Team Kelly vrs Team Rachel

They are the two ladies of fashion but to be honest they could not be miles apart. One is based in LA the other NYC, one is blonde and the other has jet black hair and the other is girly girly while her counterpart is the complete opposite. However, one thing they share is a steely determination to succeed in a business that can be very brutal. Ladies and gentlemen I give you Kelly Cutrone and Rachel Zoe. Kel and Rach have very different styles and last week when I was watching their shows respectively called The Rachel Zoe Project and Kell on Earth I could not help thinking - have they ever met and if so they would get on? We all know that Kelly can be very abrupt but deep down that hard facade is a very caring and responsible mother while Rachel as sweet as she is can be very self indulgent and quite selfish. Check out the 911 on the Queen of fashion PR, Kelly and super stylist, Rachel.

Kelly Cutrone
Age - 45
Location - New York
Brand - People's Revolution, a powerhouse fashion PR, branding and marketing company that reps the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Valentino, Jeremy Scott, Paco Rabanne and many more.  They have three offices in LA, New York and Paris. Reality show, Kell on Earth which airs on Bravo and self help book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside. 
Team - Kelly: Daughter, Ava, business partners, Robyn and Emily
Style - Black, black and more black! She is quoted as saying "I take no care in f**king appearance
Most likely to say - What the f**k is going on?
The 911 - Kelly moved to New York from Syracuse in the 80s with a degree in Nursing and a never die attitude. She quickly landed a job assisting PR maverick, Susan Blond who had Michael Jackson on her roster. A few years into the game and Kelly had already established herself as one of the players in her field. She went on to do PR for Spin magazine but then left to found her own PR company, Cutrone and Weinberg. However in the 90s she hit a bad spell after a divorce to Ronnoe Cutrone and relinquishing half of her PR firm. So she fled to California where she kicked a drug habit and found her inner self. A few years later she made her way back to PR and eventually New York. Kelly is renowned for her sheer determination kick ass no bullshit taking attitude. She got her big break in The Hills where she was seen giving Lauren Conrad a hard time over tickets for the Felder Felder show at LA fashion Week. Her role in the show progressed when she offered Whitney Port and Lauren jobs at People's Republic. She also appeared in The City as Whitney's mentor and ended up offering her another role at People"s Revolution. 

Rachel Zoe

Age - 39

Location - LA

Brand - She dresses A list stars such as Kate Beckinsale, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson and Debra Messing. The Rachel Zoe Report debuted on Bravo in 2008 and is a huge success and is now on its third series. Her book, Style A to Zoe gave us a lowdown on how to look great on the red carpet and every other aspect of your life. She is extending her brand by launching a clothing line. You can even keep up with Rachel Zoe by subscribing to her ever stylish newsletter or going to her website.

Team Rachel - Husband, Rodger, Brad Goreski and assistant Marissa (Taylor departed due to acrimonious circumstances).

Style - She can be seen in flared jeans, heels, huge sunglasses with Starbucks coffee in one hand and her Blackberry in another.

Most likely to say - Rachel's quirky catchphrases are pretty much folklore and she can be seen exclaiming "I die!" and "Simply bananas."
The 911 - Rachel was born and raised in New Jersey and after graduating from Georgetown University, Rachel worked as a stylist for Gotham and YM magazine and then broke into celebrity styling by working with a young Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. She and hubby moved to LA where she hit pay dirt when Nicole Ritchie (who was riding high from her fame in The Simple Life) asked her to style her. Rachel is one of the most influential stylists in the world, she turned round the careers of Nicole Ritchie and Lindsey Lohan in a flash and created the look that is now referred to as Zoebots. Large sunglasses, over-sized handbags, skinny jeans and ballet flats. Pretty soon everyone wanted to know who the lady was behind these looks and Rachel began to be featured in magazines and newspapers. In 2007 her book was launched which went on to top the New York Times bestseller list and she was offered her own TV series.

They have amazingly careers; extremely successful companies with a vibrant team, their own reality shows as well as best-selling books. Kelly Cutrone and Rachel Zoe are both admirable ladies and wonderful role models. Me thinks that Bravo TV has been really smart in snapping them up. 

So are you Team Rachel or Team Kelly?

