Rachel Roy on creating a life by design.
By Deborah Hamilton-Lynne
Photos by Cydney Holm
Shot on Location at Lake Austin Spa
Styled by Emmy Briggs
Hay by Quenton Barnette
Makeup by Lauren Andersen
Style Credits:
Sweater – Gauchere, available at Kick Pleat
Hot Pants – Vintage Norma Kamali, available at Garment Modern
Stockings – Wolford
Hand Chain – Manon Von Gerkan
Ring – Rachel’s own
What constitutes well-being is somewhat elusive, differing from culture to culture dating back to the ancient Indians, Egyptians and Greeks. The American Psychological Association in its dictionary of psychology defines well-being as: n. a state of happiness and contentment, with low levels of distress, overall good physical and mental health and outlook, or good quality of life. While each of these defining elements has been at times challenging for Rachel Roy, she has learned from each obstacle on her journey to incorporate the essence of well-being into her life and career.
Imagine creating an incredibly successful company, featuring designs bearing your name on every label. Imagine seeing those designs worn by celebrities – including Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey – leading your brand to become nationally and internationally known. Then, imagine a circumstance in which that company was sold without your permission, along with the right to use your name. And then, imagine that the new owners declared your company defunct. Imagine what you would do if you had no right to use your name.
That is exactly the situation designer Rachel Roy found herself in. Determined to reclaim her name, she took legal action. After an arduous court battle, she regained the right to use her name in business. Through those years, Roy also fought to survive a contentious divorce, custody battle and numerous lawsuits from her ex-husband. In 2019, Roy was diagnosed with a rare skin disease, Scleroderma Coup De Sabre, which led her to her multicultural roots and the study of Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old science of well-being from India. Her dedication to creating the life she wants to live has sustained her throughout these challenges and recently, led her to starting a new chapter in Austin.
Style Credits:
Cardigan, Rachel by RACHEL ROY, available at nordstrom rack;
jeans, vintage Levi’s, available at Jeaniushop; Trench, Isabel Marant; boots, Hunter; body chain, Manon Von Gerkan; Turquoise Bolo and Ring, Rachel’s own.
Roy’s most visible persona is that of a beautiful and successful designer and entrepreneur – a member of the jet-set – but there is so much more to her warrior and activist persona that embodies the essence of well-being. She embraces the value of balance and positivity to obtain a sense of contentment that is essential to well-being.“My truest measure of success is joy. There will always be peaks and valleys in life. I go with the natural ebbs and flows of life and that has allowed me to know that whatever I was faced with I could get through it.”
From an early age, Roy was attracted to beauty and design, first in nature and then in fashion. Raised in Seaside, California by a Dutch mother and an Indian father, Roy was encouraged to dream and understand the value of hard work. Raised as a Seventh-day Adventist, her upbringing was traditional. She saw her multicultural, biracial identity as an advantage and not a hindrance, choosing to take lessons from the best of each culture and parent. Growing up, Roy was only allowed to watch nature documentaries and films from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The beautiful, luxurious costumes and the artistry of nature that she saw in these films heavily influenced her sense of style and her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. From a very early age, Roy would cut photos of things she found to be beautiful from magazines and arrange them on paper. To this day, Roy creates vision boards with such images on a regular basis.
The Essence of Style to Create Well-Being
“Use clothing to develop your own style and build confidence. Wear clothes that make you feel poised and powerful.”
Rachel Roy
6 Things Every Woman Should Own
- A classic leather shoe such as an oxford.
- A Blazer that fits her well and is versatile. Black or cream pair with multiple outfits.
- A comfortable turtleneck that is cozy and can be mixed with any number of looks.
- A classic pair of jeans. Roy prefers vintage 501 Levis.
- A trench coat for all occasions to take you from day to night.
- Jewelry that lets your personality shine.
Style Credits:
Sweater – Tibi, available at Kick Pleat
Silk Dress (worn as skirt) – Vintage La Perla, available at Garment Modern
Boots – Tecovas
As much as she loved California, Roy set her sights on exploring the larger world. After graduating with a degree in psychology from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland, she headed to the ultimate fashion mecca – New York City.
