Archive for Interviews

e-Interview: Rachel Pally, A Designer Celebrities Love

September 2008 at 4:19 pm · Filed under Interviews, The Fashion Closet and tagged: , ,


Photo courtesy of Rachel Pally

Rachel Pally is a fashion designer tailor made for Hollywood — just ask some of her celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonce Knowles, and Drew Barrymore. 

It’s no wonder why Pally’s designs are craved for by the glitterati — they’re unmistakeable for being luxuriously soft (that’s because their made of a fine knit jersey), with feminine silhouettes, vibrant hues, and brilliant prints. And if that weren’t enough, she did what few high-end designers do by creating a plus-size collection for Nordstrom.

I caught up with Pally for an e-interview to discuss her eponymous collection, fall trends, and must-do tips for looking chic:

The Chic Spy: How did you get into fashion?

Rachel Pally: I studied modern dance in college and had to work in the costume shop. I just fell in love with making clothes. I got a sewing machine and started making things and my friends loved them, so I decided to give it a try.

The Chic Spy: What inspires you when developing a new collection?

Rachel Pally: Women I know, women I see, looking at art books, going for walks, and just keeping my eyes open and getting inspired by things around me.

The Chic Spy: What word best describes your fall 2008 collection?

Rachel Pally: Versatile.

The Chic Spy: What is your favorite piece from the collection?

Rachel Pally: The Dierdre dress and anything in the Mali print.

The Chic Spy: What trend are you loving right now?

Rachel Pally: I’ve been wearing long dresses and slouchy jeans for years. I am glad they finally caught on — so comfy and chic.

The Chic Spy: What trend should disappear forever?

Rachel Pally: Shoulder pads. Read the rest of this entry »

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Interview: The Sartorialist Talks Fashion

September 2008 at 10:35 am · Filed under Interviews and tagged: ,


Photo courtesy of The Sartorialist

New York Fashion Week begins tomorrow and if you’re like me, the thought of celebrity filled tents and models strolling down designer runways has you in a frenzy. Why a frenzy you ask? Because every serious fashionista knows, this is the time of year when some of the chicest, most avant garde designers put there most beautiful creations on exhibit for all to admire — those invited, of course.

But, just as chic as all those designer confections are the looks donned by the Who’s Who in the fashion world — from insider to celebrity — who will be in attendance such as Anna Wintour, André Leon Talley, Fern Mallis, Rachel Zoe, and Victoria Beckham.

The hottest looks are sure to be captured by Scott Schuman — you know him as The Sartorialist. His keen eye for chic looks has garnered him the attention (and favor) of GQ magazine and style.com, where you can view his sartorially intriguing photos of stylish people out and about in chic cities such as New York, Paris, Milan, and Stockholm. I’ve saved many of his chic pics in my lookbook on style.com.

I recently caught up with him for a Q&A via phone to talk fashionable people, chic looks, and stylish cities. Here’s what he had to say:

The Chic Spy: You’ve snapped some of the most stylish people around the globe. What was the most memorable look?

The Sartorialist: For me, the most fun comes from comparing and contrasting the looks and how they reflect the people and the environment. I enjoy photo exhibits — since I take lots of images of different people I can see their similarities and character.

The Chic Spy: You are gearing up for fashion week. Do you attend the shows or do you just snap images of people coming and going?

The Sartorialist: I go to certain shows as well as catch people coming and going.

The Chic Spy: Which shows do you plan on attending?

The Sartorialist: Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, and Proenza Schouler.

The Chic Spy: What is it that you like about photographing everyday people on the street?

The Sartorialist: It’s what I like — fashion, people, photography, and natural light. I’m able to tie my interests into what I shoot. Read the rest of this entry »

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e-Interview: Dawn Strozier, Fitness Expert

January 2008 at 10:34 pm · Filed under Chic Celebs, Interviews

With the new year came new resolutions — eating healthier, getting more organized, making more money and starting an exercise regime. Well, before you have a chance to default on the latter, we got an exclusive interview with Dawn Strozier, The Fitness Queen of Keeping You Lean, a fitness expert and celebrity trainer. 

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Here’s the scoop on getting fit this year — for reals!

Q: How did you get started in the fitness industry?

A: After running into some health challenges that forced me to take a look at the type of foods I was feeding my body.

Q: Do you have a fitness studio to work one-on-one with clients?

A: I have a studio in Inglewood, California where I hold group classes four times a week and personal training sessions.

Q: How did you get the nickname?

A: I came up with the nickname The Fitness Queen of Keeping You Lean on the phone with my best friend brain storming. We were looking for a name that would both speak of my expertise and the service I can offer to others.

Q: Which celebrity clients have you whipped into shape?

A: Most of my clients would like to stay anonymous, but I have trained with comedian and radio personality, Steve Harvey for about a year and I have to tell you, he is great to work with.

Q: What is your preferred workout gear?

A: Nike — I wear their clothes very well and they are comfortable.

For a similar workout look to Dawn’s (above) try these:

Nike Just Move It shrug, $60.
Nike Fusion skirt, $40.

