The Rachel

She's cute, tiny, girly and a total fashionista who lives and dies for her passion; basically a real life Carrie Bradshaw. Rachel Zoe is not joking when she claims that fashion is her drug. The super stylist collects Birkins - which she dubs, The Birk - like some people collect stamps. I could never grasp the whole Rachel Zoe thing since magazines started raving about her a few years back up to when she released her book, Style A to Zoe. So when I heard that she was to star in her own reality show I was very quick to scoff. The twenty minute preview of The Rachel Zoe Project did not do Ms Zoe any justice as we saw her personal and private life full of drama (read my blog post here). Then I watched the first three episodes and somewhere between the first and second, I was hooked. Rachel Zoe's life is like a fairytale; she is like a godmother albeit a petite one and gets to play with clothes all day. Attending fashion shoots, show houses and meeting with designers to find gorgeous outfits to dress her celebrity clients in. Despite the conflict between her key staff members and several dramas, Rachel never flips and instead maintains her composure and treats her staff like they are her equal. Moreover, our super stylist has an amazing home life which she shares with cute hubby, Rodger who is clearly head over heels in love with her despite the fact they have been together for over 15 years. The Rachel Zoe Project is totally compulsive viewing the same reason why people love The Hills because Rachel is living the life that many ladies aspire to.

After 15 years as a stylist, Rachel is taking it the next level by building The Rachel Zoe brand. Whether she pulls this off is any one's guess but I am damm sure that she will give it her best shot. Watching the show does throws up a few questions. Such as does Starbucks sponsor the show? Every character is seen donning a Starbucks cup in practically every scene, so this is either amazing product placement or Rachel and her posse are some of the most caffeine addicted fiends that we have ever seen.

The Rachel Zoe Project is on Bravo TV on Tuesdays

Style A to Zoe

Well here it is at last - Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty & Everything Glamour - the much awaited book by Rachel Zoe. I have been really looking forward to getting my hands on this book and was delighted when it came through the door, compliments to Little Brown Book Group. At 36, Rachel (pronounced ‘Zoh’) with her ultra petite frame could pass for at least a decade younger. If she walked down the street in London no one would recognize her yet today she is one of the most powerful names in fashion and quite an important one too. Her ‘Nicole Ritchie’ makeover, created the Zoebot look of 2006 with the smock dress, skinny jeans, flat ballerina pumps topped off with the over sized sunglasses and over-sized bag. Since then she has built up an amazing array of clients who range from who’s is who of Hollywood. Keira Knightley, Mischa Barton and Lindsey Lohan are just a few clients on a tip of a very large iceberg. Before her days of commanding a £6,000 fee, Ms Zoe (real name Rachel Zoe Rosenzweig) spent her time at YM magazine where she honed her craft as a stylist. After serving there for three years, she went solo and picked up clients like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. She eventually decided to drop her surname and become simply, Rachel Zoe and then swapped the Big Apple for the sun filled LA. Rachel hit pay dirt in 2004 when she teamed up with Nicole Ritchie who had recently gained fame in the reality show, The Simple Life. The rest and I will cheesily say is history!

Style A to Zoe is certainly a glamorous affair, it is roughly A4 sized and the cover is a gaudy gold. Inside the book, Rachel dares you to release your inner goddess and get glammed up for all occasions. We are not just talking about parties, black tie dos and weddings here that also goes for hanging out at weekends and lounging round the house. As far as Rachel is concerned there is no excuse for being sloppy and ladies should look slick at all times. The book is divided into eight sections which consist of excessories, life on a red carpet, the day after, jetset, lipgloss and mane, behind closed doors and entertaining. There is also a directory for art of glamour called glamour a to zoe. We are also treated to contributions by the uber stylist’s designer chums such as Donatella Versace, Michael Kors, Diana Von Furstenberg and many more who I do not have the space to mention. Boy I had no idea that little lady was so popular. Opulence is the word I would use to describe the book and it reminds me very much of the look of the 70s of being immersed in luxury materials like gold jewelry, fur and silk. The pictures in the book are lovely and the illustrations of Rachel herself with her long flowing blonde mane and skinny bod are certainly eye catching. Still at least she is very aware of what she looks like. I am sure you will not be surprised when I tell you that this book was co-written by a journalist. Rosie Apodaca, a pop culture and style connoisseur who writes for Harpers Bazaar, Elle and Paper also plays a part in this title. I would give this book 9/10 for coffee table appeal and 6/10 for readability. I am not sure how long the Zoe bubble will last because as we all know, fashion is a revolving door. For now Rachel is enjoying the ride while it lasts.

