The Fashionista Diaries - Meet Rachel Jacoby

Well London Fashion Week is up and running and fashion is on the tip of everyone's tongue. All the magazine editors are out in full forces in their Jimmy Choos clutching a skinny latte checking out the latest trends. The whole atmosphere in the British Fashion Council tent is intoxicating. Someone who knows better than most about covering fashion events is 22 year old, Rachel Jacoby. The New York native is one of the stars of The Fashionista Diaries and is now working at CosmoGirl following the demise of Jane magazine. During our interview, she spills all to me about life on CosmoGirl, Jane and what is going down with Andrew.

I was impressed with your knowledge about Jane magazine in your first editorial meeting, would you say you are a real mag hag?
I am most definitely a mag hag. Ever since I was a little girl, I would devour the pages of any magazine that passed my way -- I even would read catalogues. After a short detour of wanting to be a civil rights attorney, I turned back to my original love of magazines and took a six week course at NYU post college graduation called the "Summer Publishing Institute". It was basically a bootcamp for magazine publishing, which confirmed my interest in working in the industry. I even took a position for a year as an advertising assistant at a different magazine in order to break into publishing.

Which magazines do you buy, apart from Jane that is?
The better question would be which magazines don't I buy! I love ELLE, Marie Claire, Vogue, New York Magazine, Glamour, W, Shape, Allure...I could go on forever. I even love to read GQ (and a few other men's magazines) because of its intelligent wit and differing perspective.

How did you find out about The Fashionista Diaries and what made you apply?
I was actually frustrated with my job as an advertising assistant at Fitness Magazine and was perusing Media Bistro for editorial opportunities. I discovered a posting to be a fashion assistant at a magazine as part of a documentary TV show. Although I was quite hesitant to put myself on national television, I persevered and figured this would be my chance to gain experience and exposure as a fledgling fashion/beauty journalist.

How upset were you when Jane folded?
I was incredibly bummed (if you couldn't tell). Although the show only
showed me as upset because I lost my "big chance", I was also quite disappointed as a reader -- Jane was my bible. I most importantly felt for the entire staff of Jane, as I had grown to know and love many of the staffers and knew how much they believed in the magazine and its editorial message.

How are things going at Cosmo Girl?
Cosmo Girl is great! The entire team is passionate about their magazine, which makes it quite an exciting place to work. They have really given me a fabulous opportunity to showcase my skills and raw desire to work in publishing.

Lets talk Andy-licious, you guys make a great team. Any romance there?
I adore Andrew -- he's a great guy. We compliment each other in the work place, but unfortunately there is no romance there. As I stated in an episode, I don't like to mix work with play!

Who are your favourite designers?
I adore a lot of designers, many of which I cannot afford as an
assistant. However, my current favorites include Marni, Catherine
Malandrino and of course the American wunderkind Marc Jacobs. But realistically, I buy a lot of my clothing either at vintage shops or at H&M -- great, affordable style.

How would you describe your dress style?
I like to switch it up, depending on where I am or what I'm doing. I love to mix boyish hippie elements such as funky vintage tees with glizty-girly pieces. In a nutshell, I'd say I'm a glam hippie/tomboy.

The Fashionista Diaries is on SOAPnet.com on Wednesday at 9pm (US time).


Picture supplied by Shepley Winings Public Relations