Fashioning February: Kell on Earth - Review

Watching The Hills and The City over those years gave me an insight into what PR maverick, Kelly Cutrone did for a living but it never really showed how she did it and why. Ms Cutrone reps for 46 fashion brands and is responsible for producing back to back shows every season for her clients at New York and London Fashion Weeks. Every February and September is crazy as hell for Kelly and her team at People's Revolution what with recruiting models for shows, putting together seating charts and sending out invites to shows and after parties. Dressed head to toe in black (what else?) Ms Cutrone resembles a raven who would devour you relentlessly if you ever tried to hurt her loved ones. In the anticipation for the launch of the show I was expecting a reality show which focussed totally on Kelly’s very snarky personality; you know those shows which feature the protagonist reflecting in their deep thoughts. Instead we have a very entertaining programme which reflects the buzzy, ever so manic but exhilarating nature of the fashion business. We also get to see another side of Kelly as mother to seven year old Ava who is as cute as a button. The scenes between the two are quite endearing but what impressed me about Kelly was her attitude to motherhood. Her business and home is based in her four level block in Manhattan and she created this haven so her world can centre around her daughter. This kicks ass to the myth that women cannot succeed in business and bring up babies at the same time or that they have to sacrifice one for the other.

In Kell on Earth we meet the real players of People’s Revolution ie the ones who did the real work while Whitney and Roxy waltzed around all day gossiping about their trivial problems. There is Robyn Berkely who is Kelly’s right hand and a partner at the company. She lives and breathes fashion so much that she forgot to find somewhere to live when the lease for her apartment expired and now inhabits a room one of the floors in the People’s Revolution building. Like Kelly, Robyn has very high demands and will not tolerate mistakes. The pert, Emily Bungert is also a partner at the firm and is a feisty madam from the Midwest who tells it like it is. Stefanie Skinner, is Kelly’s former PA who has just been promoted to junior executive and is struggling to stay above water to meet the demands of her bosses. She is a tough cookie though and is not frightened to fight her corner even against the mighty Kelly. Then there is Andrew Mukamal, Kelly’s new PA and the only male in a room full of strong and opinionated women. His love of fashion and goth like dress style makes him a big hit with all members of staff who he can be seen lending a listening ear to.

I find it very interesting watching Kelly at work because then I think of Rachel Zoe and how very different they both are. Rachel is very girly girly and Kelly is not, Rachel is also quite touchy feely with her staff and something tells me that Kelly would collapse into a big heap of black lycra if anyone tried to hug her. However what the two women have in common is their passion for fashion, obsessive eye for details and demands for perfection. In a nutshell, the reality show was surprisingly good; pacey enough so you can get caught up in the drama but not too over melodramatic that you lose touch with it. While shows like The Hills and The City have presented a fairytale look at working in fashion, Kell on Earth knocks that tooth right on the head. Kelly’s book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You was released this week much to her dismay which she described as hell on earth. The book is aimed at women who choose not to have the conventional lifestyle ie getting a degree, getting a great job, getting married and having a baby and yes in that exact order. It acts as an empowerment tool for women who are just a little bit different. 

Kell on Earth airs on Mondays on Bravo TV at 10.00pm.

Shopping for Vintage by Funmi Odulate

"Vintage, schmintage - it's not the concept that bothers, it"s the snooty-faced justifications behind its recent election to the top of the fashion pyramid. Ever since people (aka Kate Moss) popularized vintage clothes about a decade ago her followers have come up with some rum old justifications for this trend."

Hadley Freeman, The Meaning of Sunglasses.

I have always been perplexed by the term 'vintage' and the way it has been placed onto every piece of clothing that ranges from 30 years old to just a few years. I appreciate that there are some amazing collectors items out there that are irreplaceable and to quote Rachel Zoe - to die for. However I fail to see how a shop can charge £100 for an old t-shirt that would have going for a mere 50p before vintage became hip. Well thank god for Shopping for Vintage: The Definitive Guide to Vintage Fashion which is written by journalist, Funmi Odulate. This gorgeous book gives the down low on vintage and tells you how to separate vintage clothing from that which is antique, retro or simply secondhand. With contributions from the likes of Hilary Alexander to Miuccia Prada, this book also contains hints and tips on what to look for and how to haggle when you find a great vintage piece. I caught up with Funmi to find out how life was treating her on and off the vintage track.