Style A to Zoe is published on 1st November.

The Little Black Book of Style

Here we go, another style book that has been getting a lot of hype. The Little Black Book of Style (LBBS) by Nina Garcia, you know the one from Project Runway and Fashion Director of Elle magazine. Well her book makes it debut in November. I am assuming that the release date is to avoid clashing with the hysteria of the style book by a certain Ms Zoe. Now what can I say about the LBBS? Well to be honest, not a lot. It is an ok book and the cover is the most striking feature. Black of course but pocket sized and hardback so it possess an aura of quality. LBBS is best described as "a guide to help you explore your own fashion voice - the piece of you that joyously revels in the glamorous experience of creating your best self." Hmmm very profound or maybe just pure mumbo jumbo. The book is formed of six chapters which are: Be your own muse, The Basics, Inspirations, What to wear when, Insider tips and tricks and Fashion cliff's notes. Interestingly, Nina refers to her Colombian background when describing how she came to create her own style. She also uses iconic imagery from films, music, travel and art when identifying style. The inspirations chapter is probably one of the best bits of the book, I find the section on 'What to wear when' just a tad patronising. It does not take a genius to work out how to dress for a funeral. 'The basics' reads just like a page from Trinny and Susannah's many books and offers no real surprises. However what redeems LBBS is the wonderful artwork which is produced by Ruben Toledo. Brilliant to see that he is credited at the back of the book. He brings the LBBS to life with his fantastic illustrations and his superb typography. From an artistic point of view this book is a work of art but from an editorial one it is a bit of a flop.

The Little Black Book is out in November.

Picture from amazon.co.uk

The Naughty Girl's Guide to Life

Just like celebrity designs there seems to be a lifestyle guide around every corner. Let me see, there is A Girl for all Seasons by fashionista journo, Camilla Morton, The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia who is the Fashion Director of Elle magazine and a judge on Project Runaway and then there is the much anticipated release from uber stylist made good, Rachel Zoe called Style A to Zoe. So quite a lot to look forward to. Which brings me to Tara Palmer-Tomkinson; in case you don't know she is best described as an IT girl ie a wealthy socialite who did very little apart from shop, party, shop and party some more and lived off a trust fund that Mummy and Daddy set up for her. A very charmed life I might say. Tara aka TPT became a household name a few years ago when she became runner up in the reality show, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Her trait of wearing her heart on her sleeve made her endearing to the public who have since had a bit of a soft spot for her. This along with her well documented former drug habit played a great part in her winning Celebrity Fame Academy earlier this year. Nowadays TPT's life is full with writing for newspapers and magazines, presenting TV shows and spreading awareness about drug abuse as well as working on several charities. She has taken time out from her hectic schedule to write a book called The Naughty Girls Guide to Life. The book is co-written with journo, Sharon Marshall and tells women how to have a life full of mischief, sauciness and scandal. There are eight sections; love, style, work, home, money, travelling abroad, dating a celebrity and dieting. A third of the book is devoted to love and dealing with issues being akin to dumped, finding a man, coping with a loved up pal and being part of a smug couple. All amusing stuff but nothing thought provoking although the tips on getting revenge on a guy who has dumped you makes delightful reading. I also like the section on work where they dish out tips on how to handle a job you do not like. The bits on home, style, celebrity dating and being abroad I can do without. The Naughty Girl's Guide to Style is not a fantastic book in terms of it's writing but the design and format is pretty amazing. For a start the cover is bright red and full of funky illustrations of TPT and Sharon Marshall and I also dig the page design with it's fantastic use of colour. This book is eye candy and perfect fodder for the coffee table.

The Naughty Girl's Guide to Style is out now!


Picture from amazon.co.uk