The work of a wardrobe stylist can make or break a celebrity. Rachel Zoe (born on September 1, 1971) is probably your favorite artist’s favorite stylist, and for good reason. From Hollywood icons Cameron Diaz and Demi Moore to household names Anne Hathaway and Miley Cyrus, this Malibu home girl’s list of clientele is star-studded. She is a champion in combining fashionable accessories with timeless clothes and also known for her exceptional choice of Rachel Zoe hats.
Rachel Zoe, sporting a beaded Bucket hat to pair with her Ray-Ban sunglasses, is seen in Pacific Palisades on October 10, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage)
Formative years in Hollywood
According to The Independent, her big break first came in 2005, when she was hired by TV star Nicole Richie. Her fashion leans more toward oversized accessories such as sunglasses and hats with looser tops and dresses for her clients. Think Mischa Barton and Lindsay Lohan. Rachel, the stylist, can rock the same vibe just as well as seen with her felt black fedora hat below.
Stylist Rachel Zoe is spotted around Lincoln Center in a womens fedora. (Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)
Rachel’s formative years in Hollywood are headlined by her pioneering the boho-chic look, which combines both Bohemian and hippie influences in fashion. Now at 50, this beanie-wearing rock star and scarf-loving celeb stylist has her own line to show for it.
A Rachel Zoe Pick-a-Pom hat package.
Though no longer commercially available (because when they were new they sold out fast) we especially loved the Rachel Zoe Pick-a-Pom hats. Those were gorgeous thick hats with interchangeable poms of faux fur lining, which brought out fun and playful elegance.
Rachel Zoe is seen donning a wool-made beanie on January 30, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. (JB Lacroix/WireImage)
Critics and setbacks
Observers were once critical of her panache for allegedly promoting anorexia due to most of her clients being rail-thin. Rachel, who herself is also very skinny, has squashed rumors of having an eating disorder and influencing her clients not to eat. "I'm trying to figure out why I am to blame for skinniness. Truthfully, I've never seen myself as being too thin," she once told US Magazine.
She would then go on to make the reality series The Rachel Zoe Project. The show featured her fascinating work with some of her more high-maintenance clients. One of the seasons featured Rachel’s falling out with former assistant and fellow stylist Brad Goreski. All in all, the series lasted for five seasons on the air and boosted the fashion entrepreneur’s profile to even greater heights.
Stylists Brad Goreski (L) and Rachel Zoe attend Jade Jagger’s unveiling of Belvedere’s Jagger Dagger at the Chateau Marmont on April 21, 2008, in Hollywood, California. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Belvedere)
Modern Rachel Zoe Hat Fashion
The famous stylist now has a daily newsletter called The Zoe Report, which has since become an influential media outlet.
Rachel Zoe attends the 2nd Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic held at Will Rogers State Historic Park on October 9, 2011, in Pacific Palisades, California. (JB Lacroix/WireImage)
She looks iconic in this soft white Panama hats for women. Paired with a huge array of accessories, the floppy topper was more than a perfect choice to complete the fit.
Throughout the years, her fearless approach to styling loud, loose, and bold outfits with hats have remained. She loves her sunglasses huge, too.
Rachel Zoe wears a women’s felt hat to the Stella McCartney Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2012 show during Paris Fashion Week on October 3, 2011, in Paris. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Rachel Zoe Hat - Final Thoughts
Rachel Zoe, from a simple stylist, has since already become some kind of celebrity herself. More than anything, she is a woman who has made her mark.
Despite the criticisms and setbacks, Rachel has magnificently styled her way towards the upper echelon of new Hollywood fashion.