What was the idea behind Shopping For Vintage?
My initial inspiration behind this book was purely selfish. I wanted a book that would tell me where to find vintage shops and markets worldwide. I couldn't’t find one so I thought I would create one and that’s basically how it began.

There has been a lot of ambiguity about what 'vintage' actually is. Can you tell me how you define it?
Vintage is really anything older than a quarter of a century.

How much research went into compiling the list of shops together?
More research than you would believe! It took years. This included travelling around many cities to actually check them out.


How did you go about getting your book deal? Did you pitch it to Quadrille Publishing?
I sent my idea to an agent, they rang me up the next day and they clinched the deal with Quadrille.

We all know that vintage is the new Black but people like yourself have been on the ball for years. Do you think that there are a lot of fake vintage lovers out there?
Gosh I don’t know if I can be pompous enough to label someone a ‘fake vintage lover’. Yes I’ve loved vintage way before I knew what ‘vintage’ was. Back then it was just secondhand clothes. But hey. You like what you like. If someone likes something and it happens to be vintage then all power to them.

You have worked for all the top end glossy magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar - how did you start out as a journalist?
I basically started out by doing work experience at Elle Magazine and worked my way through that route. That is just about the only way to do it.

Tell me whose style you admire?
It varies – lots of people from Julia Restoin-Roitfeld to Dot Cotton to Ebony Bones to Michelle Obama to Chrissie Hynde to Kelis to Kanye West to Nigella Lawson. All for very different reasons. To be honest most of the people’s styles I admire are not even famous.

What is the fashion item that you would just die for?
Die is such a strong word hahaha! However, I am loving this jacket from Balmain right now. I also love Marni’s new collection for autumn winter , Lanvin and Chanel are super gorgeous and vintage Yves Saint Laurent and vintage Bulgari jewellery do it for me every time. I’d also like a vintage Rolex. Okay this list could get VERY long.

Describe your own personal style.
I always find this quite a tough question. It’s a real mix; the best way to describe it would be in terms of designer’s styles. For day time it is very Marni meets Bottega meets vintage and for evening its Yves Saint Laurent meets Lanvin.

Describe a day in the life of Funmi Odulate.
At the moment I am the Editor of the Browns website so everyday is different. A mix of meetings, working on editorial, choosing pictures from a mammoth fashion shoot my stylists have shot etc etc. It really does vary.

What are you working on at the moment?
As well as Browns I write fashion, arts and beauty features for other publications and am currently working on a literary novel.

Shopping for Vintage is available to buy from amazon.

The One and Only Coco

Now we all know that there are a whole heap of fashion blogs out there which cover anything from fashion shows to the latest trends and what celebrities are wearing. However not all of them possess the passion and knowledge that you will find in Coco's Tea Party. Set up 2006, the blog looks at the parallels between fashion and celebrities and the popular hit and miss feature scrutinises the wardrobes of the rich and famous. I caught up with Coco to find out the real deal about Coco's Tea Party.

What made you start blogging?

I don't really remember why I started and to be honest I never planned to. I was just bored one day, and I get through magazines so quickly I thought it would be something constructive to do while waiting for the new issues to come out. But over time I really got into it and now it is much more than just filling time.

Describe the concept behind Coco's Tea Party.

Well my ideas change all the time. When I first started Coco's Tea Party was probably 80% celebrity fashion and it's probably more 50/50 between celebrity and designer now.

You always have an interesting image on the header, how do you go about choosing it?

Well since I came up with the 'We'd rather go naked' quote I always choose images of naked celebrities. It is slightly odd when googling to look for a new one. The first naked star I had was Chloe Sevigny and I loved that header. I changed it to Lindsay Lohan once and there was outrage, so that one only last about 24 hours - it will never be her again. At the moment it is Madonna and I don't think I'll change it for a while.

How do you think bloggers have made an impact on the media?

