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[DC] I'm Deepak Chopra, and you're watching "One word with Deepak Chopra,"
and my very special guest today
is Rachel Roy. Thanks for coming. [RR] Hi, thank you for having me.
[DC] Yeah, we miss you here in New York now that you've moved to Los Angeles.
[RR] I'm bi-costal, and I'm just following in your footsteps with the heavy travel and work.
[DC] Yeah, yeah. [RR] But when you work on what you love, it actually really doesn't feel like work.
[DC] So you take the night flight here? [RR]I take the Red Eye, yeah, so I can spend
as much time with my children. I have two daughters, and I work, and usually leave Thursday
night, or Friday and it's all doable. [DC] Very interesting. So not many people
know that you are kinda connected to India. [RR] Really? Cause I feel like I look so Indian.
[DC] Well, people are not very sure. [RR] Right. [DC] Your father is from India?
[RR] My dad is Indian. He's from Madras. So I consider myself an Indian woman. My mother
is Dutch, and I think having that balance of two nationalities in a house, my dad was
an immigrant, so it was a very strong influence from India, has affected every decision that
I do, both personally and professionally. In the way that it shows up professionally I like to mix
things, and when things are oddly beautiful, that's when I find perfection in it.
[DC] Oddly beautiful? [RR] Oddly. Perfectly imperfect.
[DC] You know, we have a universe because of that little bit of imbalance at the moment
of the Big ***. If there wasn't that imbalance, it would all add up to zero.
[RR] Really? I didn't know that. [DC] So we have a minor disturbance in zero.
That's why we're here. [RR] A minor disturbance in zero. I have to
repeat a lot of what he says just to make sure I get it cause it's so brilliant. And
I don't have many opportunities to be around, so it's like writing little tools down
in here. [DC] Come on, you have an Indian father.
[RR] Indian father was, is a very, very, very smart man. He had three jobs. He was a Sociology
professor at a college, he was a carpenter, and he was a nurse in a mental ward, and I
learned so much from him about hard work, and my mother worked the same job for 30 years.
[DC] She was from the Netherlands. [RR] From the Netherlands, yeah.
[DC] That's why you're so tall. [RR] That's where I get the height, yes. But
taking those two, those two opposite aspects and mirroring them, and showing how they can be beautiful, that's
what I do with clothing, and I try to do that in a way that is effortless for the women to end
up feeling equal parts: smart and beautiful, to go on with what's really important in life.
I should make that easy for her. And for example, Michelle Obama yesterday wore a dress of mine.
[DC] Wow! [RR] And what I love is it's a dress she wore in 2009, she re-wore it just yesterday. So first of
all, we love that, but it's a dress of mixed prints, so it's kind of a tweedy, dark print,
and then a blue, and eggplant mixed print, and that's the idea...
[DC] That's the advantage coming from a mixed back ground.
[RR]Coming from a mixed background. I mean, you know, when you say it like that it sounds
so literal, but I had to find beauty in opposites, I had to find the beauty in differences, and so that's
how I approach life and also my career. [DC] Let's talk a little bit from the beginning.
So where did you grow up? [RR] I grew up in Northern California with
two hippie-chic parents, I call them. Very forward thinkers, but I had that balance of
thinking with the mind of a sociologist that was always kind of prepping me. I had to go
sit in the back of his classes, and take notes as a child. And then on my mom's side a
very, very strict Seventh Day Adventist religion. So again balancing concepts and balancing
ideas. And what I learnt is what your opinion is, if you can prove it means that
that point of you has value. So it's kind of like going to the MoMA, right? And you see these paintings
that sometimes are just splashes, or strokes of paint, and you think, "Well, I can do that."
But the difference is, it was someone else's original thought made into something tactile,
and that's what I try. I try to do that with design, but all of that, kind of, back story comes from
how we were raised. [DC] When did you actually get into designing?
How did that happen? [RR] So, in my family you have to work by
the time you're 14, excuse me, and I just didn't really take that seriously. So on my 14th birthday,
my father dropped me off at McDonald's cause I didn't have a job, and told me not to come
home until I had a job. So I didn't wanna work at McDonald's, I went to the mall, and
you're really supposed to be 15 in order to legally work, but I begged a certain store,
and just got a job with them, unpacking boxes. And what I found through clothing is that
when you put on the right dress, or when you put on the right pair of glasses, or a suit,
it can really make you remember what's beautiful about life, and it can allow you to dream,
to dream the life that you want to live. So I started designing the life that I wanted to have.