“I went to college to learn to be independent and think outside the box. I had a good work ethic that was instilled by my parents, making me get a job when I was 14 and working in retail from the age of 16. Some people might think it was risky to leave California, but I wanted to create – create the life I wanted even though I wasn’t sure at the time that I knew exactly what that looked like. All I knew was that I believed in myself and that I could convince others to believe in me. I knew how to make myself needed in the areas where I wanted to excel – the areas where I wanted to learn.”
Although she is 5’11”, Roy never saw herself as a model. Her dream was to become a designer, create a brand and own her own company. Her first years in New York were spent working in retail, as a stylist for magazines and music videos and interning for iconic brands such as Ralph Lauren. When her choices as a stylist for a music video were deemed too conservative (translation: the women were wearing too much clothing) she was fired. However, someone from the shoot liked her style. She was hired as an intern at Rocawear, the company founded by Jay Z and Damon Dash, whom Roy later married and divorced in 2008. At Rocawear, Roy’s work ethic paid off as she worked her way up from the mailroom to eventually become the creative director of women and children’s wear
the company founded by Jay-Z and Damon Dash. Damon Dash and Rachel Roy were divorced in 2009. While at Rocawear, Roy’s work ethic paid off. She worked her way up from the mailroom to the creative director of women and children’s wear.
“I was trying to create the life I wanted. I was sticking to my intentions, but we weren’t designing anything. I was just going around New York from licensing outfit to licensing outfit. Eventually, I saved some money and decided to go out on my own.”
Although she had not yet realized her dream as a designer, Roy took away a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the fashion business and an impressive list of contacts from her time at Rocawear. In 2005, Roy received some initial funding from an anonymous investor and her first brand was born. Roy’s designs reflected her sense of style and balance. They were classically feminine with a slight masculine touch, simple yet sophisticated, powerful and poised – the attributes of her design style today. Rachel Roy designs were quickly picked up and carried by upscale retailers, such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstroms and Saks Fifth Avenue. What seemed to be an overnight success was the result of more than nine years of hard work. Roy never lost sight of her ultimate goal: to own her own brand.
Style Credits:
Turtleneck – Ralph Lauren
Skirt – Rick owens
Earrings & Bracelet – Agmes, available at Garment Modern
“I’ve never written a business plan or majored in business, but I do know that to build a brand you have to be authentic. Everything has to uphold what you believe in. Taking the risk of actually being yourself is the first risk every business person should take. You have to be OK with some people not liking you. Sometimes when you take that leap, you just have to grow wings.”
In 2008, Roy entered into a partnership agreement with the Jones Apparel Group, which agreed to develop and sell products under the Rachel Roy brand. Jones would later, without Roy’s permission, cease production of her line. The intent behind this was to sell Roy’s trademarks and name to another investment group. Although this forced Roy to go through a prolonged legal battle, Roy was able to regain control of her name; which includes the higher end designer brand, Rachel Roy and the lower priced line, RACHEL Rachel Roy.
Today, RACHEL Rachel Roy is sold in Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth, Ross and Marshall’s. Described as “modern contemporary” the brand is designed as a “full lifestyle brand taking women from her desk to a date and into the weekend,” says Roy. The brand includes 24 licensed categories; including clothing, denim, luggage, home furnishings, bedding, handbags and footwear. Roy is in the process of envisioning her high-end designer brand in anticipation of a relaunch.
Undaunted by her rocky road to becoming an entrepreneur, Roy has launched Ancient India, a new skincare line that is completely self-owned. Inspired by her battle with scleroderma, Roy went back to her Indian roots to learn about healing and skin care. Based off her learnings, Ancient India became a line of organic skin care products that combine the tradition of Ayurvedic healing with natural elements and ingredients to revitalize skin. Roy travels to India to work with scientists and oversee the manufacturing process personally. Following so much turmoil in both her professional and personal lives, Roy set out to create a brand that reflects her values of serving others through her products and giving back. For each product sold, donations are made to organizations that help vulnerable women and children around the world.
Rachel Roy on Designing a Product that Reflects the Essence of Well-Being:
“I combined the use of eastern and western meds to overcome my Coup de Sabre diagnosis. To do this I dove deep into the teachings of Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old practice of medicine in India, and discovered the world of plant medicines in a very profound way. Hence the ingredients chosen for Ancient India.