I think the speed you can get a story out and the fact it is free to read has probably impacted it the most. I often see stories in weekly magazines (which I won't name) where they claim to have just discovered something and it has normally been on some one's blog weeks before. I think it's nice to have the option to read both blogs and magazines - I wouldn't pick one over the other, they each have their strong points.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

If I'm not working on my blog I am probably doing work for my degree in Fashion Journalism. I don't think a day goes by where I don't write about fashion at some point. But outside of writing at the moment I am seriously obsessed with watching Brothers & Sisters, I could do that all day.

Describe a typical day.

The first thing I do when I wake up is go online. I don't think I have a 'typical' day as such but there will normally be blogging involved. Haha.

Name your top fashion icons.

This is hard; I love Diane Kruger, Nicole Richie, Mary-Kate Olsen, Carine Roitfeld and Chloe Sevigny. There are so many women. I love Rachel Zoe's look too, the 1970s is one of my favourite decades for fashion so I love how she references it so strongly in her style. I always go back to Ashley Olsen and Sarah Jessica Parker when I need inspiration though.

Name five blogs that you read religiously.

Fashionista, Fashionologie, Just Jared, Lainey Gossip and Discotheque Confusion as me and Stevie started blogging around the same time and I always love to see what she's doing.

How do you see Coco's Tea Party evolving over the next two years?

I don't really have a plan with Coco's Tea Party, and I never had which odd for me as I'm so OCD. It's the only thing that I've ever just let float along. I would like some magazines to give the blog a mention, which I know isn't really that important but it would be quite flattering, especially as I've been writing for almost three years now.

Super Stylist

Her fly on the wall show, The Rachel Zoe Project has been recommissioned for a second series in the States and will be hitting the UK next month and on top of this she has been snapped up to design a clothing line. I would say that it must be pretty great to be Rachel Zoe right now. With a loving hubby, a die for wardrobe and a wonderful lifestyle; she is living the life that many would dream of. As stylist to actresses such as Debra Messing, Jennifer Garner and Joy Bryant, Rachel has become one of the most coveted name in fashion and is now a household name. However, people still get confused about what a stylist actually does. Some people think they just shop all day, pick out clothes and get chummy with the designers but the life of a stylist is a bit more complex than that. This is what journo and author, Tamsin Blanchard has to say about styling in an article about high profile stylist.

"Fashion stylists are the people who decide not so much what we are going to wear, but what we are going to buy. They choose the clothes on the pages of the magazines; they decide that Jennifer Lopez looks great in that Versace dress; they are the ones who select the clothes that will make it on to the runway and into the buyers' order books."

I did a bit of digging around and have come up with a list of five stylists whose work I rate:

William Baker

This is the man who puts Kylie in those sumptuous outfits. However take note because William Baker is far more than a stylist, he is in fact Creative Director to the princess of pop. His previous clients have included Vivienne Westwood where he worked on her flagship store.

Andrea Lieberman

She dresses two of the most stylish women in the world; Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez. She takes responsibility to introducing Ms Stefani to the world of style and I would call that some feat considering how renowned Stefani has become in fashion terms. She was also the very same person who put Jennifer Lopez in that plunging Versace gown which she wore to The Grammys which earned her many column inches. Her other clients are Drew Barrymore and Faith Hill.

Eric Daman

He has been dubbed the male version to Patricia Fields with those amazing outfits that he puts together in Gossip Girl. The story lines might be hotter than hot in GG but it is the fashion that has everyone talking and this is all down to a certain Mr Daman. The former model got his big break when he was discovered by Steven Meisel (as you do) who promptly booked him for a Calvin Klein advert. He then went onto to work as a costume designer on Sex and the City.

Philip Bloch

This is the man who dresses the Hollywood A lister for glitzy events such as The Oscars, The Golden Globes and The Emmys. Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Salma Hayak, Will and Jada Pinkett all have Mr Bloch on speed dial. When he is not mixing with fashionistas Philip is either acting or contributing to various newspapers and magazines.

Christina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley

Their clients include Demi Moore, Jessica Biel, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Ritchie as well as The Olsen twins whose style are admired by young women all over the world. The duo are based in LA and have been working together for over five years. Their usp is putting starlets onto the red carpet and turning them into stars. Christina and Estee recently launched their own line, Ms Davenporte which is stylish and easy to wear items for women.

