Its not just the name behind the label or the signature lettering assigned to specific design houses. I'm not a brand whore, even though I stand behind high end designer labels because I know how much quality each piece holds.
What I forgot is that it's not necessarily about always being “in fashion.” It's about style and owning your own style and launching that style with confidence. There is no point in having every dress in the latest trends with pieces from all of the up and coming designers across the globe. If that happened, then we'd all look more or less the same and the diversity that I appreciate in the fashion world would be lost.
So last night I decided to open up “the” book; what I'd like to dub as Rachel Zoe's self-acclaimed Bible. I have decided to take on only a single chapter at a time, even though I find the impulse to keep going through chapter after chapter because I want to know what Rachel has to say about “style.” But, for the sake of making this last at least a week, and actually trying to gain something from what I read and the photos I look at, I'm taking it one step at a time.
And so it begins, Zoe's introduction titled: Dream On.
Rachel's life is filled with nothing but glamour. The woman behind some of the top styled celebrities and socialites across North America has been able to embrace her passion and turn it into her lifestyle. Every bit of her life seems to have pushed boundaries and goes just a little more than over the top. In her introduction, Zoe notes, “A life of glamour and style makes everything that much more electrifying, that much more engaging... Glamour can come in the form of a suggestion, a hint—like a pair of oversized sunglasses [as a side note, this is total Rachel Zoe style]--or I can appear in its unapologetic glory, blinding bright from a pile of gold bangles on a bronzed wrist or at an informally chic dinner you throw for your friends at a favourite restaurant. It isn't about fashion. It's style.”
Of course Zoe's book is filled with photos and cartoon-style sketches of herself and her own personal style, not to mention the celebs that she regularly dresses and side notes from designers and the accomplished individuals she closely works with, like that from Valentino:
“Rachel has a deep love for all that is glamorous and she embraces the new, but she also appreciates timeless style. She respects a woman's own personality when she dresses her and yet has an instinct for what will make and entrance—and what will be photographed.”
After all, what's the point of all of Rachel's work if it's never photographed; if no one ever sees it?
Rachel really tries to push the idea that in creating your own style is all about dreaming. Whether it's about opportunity, lifestyles, or, specifically, how you dress, it's crucial in defining your own personality.
Rachel has been defining her own personality since she was young. Her mother, a natural style leader, bred a sense of strong style within her daughter right from the beginning. Rachel even notes in her book that she saved all of her allowance and gift money for a year so she could afford a $200 vintage mink coat she picked up on a day trip into New York's West Village with her friends at only thirteen years old.
Rachel knows herself. She knows that glamour is what she craves; and over the top is her signature style. Just like she knows the personality of each of the women she works with, Rachel notes that it's crucial to know yourself (honestly), in order to create your own look and define what will eventually evolve into your own individual style. Honestly in knowing yourself is what I think is one of Rachel's strongest points in this introduction. Coming from my end, an individual who has never been just quite satisfied with myself, honesty can be brutal. But no one is one hundred per cent happy with themselves, there is always something they want to change. Which, to Rachel, is a great thing. Because everyone, as individuals, change; and so can your style. You don't want your style at twenty one years old to be comparable to what it will be when you are forty years old. At least I won't. As long as you are honest with yourself and who you are, being able to change your style as your evolve in your own life will be far more simple.
Rachel is also one of the most noted vintage shoppers, well, ever. I am not sure she seems to shop in some of the lower price range vintage shops (on her television show her vintage finds include designer gowns and gold cuffs), but she encourages being able to mix in higher priced, quality pieces with low priced finds. Says Rachel, “Some of the most stylish glamazons are living it up on a dime. They just know how to reinvent a look with a belt or by wearing their hat another way.”
If you're looking for a cheap way to up your glamour appeal, Rachel offers her top essential under fifty bucks:
red lipstick (an instant glam-rush for any woman)
black eye liner (my personal favourite for late night... anything)
great heels (but really, I haven't been able to find a great pair of heels for $50 since I was twelve and I thought 2” qualified as a “high heel”)
faux fur shrug (I love this idea; I have been searching for one for almost two years now, but I am having a difficult time finding one that is a) faux, b) not too bulky, and c) complimentary to my skin tone)
metallic clutch (I think this is an asset, especially because you can mix and match all sorts of metallics with whichever look you're tying to achieve, as long as you keep it in your accessories. I always prefer to go with bronze or copper)
So really, says Rachel, just as pure introduction, that's all there is to it. Know thyself honestly and you can create a style that is all your own. You can change it, or simply edit it as much as you'd like, as often as you'd like, just as long as you keep loving it.
Above: Rachel Zoe (right) with Glenda Bailey, Editor in Chief at Harper's Bazaar (my personal favourite Fashion magazine)
Much love,
s.
Images c/o Google Images
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