There was a time when Rachel Zoe She was the most powerful stylist in Hollywood and one of the most influential names in the fashion industry. We are talking about the beginning of the 2000s, until approximately a decade ago, when her name began to be gradually relegated to the background. Zoe worked with some of the most iconic women of the moment, from Lindsay Lohan to Nicole Richie going by Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner either Jennifer Lawrence, to name just a few. But in addition to leading his particular fashionista army of Zoettes either Zoebots (as the stylist’s clients were baptized), The success of the boho-chic style is attributed to her. that defined the wardrobes of an entire generation. Now that this aesthetic seems to have resurfaced strongly, we wonder, what happened to Rachel Zoe?
The queen of “boho-chic”
Last February, Rachel Zoe attended the Michal Kors show held in New York with a look that made it clear that despite the passage of time, her taste for boho-chic mixes remains intact. The stylist, whose public appearances have been rare for years, attended the Show with a set of indigo blue sweater and flared pants, combined with a burgundy bag and a fur coat. We find the boho touch in the accessories: maxi gold jewelry and sunglasses with rounded lenses.
If we traveled back in time to 2008, this style could work perfectly and that’s because For Zoe, boho-chic is a style, not a trend. The catwalk, however, says otherwise. But, let’s start by defining this way of dressing. The boho-chic It could be described as the fusion of relaxed and bohemian garments with sophisticated but special, non-classic elements.. In Zoe’s outfits, XL jewelry always had a star role, as well as shirts, dresses and vests. Without forgetting, of course, the oversized sunglasses and the bag hanging from her forearm, a gesture that is gaining strength again. Like anything else, boho-chic eventually went out of style, although that’s not what made Zoe disappear.
Mischa Barton and Nicole Richie, stars of the 2000s and “zoebots”, as the women who worked with the stylist and popularized “boho-chic” were called.
The beginnings with the “zoebots”
After graduating in Sociology and Psychology, Rachel Zoe decided to redirect her life towards the world of fashion. In 2003 she began working with his first big client: Jennifer Garner, at that time one of the actresses of the moment. Shortly after she was signed by Nicole Richie, star of reality thanks to The Simple Lifefirst broadcast in December 2003. With Richie he formed a powerful duo and popularized boho-chic as the great trend of the decade. However, the working relationship between the two did not last and in 2006 they went their separate ways. The The press echoed an alleged confrontation between the two, but the truth is that years later they have been seen together at different public events. Also in these years she worked with Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton, two women who always preceded the concept of it girls. The first zoebots They were characterized by their 70s-inspired looks and many made tabloid covers for their love of partying..
The controversy
Controversy did not take long to accompany the stylist. Many identified a pattern among Zoe’s clients and it is their thinness. The body of these women became an object of debate and the stylist was pointed out as responsible for her weight loss, something she denied. The truth is Twenty years ago, body diversity was practically non-existent on the red carpet and if the actresses and singers who worked alongside Zoe had a thin body it was because, simply, that canon was imposed on them. Zoe’s power was too great for these accusations to end her, although they always shadowed her work.
Actress Anne Hathaway worked with Rachel Zoe for more than a decade. In the image, some of the most memorable looks they created together: Armani Privé at the 2009 Oscars, Valentino Haute Couture at the 2011 Oscars, and the controversial Prada dress, with which she collected her Oscar in 2013.
Reference on the red carpet
In 2011, the stylist was still at the top and it was estimated that she could earn $10,000 per styling session. His work entered other territories and in 2008 he released his own television show on Bravo, The Rachel Zoe Projectbroadcast until 2013. In 2009, in the midst of social networks, launched a weekly newsletter titled The Zoe Reportt, which had more than 750,000 subscribers and later became a lifestyle brand. Zoe She became almost as famous as the women she dressed. They all wanted to collaborate with the stylist for her red carpet appearances. After the era of boho-chic, the actress Anne Hathaway was one of his most notable clients. From the beginning of the 2000s until 2013, they worked together and devised some of the interpreter’s most memorable outfits, including her outfits for the Oscars in 2009, 2011 and 2013, when she won her first statuette dressed in a satin pink design. Prada that went viral on networks. Keira Knightley, Kate Hudson, Kate Beckinsale, Eva Mendes or Jennifer Lawrence They trusted her too.
The British Keira Knightley, always present on the best dressed lists, also worked with Zoe for a few years. In the image, at the 2006 Golden Globes, wearing a Valentino look.
In 2024, Rachel Zoe is almost completely retired from public life, although she is very active on social networks. New names have replaced what was the most powerful woman in fashion, now dedicated to her family, as shown on her Instagram profile. Since April 2021 she has hosted the podcast Climbing in heels, where every week she interviews a woman from different fields. Celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Miranda Kerr and Poppy Delevingne have participated in the program.
Return of “boho-chic”
On the catwalk, the return of boho-chic has been sponsored by brands like Chloé, led by Chemena Kamali, another standard-bearer of bohemian mixes in their most sophisticated version. In addition to the brands that have always maintained a certain boho spirit, others at the opposite end of this way of dressing have introduced winks in their latest collections. It is the case of Ralph Lauren either Rabanne. Now it’s time to see how the new fashion icons make one of the most characteristic styles from two decades ago their own.
Looking ahead to the autumn-winter season, ‘boho-chic’ is emerging as one of the most powerful trends. In the image, from left to right, Chloé, Rabanne and Ralph Lauren show.
