The
custom Snapchat filter for Rachel Zoe´s first-ever pop-up store says it all:
“OMG, it´s everything!”
Zoe´s
distinctive catchphrase not only captures the spirit of the store, but also
perfectly describes the offering – which is literally all things Rachel Zoe.
Ready-to-wear ($200-$1000), shoes, jewelry and even the stylist/designer´s Core
collection (currently an online exclusive) of timeless “wardrobe
builders,” can be purchased at the brand´s new store at The Grove in Los
Angeles.
Fresh
off a whirwind New York Fashion Week, where she not only presented her fall
2016 collection but also attended several shows, Zoe landed in L.A. just in
time to add the finishing touches to the space. Tucked between Crate &
Barrel and MAC in the location previously occupied by Johnny Was, the store was
designed to provide customers with the full Rachel Zoe experience.
“I
definitely wanted a very neutral and gold, woody kind of palette for the
store,” said the 44-year-old of the vibe created with the help of design
service Laurel & Wolf. “I´m kind of a very claustrophobic person so I
like open spaces with natural light and whites and ivories to just sort of feel
relaxed in the environment.”
That
vision was translated into whitewashed brick walls, cool wood floors and
clothing racks suspended from the ceiling, which, as Zoe noted, are just high
enough for her kids to play beneath. White furniture and glass table tops were
given a luxe touch with metallic accents. Overall, the palette served as the
perfect complement to Zoe´s gold jewelry (on display alongside her book, Living
In Style) and racks adorned with colorful pops of violet, navy and poppy
pieces.
Should
the pop-up be a success, the store and it´s serene design could serve as a
model for something much bigger. “I like to test things before I jump, so
the pop-up is sort of the dream because I can sort of test the waters without
going in head-first,” she said, adding that permanent stores in L.A. and
New York, as well as a few other major cities is “the dream.”
But
that´s not all she has in store for Rachel Zoe the brand. In addition to
managing The Zoe Report, her styling business and TV show, the mogul has plenty
of plans up her boho bell sleeve. “I haven´t even really scratched the
surface of the sort of extensions I would love to do,” she said.
“sunglasseas, beauty, home, handbags – there´s so many things, I love it
all.”
In
true Zoe form, the the designer isn´t slowing down anytime soon. With festival
season fast approaching, including Coachella (which Zoe will attend briefly),
we asked the boho queen to weigh in on a few festival trends:
Flower
crowns or anything feathered in the hair:
Yes!
I love it. I love it, but I´m a hippie at the core. I mean last year I wore a
huge flower crown the whole day. We had an amazing brand [Flower Gypsies] that
hand-made them for everybody there.
Fringe:
Yes,
fringe all day long. But I´ve worn fringe since I was eleven – maybe even
before that.
Denim:
Denim
cutoffs, denim minis, denim jackets – I mean, denim everywhere. You definitely
want to wear lighter denim, that´s for sure, because it gets so brutally hot.
Fanny
packs:
Can
I say no comment on the fanny pack? Yeah, not so much on the fanny pack. But
with that said, Vuitton makes a great fanny pack – there´s some amazing
designers that do really chic fanny packs. It´s more about the right fanny
pack.
Bathing
Suits as clothes:
I
think a bathing suit under clothes. You know I think a bathing suit is really
chic under a kaftan or a minidress so you´re not seeing things you shouldn´t
see. But I think it´s cute to see a bathing suit under something transparent –
I mean, at a festival I think it´s totally appropriate.
Sandals:
Yes!
Yes, sandals. It´s like a hundred degrees, you have to wear as little as
possible but still look cool. We sell a Birkenstock-type sandal too, which is
great for that.
All
in all, Zoe sums it up: “Wear as little clothes as you can, but still keep
it classy.”
The
Rachel Zoe Pop-Up store opens at The Grove in Los Angeles on Feb. 24 and runs
through Mar. 31.