I designed this brand based on two values I care about the most: benefiting others with a giveback at the heart of the company and the freedom to make the choices I believe best for consumers and our community. Ancient India is luxury Ayurvedic clean skincare that is the best of science and nature. The aim at Ancient India has always been to make the most powerful skincare for the earth’s most powerfully potent and astonishing ingredients, combined with up to the minute science. To achieve optimum skin care I believe that for balanced heart, mind, and skin health, doing for others is a fundamental role in our well-being. I believe that you cannot have an ageless, timeless mind or spirit without it.
As the brand grows so will the impact and our ability to serve others on an everyday basis. With every product purchased we can help the most vulnerable women and children around the world. I have chosen 4 areas: heart/mind health and women and children affected by slavery and hunger and donations are made to organizations serving others in need in these areas.
There is a reason we are all here and I do not believe it is to make a living. I believe it is to serve others through our individual gifts. I believe the only true measure of success is joy. Through Ancient India, we are contributing to making a more just, sustainable and peaceful society. That is my true measure of success.”
Reclaiming her name and rebuilding her brand in her unique and authentic way has led Roy to embrace a holistic overview of well-being. She now has a new appreciation for the meaning of beauty in her life.
“It is about balance. Balance in life. Balance in the body – your sleep habits, your eating and drinking, taking care of the skin as well as the brain and the heart. Beauty is so much more than appearance. It’s those timeless beings that inspire infinite beauty, strength and integrity in my mind and heart. That is what inspires me and leads me to action.”
Seeking the last element of well-being – quality of life – led Roy to Austin. Following a frightening home invasion in her Los Angeles home, Roy set out to find a place that would provide safety, security and a good quality of life for herself and 16-year-old daughter, Tallulah. She visited cities around the country and fell in love with Austin on a visit to the Lake Austin Spa. Placing a high priority on spending time with Tallulah, Roy returned to Austin and purchased a home near Lake Travis. The pair are happily engaged in making Austin and the new house their own.
Having navigated events and circumstances that would shatter most women, Roy spoke to attaining the elusive sense of well-being.
“Love yourself and find joy, however you can, no matter the circumstances. I carry this lesson forward every day in everything. I continually seek to imbue my work with it. Every day I strive to help women gain self-confidence and build awareness of their unique beauty and the qualities that make them special. Research the things that bring joy in order to know yourself and then develop your own style. Nothing is more powerful and inspiring than knowing who you are and having the luxury of being 100% authentic.”
Pure Gold from “Design Your Life.” Creating Success Through Personal Style.
5 Priceless takeaways
| “I always observed that those who don’t speak up miss out. But I would add to that: when you do speak up, make sure you have something of value to offer. Don’t just ask questions; offer solutions. And most important, make yourself needed in areas in which you excel.” |
| “The purpose of a vision board is to inspire you, to cultivate your tastes and give you a concrete goal to work toward every day. Constructing and displaying a vision board is about calling certain things into your life, and having a constant visual reminder of your aspirations right in front of you is hugely motivating.” |
| When struggling with a pricey fashion purchase consider the 3 “Wells” – Well Made: Are the materials high quality? Will it pass the test of time with numerous wears? – Well Executed: Is the stitching straight and well sewn? Is the hardware sewn correctly? – Well Fitting: Do the cut and the fabric do my body any favors, or is it not right for my shape? |
| “The right shoe will get your foot in the door, but your intelligence and how you share it are what will keep you inside. Cultivating a deep, passionate and comprehensive knowledge of a variety of topics will do wonders for building your confidence and contributing to your value as an employee.” |
| When all else fails and you don’t know what to wear, the best strategy is to just channel style icon Audrey Hepburn or someone similarly inspiring to you. Simple yet elegant clothing items can go a long way in many different fashion settings and situations. Clean and classic ensembles are always appropriate and will make you feel comfortable in your own skin. Rather than going overboard, think about how Audrey paired her classic, clean, simple style with a heavy dose of respect and kindness and you can’t go wrong.” |
Style Credits:
Cardigan – RACHEL Rachel Roy, available at Nordstrom Rack
Jeans – Vintage Levi’s, available at Jeaniushop
Boots – Lucchese
Body Chain – Manon Von Gerkan
Turquoise Bolo – Rachel’s own