Login / RegisterRachel Zoe hits Vancouver with 2012 fall-winter collection that channels rock 'n' roll cool
She didn’t have me at hello, but Rachel Zoe did have me at “the Rolling Stones”. During an in-store appearance at Holt Renfrew on August 9, the celebrity stylist turned designer explained how key members of the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world (and the women who loved them) were major inspirations for her 2012 fall-winter collection. So really, I didn’t even have to see Zoe’s latest line of edgy ready-to-wear glam pieces to know that I would love it: the woman obviously gets it. (Then again, anyone who doesn’t fully appreciate the seminal influence that Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful, Anita Pallenberg, and later Bianca Jagger have had on fashion, have no business being in the fashion industry. Period.)
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That said, it’s always interesting to see how a contemporary designer such as Zoe updates a bygone era and makes it her own. And thankfully, she was more than happy to give us the lowdown on every piece. As the models made their way down the catwalk, Zoe—along with Holt Renfrew’s vice-president of fashion direction, Barbara Atkin—offered commentary on each outfit. Turns out Zoe loves her designs as much as I do.
Sometimes, the article in question was so fab, she couldn’t find the words to elaborate: “I can’t even talk about this one,” she would say. Clearly, her label isn’t just a department-store cash grab. Zoe stands by every single design.
As for the Stones influence, one of the most obvious nods was the Candice, a dark-green funnel-neck cape. I could totally see Faithfull rocking this with some go-go boots and a cap during her Swinging London heyday. According to Zoe, “the cape is everything” this season, so you’ve been warned. And if you want to give this look a millennium edge, think black platform ankle boots. And it just so happens that Zoe has a few really hot styles to pick from, including some nautically themed shorties with gold buttons as well as some shearling bad boys that flap wide open in the front.
Another Stones wink was the white brocade suit. With cigarette pants and a fitted, yet slightly androgynous, collar jacket, it looked like the kind of outfit that Mick and Bianca would fight over.
In the mini-dress department, the Karolina black-and-white-striped sequin mini shift ($895) was a definite standout.
“It’s Edie Sedgwick in a nutshell,” Zoe said, before commenting on the dress’s forgiving cut: “And it’s not too fitted, so you can eat your cheeseburger with your date.”
If you’re looking for more of a timeless party dress, Zoe’s Selita sequinned blouson dress is to die for—it’s the kind of show-stopping LBD that leggy PYTs will be rocking for years to come.
Like Selita, the Cassie ($495) has very little to so with Mick et al. Yet, this vibrant turquoise cowl-back gown ($495) truly was the show’s centrepiece. It’s fresh, young, and as Zoe points out, just a really easy to wear clean design. She recommends pairing this dress with some bright contrasting scarlet lips and a messy bun for that perfect red-carpet rebel look—also known as the quintessentially Rachel Zoe look.
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