Funnily enough both Carine Roitfeld, editor of French Vogue and Katie Grand founder Pop magazine and now editor of Love magazine started out as stylists. So it goes to show that stylists rock! Check out this article here that was published in The Observer back in 2002 about stylists for fashion brands. Then there is this article here that features stylists who work in the music industry.

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

The Rachel Zoe Project

I have just seen a preview of this show and it is certainly riveting. The Rachel Zoe Project is a behind the scenes documentary that shows the glamorous life of super stylist, Rachel Zoe. Not content with dressing the beautiful A list stars and appearing in style magazine, Ms Zoe is to be star of her own reality show. Well why not, everyone else seems to be. You get to see Rachel smooching with a lot of famous folks, trying on glorious outfits and globe trotting, however this show is really an insight into her work and private life. We meet her two assistants, Taylor and Brad who seem to spend more time bitching and bickering than actually working. Rachel's hubby, Rodger who does something in banking but looks like he would be more at home in art gallery is also on hand.

The concept of The Rachel Zoe Project is to show what it is like to be a top Hollywood stylist. Such as how Ms Zoe juggles demanding deadlines, numerous fashion shows and celebrity clients as well as visiting designers at their showrooms and coast to coast hunting for unique clothes and accessories. The work aspect of Rachel's life is certainly interesting. Feisty, Taylor is a real character and in a lot of her scenes she comes across as very over bearing. This does not mesh well with newbie, Brad who lacks experience in the world of fashion and boy does Taylor make him pay for his mistakes. Unfortunately, the diminutive stylist is too preoccupied with maintaining her uber status to deal with office politics plus there is also hubby who is getting a tad bit tetchy and bitchy about the lack of attention he is getting.

Overall The Rachel Zoe Project looks entertaining enough but whether it gives you a lot of knowledge about the fashion business I do not know. The show seems a bit flaky in some parts and Rachel herself does not seem to have the kind of personality to pull off a show like this. She is not quirky, funny or even gorgeous enough to keep you glued to the screen. In short she is just not watchable plus that croaky voice gets grating after a while.

The Rachel Zoe Project airs on 8th September on Bravo.

Reality Bites

It is almost June and as far as I am concerned almost officially summer time. That means lots of sporting activities like Wimbledon, The Olympics and Euro 2008 as well as another ordeal of Big Brother. Since it launched nine years ago, Big Brother has become an important part of our lives and the sometime controversial show changed the course of TV. Gone are the days when TV bosses aired lengthy shows and period dramas and instead they have been replaced by the reality genre. According to those guys at Wikipedia "Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic, unscripted situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors." We are talking about programmes like America's Next Top Model, I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!, Project Catwalk and The Apprentice which are competitive based. Also 'so called' talent shows like X Factor and the show that is currently tormenting the country; Britain's Got Talent. I say so called because we all know that they are shown so people have someone to laugh at. Then there are the fly on the wall shows where celebrities make the decision of taking us into their world. For some famous bods this calculating move can pay dividends; The Osbournes and Jessica Simpson for a start, but for others it can be the kiss of death. It is not just celebs who make amusing viewings thought, non entities such as Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and The Hills posse are now household names. Although the contrived dialogue and convenient plots in The Hills have led some to wonder just how 'real' The Hills. Still real or not real, The Hills is now the number one show in the US and top show on MTV Europe.

This popularity has prompted other celebrities to sign up for a slice of the pie. Hence uber stylist to the stars, Rachel Zoe, who has a show coming out later this year. However more pending are the shows by former Bond girl, Denise Richards who is keen to prove to the public what a nice person she really is despite a nasty divorce from Charlie Sheen and a fling with Richie Sambora; Bon Jovi's guitarist and hubby to Heather Locklear who was also a close friend to Richards. Denise Richards: It's Complicated airs on E! (Entertainment Television) later this month. Joining her is Living Lohan which shows Dina Lohan - Mum to troubled actress, Lindsay Lohan. We see her juggling her role as parent and manager to younger sibling, Ali Lohan who attempts to follow in her older sister's foot step. All I can say is that I hope that young Ali does not go down the road that Lindsay has by drinking and clubbing in excess. Reading between the lines I think we can be assured that this documentary is all about Dina. TV critic, Mary McNamara sums it all up in her review in the LA Times.

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