Rachel Zoe

Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe (People MAgazine (Todd Williamson))

Rachel Zoe is a Hollywood stylist who proves that you really can have it all. She styles A-list celebrities, runs her own company, publishes a newsletter, and designs a clothing and accessory line. On top of all of this she is a mother and a wife. The most impressive part is that it is because of her own hard work. She wasn't born rich, and she didn't marry someone rich or famous who could make that all happen for her. She made her way through college as a restaurant hostess in DC. During this time, when she was just 19, she met her future husband Roger Berman. Seven years later, they married and they welcomed their first child this year. She has proved that through determination and hard work, you really can have everything you want in life.

I aspire to be like her one day, and to me that is what makes a hero. Zoe, now 40, started off like any other person. She knew she had a passion for fashion, and somehow she would make her mark in the industry. And she has done just that. I think that 20 years from now, any style book will be somehow influenced by Zoe. 

Rachel Zoe and her husband Roger berman (Bravo (Andrew Durham))

Rachel Zoe has a newsletter called "The Zoe Report" that updates its readers on the latest trends. She has a clothing line sold at high end retailers, like Bloomingdales. She styles multiple celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway. At the 2011 Academy Awards, Zoe picked out the eight dresses that Hathaway wore as host that night. 

Dealing with all of these celebrities has put her in the public spotlight. She deals with the stress of the tabloid rumors very well. She has had to deal with rumors about herself, her employees, and also her A-list clients. In 2008, her reality show, The Rachel Zoe Project, premiered. It gave viewers an inside look at her hectic life. The reason I am able to respect her more than other reality stars is that she achieved all of her success before her show as opposed to others who become famous because of a reality show. The show does not follow her personal life as much as it does her business. It features the behind the scenes work at fashion shows, and also gave an insight into her creative process.

Rachel Zoe hard at work by her computer. (Bravo (Evans Vestal Ward))

This year she and her husband welcomed their first child, Skylar Berman. Within weeks of having him she was back at work. But instead of dropping him off with a nanny all of the time, she brings him with her wherever she needs to go. This is a perfect example of how she finds a way to make time for everything in her life.

Even people that don't enjoy fashion or reality TV can find a reason to look up to Zoe. She has an incredible work ethic and can make just about anything possible. She is a wife, a mother, and an incredible businesswoman. While she does admit to having a fair amount of stress in her life, she always manages to bring it back to reality. She knows how lucky she is. "It was this dream that I never thought would be reality because of how petrified I was," she recalled. "I feel so complete now becoming a designer and having my son. I'm the happiest that I've ever been in my life." If she has taught me one thing, it is to follow my dreams and never be afraid to go for what you really want.

WORKS CITED

Berman, Rodger. "Married to Fashion: Rachel Zoe's Husband, Rodger Berman, Explains What Life with the Superstylist Is Really like." Harper's Bazaar. Feb. 2011. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.

"Q&A: Rachael Zoe." Interview by Stephen D. Smith. 19 Aug. 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2011.

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