Hi everyone,
Hope you’ve all been well! As I continue reacclimating into the offseason, I’ve had some amazing conversations on my podcast, Calm Down with Erin & Charissa, and wanted to highlight a very special guest who I’ve been a fan of for FOREVER.
A few weeks ago, I had the honor and pleasure of sitting down with fashion icon and inspiration, Rachel Zoe. If you’re not familiar with this powerhouse of a woman, Rachel is a fashion designer, businesswoman, entrepreneur, author, muse, and an incredible mom who rose to prominence as a celebrity wardrobe stylist. She has been credited with the creation of "the boho-meets-rock chic look that came to define a new breed of Hollywood ‘it’ girls in the mid-2000s. Describing her signature look to Vogue magazine, Zoe said: "It's very 60s to 70s glamour. It's Mod meets Grecian. A lot of gold and a lot of bronze, shimmer and glamour, but relaxed glamour, very unstructured, bold accessories." Zoe's clients as a stylist have included Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Kate Beckinsale, Debra Messing, Demi Moore, Liv Tyler, Joy Bryant, Molly Sims, Beau Garett, Eva Mendes, Paula Patton, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, and Miley Cyrus.
Between Charissa and myself, we had too many questions and were TOO excited to sit down with Zoe and pick her brain on all things fashion, work and staying relevant; but before diving in on business, maybe the most inspiring aspect of Rachel’s life is her 30+ year relationship with her husband, Rodger Berman. Berman is not only Rachel’s husband/best friend, but her partner in business, serving as the Co-CEO of Rachel Zoe, Inc. Zoe and Berman both realize how rare their relationship is and highlighted a few key points that have kept the partnership strong: 1. Trust – the trust and commitment that Zoe felt from the beginning of their relationship helped her feel supported in her career as she travelled the country with super models and A-Listers. 2. Marriage is Easy – instead of nodding along to the age old saying “marriage is really hard”, Rachel and Rodger feel the opposite – “Everything else in life is hard, we’re the easy part”. Being able to come home and let your guard down, and just be you keeps the relationship from feeling like a chore.
It’s insane to think how Zoe juggles work, marriage, and kids, while (attempting) to leave time for herself. I had to dig into how she handles the day to day, while staying present and thinking about the future. She admits that figuring out when to have children and how her daily schedule would change was difficult, and that she had moments when she didn’t think it was possible. Her solution? Incorporate the kids into her day-to-day life – Rachel immediately started to bring her children into the office. And when her team started to have their own kids, she opened a nursery at the office which created an even deeper family environment. It also allowed working parents, like herself, to alleviate the pull of going to work vs. staying home with your kids.
Rachel Zoe already has an incredible list of accomplishments (Designer, A-List Stylist, The Zoe Report, Rachel Zoe Project), including her newest project, Curateur. In Zoe’s own words, “Curateur was created because I’ve been hired throughout my entire career to curate for people, brands, companies, for homes…” Whether it’s friends, family, clients or fans, Zoe is always asked for her opinion on fashion – with this new quarterly publication, she’s able to style as many women as possible. Zoe also recently launched The Shop, which is the answer to all of your “shopping dreams” with curated styles at exclusive discounts. You can visit The Shop HERE.
I absolutely LOVED my time with Rachel Zoe and can’t wait to dive into her newest project for the latest and greatest in style and fashion. Also, be on the lookout for her own premiere perfume…coming soon! As someone who’s always looking for inspiration, comment some of your fashion icons below.
Until next time,
Erin
