Rachel Zoe made a name for herself as a celebrity stylist in the early aughts with a client roster that included Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Hudson, and Jennifer Garner, while also establishing her iconic boho-chic aesthetic. She went on to reshape the fashion industry, had a Bravo show, The Rachel Zoe Project, and founded The Rachel Zoe Collection and Rachel Zoe Ventures. And though a lot of her career as a stylist involved packing exquisite designer gowns for her clients and organizing them for trips, when it comes to packing for herself, she admits she struggles. The new castmate on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spoke with Travel + Leisure about how she really travels—and how she fits all those caftans in a suitcase.
Griffin Nagel/Bravo
Zoe said she can count on one hand the number of times she has successfully used only a carry-on suitcase for a trip. “If it were up to me, I’d take everything I own on the plane. Admittedly, I am an over-packer,” she told T+L. “It’s also just being a stylist for my whole adult life, you know? All I ever think of is having options and not having the thing you want or not having the thing you need. But when I’m packing for clients or friends, I’m very strategic, and when I’m packing for myself, I’m not strategic at all.”
You can imagine that an over-packer’s worst nightmare is not having your luggage when you arrive at your destination. Well, the world got to watch Zoe have that exact issue in real time during her first trip on this season of the Bravo series. She decided to strategically ship her luggage ahead of time for a trip to Sedona, but her luggage was delayed by almost an entire day, which meant she showed up in the dry heat wearing a black suede jacket, black pants, and a black cowboy hat in 110 degrees with nothing to change into. “That was not ideal. Not sure what I was thinking there,” she said. Luckily, her luggage made it by the next morning, and she was back in a white, airy dress.
With Rachel Zoe
First thing you do when you get to your hotel room?
I’ll usually take a long, hot shower and order room service. Or, if I’m landing at a normal time, I’ll have a friend come over, and we’ll just order in and hang out.
Best jet lag hack?
I try to stay up as late as I can.
Do you have a go-to drink order and snack on an airplane?
I tend to not eat that much on planes because, full disclosure, I’m not a lover of flying. So most of the time I’m in the air, I’m thinking about landing. I’m just a little bit anxious.
Favorite hotel in the world?
I love many, but I would say in Paris, the Ritz or the Meurice. I would say in London, Claridge’s, for sure.
Favorite business-class airline experience?
It depends. I definitely love Delta One. And I like JetBlue Mint. I think Mint is lovely. They’re so nice, very happy, very friendly. You know, anything with a flat bed makes me happy. A good British Airways or Air France flight [on] the new planes, those are all great.
Best travel buddy from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?
Kyle Richards—and I would say we share similar flight anxiety. So it’s always nice to have someone who doesn’t think you’re absolutely insane. But on the flip side of that, Boz [Bozoma Saint John] and Kathy [Hilton] are incredibly calming.
And that wasn’t Zoe’s first luggage mishap. “I’ve had luggage stolen, I’ve had luggage not make it. I’ve had endless travel disasters in my life, and this was more just wild, because we’re sort of in the middle of nowhere, and I was like, okay, cool, I guess I’m wearing black suede for the next three days, and it’s 110 degrees.”
She’s also had plenty of items confiscated at security, such as facial products: “They were brand-new and unopened things, and I was so upset!” Though even scarier was the time Zoe was coming back from Paris with lots of luggage and was flagged by customs. “They definitely wanted to stop me, and they actually confiscated something because they thought that I bought it and was trying not to declare it, and it actually was mine. And they held me! They would not believe me; it was awful. It was really awful.”
Rachel Zoe
So though she may be an over-packer, she does have a few great hacks. Zoe says she tends to pack everything on thin velvet hangers. “It’s a huge time saver. I also put everything in a garment bag.” Another packing hack? “I will also put plastic or some kind of thin covering over something that’s beaded or sequined because the sequins or the beading will catch on the lace, and they’ll catch on each other, and then you take it out, and it rips.”
If it’s an item that won’t wrinkle or snag, like Zoe’s signature leather pants, she’ll roll them up. And she’s packing it all away in Rimowa luggage, her go-to luggage brand.
Once she’s all packed up and on the plane, Zoe says staying hydrated with tea is very important to her: “I drink a lot of tea on the plane, like a lot of chamomile tea.” And she likes to keep her skin hydrated, too, saying, “I love Barbara Sturm. I use a lot of her serums. I’m recently obsessed with Keren Bartov products. I love putting things on my face that feel like a shield, like a hydrating shield. I love the Super Hydrator from U Beauty, and I also love the YSE Beauty Lip Mask.”
As for unexpected items she brings on most trips, she says a bathrobe from home is an essential, especially if she is worried she is going to a place that won’t have a good robe. Another must-have item? “I always bring a big faux fur or vintage, even if I’m going somewhere hot, because I’m always cold! And I wear it on the plane because it feels like a blanket,” she told T+L.
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