assume that they’re going to work on you. 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 wide-leg jeans. “
On her biggest fashion mistake: “I would say the ’80s. At the time I thought it looked great. But, you know, huge, really big hair, midriff showing all the time. My dresses were so short and then I would wear, like, acid-washed jeans and, oh God. It was technically the style at the time. But, wow, do I look back and be like, ‘What was I thinking? Why didn’t anyone stop me?’ “
