Rachel Zoe’s questionable return to TV

Now that the first season of “The Rachel Zoe Project” has wrapped up, it is time to wonder whether it was worth watching and whether we will sit down for seconds.

Rachel Zoe has turned her fashion addiction into her job as a top celebrity stylist who creates her own brand. The show chronicles Zoe’s journey of styling reputable clients and launching her own clothing company.

Along for the ride are her assistants Taylor Jacobson and Brad Goreski. Jacobson is referred to as Zoe’s “rock,” fitting perfectly with her messy, “bohemian rocker” style. This style contrasts with Goreski’s, who looks like he stepped out of a Ralph Lauren catalogue. The best part of the show might be the interaction between the two assistants who are constantly at each other’s throats.

From Zoe and her assistant’s outfits to her choices for clients, fashion is always at the heart of “The Project.” Zoe’s exuberance for clothes is sincere — catchphrases like “I die” escape her mouth when finding a must-have for her wardrobe, and genuine tears fill her eyes when watching one of her celebrity clients float down the red carpet in an evening gown she picked out.

But Zoe has received a lot of criticism. One episode shows Zoe’s reaction to Ginia Bellfante’s review, a New York Times television critic who called her “a pox on humanity.” It was rumored that she provided her clients with drugs to keep them skinny, which may seem likely when looking at Zoe’s own figure. But to blame one person for the stick-thin trend among celebrities seems a little harsh. Zoe denied the accusations in a New York Times Magazine article last year.

Bravo has yet to confirm a second season for “The Rachel Zoe Project,” but with ratings that beat the season one premiere of “Project Runway,” a second season seems in the cards.

Here is to hoping there is more of the undeniably entertaining Zoe on Bravo soon. If you can’t wait, get your fashion television fix now with “Stylista” (the CW), “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style” (Bravo) and “Fashion Guide” (TLC).


Matt Feniger is a contributing writer. E-mail him at fashion@nyunews.com.

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