[DC] At what age, now? [RR] Sorry? [DC] At what age? [RR] So, I've only worked in
retail. So from 14 all through college, I worked through retail, and then from there
styling, which is basically schlepping someone else's purchases if you're not, you know,
a big stylist. And then I went to work for a clothing company as an intern. So after college, as
an intern, in the mail room. I couldn't even intern in the... [DC] Here, in New York? [RR] In New York City,
yeah. So through college, finally got up here. [DC] And college, what was your subject?
[RR] College was a very small Seventh Day Adventist school that I had to go to family wise, I
had to go to it that didn't offer fashion. And so I studied Psychology and English. Just
simply cause I do love to learn. I think what motivates me the most in life is curiosity,
and I think when you lose a curiosity, it's almost like losing a dream. So I went to college
just to study. [DC] And then New York is where you got a
break? How did you end being a designer? [RR] So I took the internship, still working
retail to kind of supplement, but I took the internship. So now I'm interning, in the mail
room, and I'm noticing a need, and someone gave me really, really good advice because
of course, my goal was not to be in the mail room as an intern, and she said, "Okay, what
you love to do within this company..." Cause it was a clothing company, so I'm finally
now on the inside of making clothes as opposed to the outside of just selling them, she said,
"Write down everything that you do very simply in bullet points, and give it to the owners
of the company, and give it to them every Friday just so they can see what your worth
is at their company." And it was great advice, and I did that and they became dependent on
it, and they started giving me responsibility. And I went from the intern at the mail room, I went through
marketing, and all those departments that I thought I had no interest in. But thank
God went through all these departments because now that I have my own company, I know what
time FedEx closes, and so I know what time to send my interns, I'm very aware of marketing,
and the benefits that it can have on a company. So everything happens for a reason. I needed
to go through every department so I could eventually run mine.
[DC] But essentially, you have this soul of an artist, right? Everything else is...
[RR] That was the hard part. In my head, I just wanted to pair a polka dot with a stripe,
and see how it worked, and that's where my passion was, but to get to my passion, I had
to work. I had to balance both sides of my brain. And it is a really hard thing to want
to select 10 beautiful fabrics, but also be the one to writes the check, and balances
that. But for me to have a company, with my point of view that I really believed in, it
was really worth it. It's a lot of work. But like I said, when you're working on what you
love, it doesn't feel like work. It feels like waking up and breathing.
[DC] You're now an international brand, right? [RR] Yes. [DC] Rachel was a big brand.
[RR] Yes. It's funny to hear that because I have so many goals that I'd like to work on, and
I have so many designs that are due, you know, monthly, weekly even that for me to stay inspired.
I look to other people that inspire me, which is how I got to you. Funny story, I tweeted
him, right? I tweeted you. That's hilarious, and followed you for quite a while because
my lifestyle with two girls, single mom, working is so busy. Your tweets are what got me through
a lot of my life. [DC] It's funny.
[RR] A lot of my personal life. My divorce, just little, sometimes it's all you have are
those times to read those little lines. [DC] 140 characters. [RR] And you were good
at it. [DC] So tweet me @DeepakChopra on twitter.
[RR] Yeah, I mean, it seriously made a difference in my life, and then we had a mutual friend
that introduced us, and I just asked, would he be willing to collaborate with me on a
design project. All of the proceeds would, of course, go to any charity that he wanted.But what I tell young people...
[DC] And we chose a charity here, in New York. [RR] We chose a charity here that we love.
[DC] Pieces of Lifestyle. We're going to have, actually, Erica Ford on this program as well, so we'll
talk more about that but you sold out with that product.
[RR] We sold out, yeah. And what I wanted to do was, my real goal was for any of my
customers, maybe going through a hard time, or living in an area they don't wanna live
in, or being in an abusive relationship. The tools that I found through you, they might
not be aware of you, but I wanted to introduce you to them, and instead of doing it through
a book, or something that they might ignore, I wanted to do it how I speak to them, and
that's through jewelry like these beautiful hand-chains, we made little vintage rock and
roll Ts with my favorite Deepak sayings on them. That way, if they liked the T-shirt,
they saw the name, they could go then, Google, look for it themselves, find it themselves
without kind of shoving it down someone's face. And I do believe that with all the tools
I'm given, it's my responsibility. They come in, and you just have to keep passing them out.
[DC] You're a very busy person. [RR] Not as busy as you, I get inspired seeing
you. [DC] You're very busy with all the work that
you have, and you also have merchandise through one of the chains as well, right?
