Unless you have been living under a rock, you have undoubtedly heard of Rachel Zoe, fashion stylist to the stars. Zoe is the gal who makes Jennifer Garner, Cameron Diaz, and Anne Hathaway (or Annie as she so ahem, endearingly calls her) look so amazing at the Oscars. She’s the one who says frequently and for no apparent reason”I die” and “Bananas.” Zoe also has a somewhat highly-rated show on Bravo called “The Rachel Zoe Project” which shows a snapshot in time, usually Fashion Week and Oscar Week, when Zoe and her oh-so-put-upon-assistant- stylists Taylor and Brad deal with any number of fashion disasters; i.e., Brad: “OMG I forgot the nipple covers! What am I going to do” and he starts to cry. (Now, girls, we can all relate to wardrobe malfunctions, so dearest Brad, dry your sad little tears. It’s okay, honey.)
I for one love the fact that the show is still on. On the one hand, I do feel that some brain cells die every time I watch it. Why? Hmmm, let’s see…well, how many times must we watch Taylor huff and puff in frustration that she’s moved beyond her current position as she haughtily slams those $15,000 gowns onto those metal racks? (Cringe.) Do I need to see Brad cry again? Or see Rachel have her makeup done again? Or watch her drink her ten-thousandth cup of coffee? I get that repetition is key in developing characters, but…isn’t the show about Zoe and what she does? When we get to see that, the show takes flight. When you get to see her brain in motion, and she quickly pulls together a look for a client, or pulls fab-u-lous jewelry and mountains of coutoure clothing for a shoot–WOW, amazing. The woman is literally a walking fashion encyclopedia. Her brain should be frozen and the fashion information extracted–oh wait, it has! Her book, Style A to Zoe, is actually very good (and a New York Times bestseller).
I actually do enjoy Taylor for the most part–I love her deep side-parted bleached blond, textured hair, her giant dark glasses that she refuses to remove even for meetings, the fact that she stomps around in those high heels rocker boots. But she’s a tough chick whom exudes confidence, and for that I give her props. As for Brad, well, he’s definitely comic relief. Is he the best choice for Zoe’s second assistant? That remains to be seen. He seems quite fashion knowledgeable–though I’m not sure if his drama, lack of common sense, and emotions will trump his experience in the end.
And no matter what you think of “Product Rachel Zoe,” in all her annoyingness, massive jewelry and wobbly heels, Zoe herself is, in my opinion, a wonderful example of a successful female entrepreneur mixed with a great marriage–and she does it all with style. (I choose not to comment on her weight here–enough has been written and said.) However…will I tune in next season to see if Taylor is still mad all the time and if she stays–if Brad wears more silly hats and then gets fired–if Rachel still talks like a valley girl and still has vertigo–if her husband Roger finally gets a haircut? Meh–probably not. Then again, if I flip on the TV and it’s on, I probably won’t shut it off either.
As her daily email The Zoe Report pronounces to you, glamour is contagious–share it with a friend. And really, isn’t that what the spirit of fashion is all about? Lookin good, baby!
Check out all things Zoe at http://thezoereport.com/. She usually gives one opulent option that let’s face it, only she can afford but is fun to gawk at (say, a Gucci bag for $3,500); but then she gives a “parallel universe” option for anywhere from $30 to a few hundred bucks that makes real fashion seem, well, real, to us recessionistas. Cool beans.
So, to answer the question, is Rachel Zoe to die for? Naw, but she’s a kick and worth a little time.
