For the month of April, I have chosen Rachel Roy as my biography of the month. I am a big fan of Rachel Roy's clothing; as well as her overall poise and elegant demeanor. It's not very easy to gather a great load of information about her personal life, however, her achievements and contributions have inspired me, so here's what I have:
Birthdate: January 15, 1974
Homestate: California
Education: Colombia Union College in Maryland/Washington D.C. area
Spouse: Damon Dash (husband), 2 children (both beautiful girls)
After college Rachel moved to New York City to pursue her fashion endeavors. She began as a freelance stylist for magazine shoots and videos. Ultimately, she was hired as an intern with Rocawear about 10 years ago. She pays alot of homage to that internship for showing her the ropes of the business. In many of her interviews, she encourages young aspirants to "work, work, work...intern, intern, intern" even in divisions and departments of the business that do not spark your immediate interest, for the sake of learning every single aspect of the industry. This advice could be taken and applied to any industry, not just fashion.
Her internship eventually led to her becoming Creative Director and running all of the design departments for Rocawear Juniors and Girls. In 2004, however, she ventured out and put her talents to work with her very own sophisticated and "effortlessly elegant" (my favorite term to hear her use) clothing line. Her line is self-titled "Rachel Roy" and she has since created a line at a lower pricepoint for Macy's entitled Rachel Rachel Roy for younger women. It doesn't stop there, her and singer Estelle are now teaming up to design a line of jewelry.
Aside from being an excellent designer, Rachel is also a constant advocant for giving and tied to many charitable efforts. For her 36th birthday, instead of receiving gifts for herself, she asked that donations be made to Charity: Water to get clean drinking water to those in need. The goal was set for $15,000. The amount raised was upwards of $18,000. What a contribution! This is just one example of the size of her heart. Fan her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. I guarantee the things she does will push you to volunteer yourself to those less fortunate or in need of a role model.
Rachel Roy is beautiful inside and out and a great example for any woman who would like to represent the combination of strength and true beauty. I was first introduced to her designs right before my 21st birthday. She had designed a beautiful gold dress that I wanted sooo badly for my birthday events, I've admired every collection since.
What I personally love about the interviews I've seen with her is her confidence in what she says and the way that she comes across as a class act. She is truly an inspiration for me in that way. She wants her line to represent and be worn by a woman who wears many hats and plays many roles in life for many different people; and while looking pulled together and elegant is a priority for her ideal client, fashion itself, or the trends therin, is not. Love that.
Check out her clothing line at http://www.rachelroy.com/
Google her, the girl is fly! Lol
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