Fashionpedia

Rachel Roy

"Accessible fashion has always been a passion of mine. Every woman should have the opportunity to express herself through style."

Born to an Indian father and Dutch mother, Rachel Roy, is the epitome of the American dream. Growing up in a religious and strict Californian household, Roy at a young age was encouraged to go out and get a job. So at fourteen years old she started working for the local ‘Contempo Casuals’ outlet. Then at eighteen, she enrolled at Columbia Union College in Maryland and graduated with a communications degree. Determined to make it in the fashion industry Roy moved to New York City and got a job as a stylist for high profile magazines and music videos. After meeting Damon Dash she quit her stylist gig to intern for his company, Rocawear. In no time at all she climbed up the ladder to become the creative director for the women’s and children’s divisions.

After leaving Rocawear in 2005, Roy launched her own collection, ‘Rachel Roy’, a ready-to-wear line intended for the modern urban woman. Her sophisticated, chic, refined, and elegant looks quickly gained respect from fashion editors and critics alike. Roy is also a favorite amongst Hollywood’s fashionistas; Chanel Iman, Jessica Biel, Penelope Cruz, and Lucy Liu to name a few. Just two years after her launch, Rachel Roy successfully presented her first resort collection in June of 2007. The next year brought about a partnership with Jones Apparel Group investing in Roy’s label to assist in the company’s growth. In April of 2009 it was announced that the ‘Rachel Roy’ label would create a new line to be sold exclusively at the department store Macy’s. Thus the birth of, “Rachel Rachel Roy’, featuring affordable sportswear, footwear, jewelry and handbags, set to debut in August 2009.

Life Facts:
In 2005, Rachel Roy married former boss Damon Dash and the couple has two daughters. In 2006 Rachel Roy’s contributions to American fashion was honored by the Bollywood industry. For the spring 2009 edition of Teen Vogue’s “how-to” section, Rachel Roy creates a “punky” prom dress out of a short t-shirt dress, a swath of chiffon, rhinestones, ribbons, and gold studs. Manolo Blahnik is credited with being a mentor to Roy.