[RR] Yes, so I have two collections I started. So by the time, about 7 years past
at this particular company that I was able, I was at, I was in the position where I could
start my own line, and again, it's just asking. Sometimes you don't know what you can get
if you don't ask. And so I said, "You know, listen I have a point of view that I would like to
design a line for women that are a bit older that need product that they could wear at
work, and look strong and feminine at the same time." And so that company that I was
at, paid for the first samples for me, which is a very expensive thing that many people
can't afford. So I was grateful that they liked the work I did, they paid for that.
I asked if the company wanted to be a partner, no but you can keep samples, and so I started
on my own. [DC] But now your demographic is not older women.
It's young, teenage girls, right? [RR] Well, I have both. So I have a line called
Rachel Roy that's part of the collection that Michelle Obama wore yesterday. [DC] Wow.
[RR] And I have a collection called the Rachel Rachel Roy that's kind of like the teen vogue to vogue.
So it is younger, it's inexpensive, it's faster, it's trendier so it's fun to put on both hats,
and that's what I love to do. [DC] And along the way, you started getting
involved with many causes. I was kind of recently introduced to you with this Pieces of Lifestyle,
but you had innumerable causes. [RR] You know why I do that? Because I really
like working with people. Again, that's how I stay inspired. So the time that I got to spend
with you designing, I learned so much. And now I... [DC] I didn't realize that I was actually
brainstorming with you on how to design. [RR] You didn't realize? Like when you were
telling me this story about the sword, but what's the correct name? Not sword. You know,
the pendant that we did. We did a body chain. [DC] And I told you the story of the chalice
and the sword. [RR] Exactly, that's how I designed the body
chain. Not even intentionally. I didn't know you were gonna tell that story. It's inspirations
everywhere for me, and I think for most people that are creative, or visual people. You never
know what's gonna inspire you. [DC] Then you came, and spoke at my Columbia
business school class. [RR] I love doing that.
[DC] It's a unique class. We were teaching the students something called Cause Driven
Marketing Just capitalism. We divided the class into groups of 5 each, eleven teams,
and they all had to create business plans that were in one way or another cause-driven.
And you came and spoke... [RR] That's right up my alley. It's absolutely
what I believe in. Again, it's like breathing. And I love doing that because I think that anyone that's given something,
it's just your obligation, or your right, your privilege to give back. So I like young people
to know how to start their own businesses. It's something not taught unless, unfortunately you're at
a private school, but it's not taught in public schools -- how to start your own business.
And when you have something, you should give back. And the reason it is that I have a few
charities that I work with, I'll incorporate anyone's charity. I don't care what it is. I just wanna
work and give back. [DC] I think this the new way business will
be done. You know, it's always is linked to a cause. Social entrepreneurship is the new
trend, and if I have two products or two services, for that matter, to choose from, I'll see
which is the more attractive story. [RR] Absolutely. [DC] And what is it doing to change the world.
[RR] Absolutely. [DC] I think this is a good time for business.
We're in NASDAQ, and I think people should be listening to us.
[RR] And there's no reason that your business can't be what you love. There's no reason
those two things can't be the same. And then you choose what you love to give back to,
and incorporate it all in the same. [DC] Let's talk about some of the big things
that you've done. [RR] Okay.
[DC] Pakistan Tote, what was that about? [RR] Oh, I was so proud of that. So that's when
many people assumed that, you know, so and so was hiding there, and they did not wanna support that
country. And then there's this huge natural disaster that takes place, and so my heart just
goes out to the kids with no school, and no home to go to. And I just couldn't bear it, and you
know, I had a little girl at home looking at me watching the news, kind of just wondering
like, "What are you gonna do to help?" And so the way that I know how to help is only by making
product. It's what I do. And so I made a bag. I had one of my designers draw a peace sign all
out of little children holding hands. And then I just got on my BlackBerry. And
I just started asking people, "Will you sign this tote?" And in about three days, I had
Oprah, I had Jay-Z, I had the CEO of Macy's, the CEO of... [DC] Unbelievable! [RR] But they said yes! They say yes. [DC] When you do the right thing, you get the support.
[RR] "No problem. Here's a signature. They didn't even ask. And people I shouldn't have asked, like very, like you know, the kind of people
I'm talking about, "We have to got through a lawyer. What is this about?"
Really? Oprah just sent it right over. AndI'm so proud of the names that I have on the bag. The fact that a CEO
of Macy's would sign a bag that says Pakistan right on it, and sell it in a store that could possibly
lose customers, those are the businesses that I wanna do business with, and I was very,
very proud editor and chief of Vanity Fair, Diane von Furstenburg. You know, people care. And it's just asking, but it's
making it easy. I just gave them a piece of paper, I would either send over an assistant, and wait for the signature,
or just make it easy for them to send it back. So you don't really bother the person too much.