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Q: What is your favorite item of the moment?

A: A Marc Jacob’s bag or any type of bag … I am a very simple kind of girl.

Q: You are stranded alone on a tropical island, but you still want to stay fit, what would you do for exercise?

A: I would do sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, lunges and wind sprints to keep my body toned.  I would also do yoga, kickboxing and other forms of aerobic activities to break a sweat and burn calories.

Five tips Dawn Strozier recommends for starting the new year off healthy:

  1. Develop a realistic plan for your success that fits into your time schedule, a plan that would allow you to be consistent and stay commited.
  2. Start cooking your meals ahead of time. Cook on Sunday for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Cook again
    on Wednesday evening for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Allow Sunday to be your free day where you enjoy whatever you want. This will allow you to have healthy meals on hand, especially during a hectic day, and give you something to look forward to on Sundays.
  3. Remember feeding your body more frequently throughout the day is the key to effective weight loss. Eating more meals of smaller portions accelerates your metabolism and keeps it moving.
  4. Count portion size not calories. Employ a common sense approach when determining your portion sizes. Use the palm of your hand or a clenched fist.
  5. You need both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training to promote healthy weight loss. Cardiovascular exercise is more effective when done at least three times a week for one complete hour. In order to build strong lean muscle mass, at least 45 minutes of resistance training three times a week is needed. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more efficiently your body will burn calories and unwanted fat.

For more information on Dawn Strozier’s classes and to get her fitness DVDs for adults and children, visit www.thefitnessqueen.com.

(Photo credits: Dawn Strozier and Nike.com)

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Anne Segal: Designer On the Rise

September 2007 at 3:01 pm · Filed under Interviews

Anne Segal, daughter of Fred Segal, famed purveyor of fine designer wear, has launched an incredibly soft line of cotton wraps with fancifully-scripted inspirational connotations like faith, love, peace and courage in a range of bold colors including raspberry, deep ocean and cranberry.
She has since expanded her line to include sweatpants, skirts and kiddie apparel too. Between her hectic schedule as designer and entrepreneur, we caught up with Anne for an e-interview, to learn more about her stylish line that will wrap you up in motivation.
Styleology 101: What inspired you to become a designer?
Anne Segal: My father and his drive to want people to feel good and look good. Also wanting to have fun and be creative always keeping positivity in mind.
S101: What is the biggest challenge you face in this industry?
Segal: The process of manufacturing can be really challenging because you are constantly having to perfect the product whether it be the dying, the sewing, the screening … something’s always not coming out right even when it’s as simple as a wrap.
S101: What made you decide to design rather than open a boutique and sell other fine goods like your father, Fred Segal?
Segal: I actually did have a store at Fred Segal 10 years ago. For me, the monotony of being at a store all day everyday didn’t jive with my personality. I need things to change all the time.
S101: Is there a philosophy behind your company and your designs?
Segal: The philosophy behind the wraps, which is really the main design, is to wrap yourself in a feeling. The goal was to literally feel closer to a feeling and to remind people to uplift their spirit … words are very powerful and every time we see a word, something comes up for us. Why not represent love or passion or courage? It’s pretty hard to be standing in the grocery line annoyed when you’re wrapped in patience or to be short with someone when you’re wrapped in love.
S101: What was the first thing you ever designed?
Segal: A dress I wore to a party when I was 13. It was long, black velvet with a big pink bow on the back.
S101: Did you attend design school?
Segal: I didn’t, but I think design school is really important. I wish I had.
S101: What material is used for your wraps?
Segal: It’s 100% combed cotton.
S101: You launched your line with wraps that have inspirational sayings in vibrant, rich colors, now you have expanded the line to include skirts, sweat pants and a kids apparel too. Do you anticipate including other designs in the future?
Segal: I am going to be focusing on the wraps and t-shirts that will have words and phrases on them. I don’t think there’s a need for a lot of items. The wrap is a staple, just like a t-shirt or a tie. You can never have too many of them and they’re always in style and perfect year round.
S101: Have you spotted any celebs in your wraps?
Segal: My two favorites are Oprah and Jennifer Aniston. I have a picture of them wearing the wraps that sits on my computer for inspiration to never give up.
S101: Finish this statement, “When I’m not designing I’m …”
Segal: Thinking about what else I could be doing.
S101: Do you have anything else to share with our readers?
Segal: To be honest, I need to say that I don’t consider myself a designer, not in the true sense. For me, what I’m doing, my goal, has always been about creating a few items that help people to feel inspired, to feel good about themselves, to feel positive.
My original purpose in wanting to make a wrap came from being sad one day, wishing I had something with the word love on it that I could literally wrap myself in so that I could feel more love. With two best friends, and years later, we came up with the cotton wrap and in front of a mirror played with fabric discovering all these different ways we could wrap ourselves. It’s always been about wanting to have fun and be creative and being positive.
I cannot tell you how many people have told me stories about the wrap inspiring them or giving them courage to get through difficult times. It’s pretty amazing. And that’s exactly why I keep doing them.

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