I Shopped Like a Celeb–and This Is What Happened

If anyone can teach you how to choose the very best pieces for you, it’s the person who did the designing.

One of the many luxuries that comes with being a celeb is you have direct access to resources that other people don’t—like fashion designers. When stars do eventually venture out to shop for themselves (because, let’s be honest, they have stylists for that), what I imagine happens is they have their assistant(s) make some calls, and in no time, said celeb and said designer are frolicking around the shop, chatting and trying on the latest and greatest from the most recent collection…and then visit ends in a hefty sale.

Real talk: I’ll probably never know for sure, but what happened to me a couple weeks ago was pretty darn close.

I got a taste of the good life, thanks to the “VIP Experience: Rebecca Minkoff x Chandon. Here, I’d have the designer’s attention for about 30 minutes and get a personal styling session with the tastemaker who’s outfitted the likes of Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon and more. Casual.

On the day of the event, a car was sent (and by a car, I mean a black Escalade) to drive me to the store on Melrose Avenue. I stepped out of the car and within seconds, I’m greeted with a tall glass of Chandon. Alas, my first I-could-get-used-to-this moment occurred.

Now I have to admit, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. In my head I’d pictured an empty, relaxing store closed just for me, in which Rebecca and I leisurely walked and talked, mostly about fashion, but also about ourselves to the point where we became best friends and lived happily ever after.

The reality of the situation was that, despite my visions of grandeur, the style maven was actually really busy—splitting her time between multiple styling sessions, delegating tasks to her staff and overseeing the set-up of a second event she was hosting later in the store. There was consistent hustle, and I was soon reminded that fashion is about much more than celeb endorsements—the art of design and business acumen also takes precedence.

After I’d made a couple rounds of the store to familiarize myself with the latest collection, I was joined by the designer. What I can only assume was a taste of the celeb treatment commenced: We talked about the colors I normally wear (mostly black), the pieces I liked (anything edgy or menswear-inspired), how I would describe my style (minimal yet effective). I made some pulls (like this really cozy camel-colored chunky knit) alongside the designer—no pressure at all. “Always wear what you’re comfortable in. Always, always,” she said with encouragement. “It drives me crazy when a woman can’t stop pulling the hem of her dress down or she can’t walk properly because her heels are too high.”

We continued like that for about 10 minutes and by the time we were finished pulling, my dressing room was filled to the brim with outfit options. It was time to start trying things on.

First up was a Caroline Vreeland-inspired look I’d seen on the runway at the designer’s show this past NYFW: a cheeky sweatshirt that read “Text Me You Love Me” served as a base underneath a royal-purple slip dress.

(Side note: Do you ever try things on just for the fun of it, but you know in your heart of hearts you’d never wear it mainly because it’s outside the realm of what you’re comfortable in?)

I knew going into it that I don’t love the look of a long slip dress on me. I find my hips become the focal point and, though I love them, I usually try and hide or distract from them with what I wear. Still, I tried it on anyway, because need I remind you, I have Rebecca Minkoff’s (semi-)full attention, and I was going to utilize it. So off that ensemble went.

I mentioned before that I gravitate to dark colors (specifically to black). I can count the bright and colorful pieces in my closet on one hand—Rebecca and I had this in common! The next outfit was the camel chunky knit sweater I’d spotted the minute I stepped into the store and a pair of black skinny jeans with knee rips. (Throw some heeled boots on this look and if there were ever a more “me” winter look, this was it.) Of course, once I put these on, I fell in love. It wasn’t going to be the final look, though—and the designer agreed—it wasn’t special enough for this specific occasion. 

The final outfit was the perfect balance between my style and Rebecca’s—it leaned a little menswear-inspired because of the black wide-leg trousers I’d picked out, but it had small feminine moments like the fitted, long-sleeved striped turtleneck and deep red, super-cute mini box bag the designer had picked out. We agreed a leather jacket was needed to finish off the look to give it an edgier feel. “When it came to the top, it just felt fresh,” said Rebecca. “The stripes are a fun twist. And if you wear the right shoes, pants like those can make your legs look super long and flattering.” And the jacket? “To me, it’s the perfect final touch. It pulled everything together while adding a little rock ‘n’ roll, which I love.”

I, unfortunately, didn’t get to keep the outfit (a major difference between my experience and that of an A-lister’s), and it wasn’t exactly the gal-pal, friend-like shopping experience I had thought. But even a taste of the celeb treatment was a dream. The major takeaway? Designers know their clothes best and because of a celeb’s direct access to the source, of course, they’re going to look flawless in every street-style snap.

We may not all get a personal shopping experience—but anyone can have their champs (well, sparkling wine) and online shop, too.