That's how I found I have the most success. [DC] Ghana Clutch.
[RR] So Ghana Clutch I love, again. [DC] You come up with nice names. [RR] I'm just making products. That was a really cute clutch,
and I had an artist work on the art work for it then it goes to an orphanage that I actually
took my daughter to in Ghana. And the reason that I go, and bring my children too is because
I think it's one of the kindest things you can do for your kid is to have them travel
with you, and see the world, and then they become these little citizens of the world. So that was for that
organization, and you know, it's anything. Again, when I talk to young kids, say, you're working in an ice cream
shop, well, then take the ice-cream that you can, and do a little party with it, or take
it to a hospital. You know, there's all kinds of red-tape, and I usually just like to by-pass
that. I probably did learn that from my dad when he was a nurse, working at a hospital.
He would take the food, he wouldn't ask anybody, you know when it was, they were gonna throw it anyway, and he'd
leave it where he knew homeless people were. Not all that red-tape. Are you gonna get sick
from it? Are you not? It doesn't matter. If it helps one person, that's how I wanna live.
[DC] Heart of Haiti. [RR] Heart of Haiti, yeah. So that was important
to me too. I went with Bill Clinton's organization and Martha Stewart, and the CEO of Macy's, Terry
Lungrin, and we went to see how we could help, and back to the same thing, I make products.
I went, my goal was to look for artisans that could make product, and then Macy's would
commit to buying it. And it's so easy when you pick what you're already working on, and what
you love. So that was very special project for me. I also got to meet the President of
Haiti at the time, and he offered for me to come back and blah, blah, blah, and I said,
"No, I'm not going to come back, actually unless you make this country as safe for
everyone living in the tents as you're making me right now." Because we're all surrounded
by bodyguards. I just, you know, I just want change to happen, and I know I can only do so much, and if I can
call attention to it, that makes me happy too.
[DC] You have some new projects coming up. [RR] I have a few new ones. [DC] iPhone, iCase, what's all that about?
[RR]Working with Lauren Bush, who I think you've spoken to [DC] Yeah, we had... [RR] Love her. We did a little FEED bag
in India, but the organization that helped match us with factories and the right fabrics is a group
called the Collaborative Group. And having worked with so many charities, it is difficult. They
don't ship on time, they are more expensive, there's a lot of trouble that you can go through instead
of just using the factory that you used to. I can't let that stop me. I have to help employ people.
That's how you get your freedom, your confidence so because she made it so easy when I was working
on the FEED project. I wanted to keep working with her. So this is cute little make-up bag.
Again, I just want a product that's gonna sell. That when you see it, it doesn't have to be
about a cause if that's not what you're in the mood for. So I made just amazing cute,
little, bright, happy make-up bags, iPhone cases, travel pouches. They're bright and
they're happy because they make me smile. I like to surround myself with things that make me smile, and I think
that's how other people like to shop, but it's all benefitting artisans in Guatemala.
[DC] So you see, it's possible to be beautiful, bright, smart, intelligent, helps to have
an Indian father all of that. You're making a big difference in the world. Before I let
you go, can I ask you some personal questions? [RR] Please, I was hoping that you wouldn't
but okay! I'm just joking, I'm joking, I'm joking. [DC] These are so personal that they'll penetrate
into your soul. Who is Rachel Roy? [RR] Rachel Roy is a mother, a friend, a spirit
that at the end of all of this wants to have what I consider the higher entity welcoming
saying, "You did good." [DC] What are some of the most joyful moments
of your life? [RR] Joyful moments. When I had my daughters,
and realized that love is greater than anything I could've imagined, and realizing that they
were given to me so that I could be the woman that I was meant to be.
[DC] What's the secret, we know that everybody struggles with relationships, I know
you struggle with them too. [RR] I have, yeah...
[DC] What's the key to a good relationship? [RR] Well, you taught me this, actually, and
I had my little tattoo, remember? From loving without asking anything in return. True, pure
love, but that also includes loving yourself. [DC] And instead of looking for the right
person, to become the right person. [RR] 100%. That's what I meant to say, actually.
Can I change my answer? [DC]Okay, finally, it seems that you do believe
that there's some intelligence in the universe, whatever we call that -- higher power, God.
[RR] I absolutely do. [DC] You feel connected to it?
[RR]I feel connected to it 100%. I am following it, hoping to match what it knows. I'm here
to do, and what I should be doing, I want to match that.
[DC] Rachel Roy, thank you for coming, good to see you.
[RR] Thank you so much, love you so much. [DC] Love you too.