Bravotv.com spoke with Rachel about her most hectic time of year - the Oscars. What is it like to be a celebrity stylist during awards season? Find out below from Hollywood's most in demand A-list stylist!
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Rachel Zoe: The Oscars is the pinnacle moment of the year for designers, stylists, and most importantly, for actors. I say it a lot in the show, but it really is the ultimate Cinderella moment. I think to be a part of it is an honor. But it also is a ridiculous amount of pressure and it's very scary. No matter how many times you do it, it doesn't get any easier.
For the 2008 Oscars, I dressed two presenters for the show, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Garner. I also had five other clients for the various parties that night. Each one of the clients was so completely different and that's what makes them each so special. They are unique individuals, both professionally and personally, as actors and as people. What I do is a collaborative process. My job is to make each person look the best that they can, while staying true to their personality and individuality.
On that night, Jennifer was the most true to herself. She was the epitome of glamour and elegance. It was Jen at her best. She was happy, she was confident, and she was radiant. She was truly happy. For me, that's the ultimate goal. We really did an old Hollywood glamour motif that night and of course Jen, being as beautiful and amazing as she is, made it modern. She had beautiful hair and makeup, and we added museum pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels, which gave the look a sort of deco-glamour element. In the six years that I've worked with Jennifer, I don't recall her ever wearing that many jewels. It was so much fun for me. The dress was pretty simple, but to me, a beautiful, elegant, incredibly luxurious Oscar de la Renta gown screams for incredible, over the top jewelry to just make it that much more incredible. Her necklace was crazy and I was so happy that she went for it.
Cameron Diaz just epitomizes cool glamour. In the last two years, she's has some really amazing Dior hits. But she wears a lot of different things. She wears Alexander McQueen, she wears a lot of Philip Lim...she goes across the board. But the great thing about Cameron is that whatever we do, there is always a twist. The look always needs to be made her own. If you take a baby pink beautiful couture gown from Christian Dior, she'll say, "I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail, barely any jewelry, and very little makeup." And that's what's so amazing about her. Whatever it is, she's going to do what's unexpected. That's the best thing about Cameron. She doesn't do what's predictable, she does what feels right at that moment. Even if you put her in a couture gown, it's still going to look like she just walked off the beach, threw on a gown and a pair of heels, and walked the red carpet. She finds effortless cool. There isn't that much effort. She doesn't take seven hours to get ready. She's very relaxed about the whole process. I love that. She owns her look. Always. There is always something unexpected, whether it's the jewelry, a hot pink shoe instead of an expected black shoe, that's just the way she rolls. That's what is amazing about her.
Kate Beckinsale's Versace dress was straight off the runway a few days earlier, and it was one of the most amazing dresses. It was literally like a liquid, glamorous piece of chocolate. Kate put it on and said, "This is it." She looked freaking hot. It was sexy, hot, glamorous, and beautiful.
