life updates and fixations du jour
summer school, part IV with Rachel Cohen of @theraylist
hi! writing to you at the culmination of a lovely little week full of wellness, reading, writing, running, and self-care. some highlights included doing the sauna and ice bath at Othership, attending a book launch hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker at Barnes & Noble, having dinner at the bar at The Odeon, watching the beginning of Kamala’s DNC speech with my Uber driver, having a very positive experience at a new dentist (!!), trying a new (to me) workout class, getting a foot massage with THE WEDDING PEOPLE in hand, having myself a gorgeous little summer friday that ended with a successful stop at The RealReal, enjoying a solo cocktail at Left Bank, seeing my weekly running mileage finally exceed marathon distance, trying the West Village gas station burger everyone's been talking about, and indulging in a body conditioning treatment I’m going to dish on more shortly.
I get that that’s A LOT, but when I tell you that before I wrote it all out, I didn’t even think I did “that much” this week, I assure you, this is the blessing and curse of New York. there’s always so much that you could be doing that doing anything less than everything can sometimes fill you with guilt. but before I get into the weeds on niche NY recs, I know not everyone who reads is based in the city, so I wanted to gush over some other things I’m obsessing over that are accessible to all!!
fixations du jour
The Fake Grey Lady’ Has Her Own Love Story to Tell (The New York Times): as a long-time follower of the @nytvows parody account, I LOVED seeing Selena, the face behind the snarky IG, get her moment in the sun with her own, very real, Vows coverage. seems like the plot of a novel I’d read, but hey, I’m just out here trying to turn ideas into the books I want to read on a daily basis.
’ After School Summer 2024 Trend Recap: I think Casey is one of the most dialed-in trend reporters out there, and I always enjoy her content, but this one was especially poignant. I’m biased but I agree the bob was the cut of the summer!!!
Emily in Paris is so back, baby. obvi I’ve watched all the eps already, and obvi, I forgot what happened entirely last season. irrelevant. the below meme sums it up best. keep the cringe coming, s’il vous plaît!!
American Holiday: Here’s what Italians really think of popular tourist destinations, from Lake Como to Capri (Air Mail): I think this link might be paywalled, but if you don’t subscribe, let me sum it up for you with one quick line from the article, “…most Italians avoid the places Americans lust for most.” you can also get the TLDR version on IG here if you want a laugh should you also be one of the unlucky few NOT perched in Positano with a spritz to close out endless €uro summer!
and on the note of Europe, the European leg of Eras tour may be over, but we got the music video for “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart,” which most certainly feels like a teaser of the BTS docu we are all salivating for…you know Taylor had cameras rolling at every show, so I think it’s only a matter of the right timing for her to drop the movie.
random, but my XOXO Gossip Girl girlies will care. Ed Westwick got married to a British actress and model in Italy and Kelly Rutherford has been posting (to Stories) about it! so is the bride…her highly produced TT's have the aesthetic of one of those slightly off-putting wedding creators. looking forward to more contrived coverage, stat.
Exactly How I Pack My Personal Item for Travel by made my neurotic Virgo brain so happy! as someone who travels for work and life quite often, I’m constantly trying to get more efficient, so I loved learning the nitty gritty details of Grace’s approach. with my viral in-flight skincare video continuing to rack up more wild comments every day, perhaps I’m due for a Substack breakdown of my strategy. more to come!
and speaking of in-flight strategy…The Perfect Airplane-to-Office (Or Like, Whatever) Pant by confirms, I fear, that the Nili Lotan barrel-leg pants I’ve been coveting are, in fact, endorsed by some of the best. by the way, if you’re not subscribed to Hillary’s newsletter, you are seriously missing out. it’s one of my fave Substacks!!
hard pivot. not to be totally morbid, but are you following along with the coverage of the yacht sinking in Sicily? it’s a twisted and tragic story. I sense a three-part docu-series hitting our Netflix queues on this in 2025, particularly considering the eerily similar timing of Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in his fraud trial being hit by a car while on a run in the U.K.
because we absolutely CANNOT end on the above note, for a dopamine hit, listen to this voicenote ping pong between a father and daughter. I’ve listened like 10x!
life updates, practitioner rec, etc., etc.
yesterday, I ran 14 miles. today, I tacked on a few more, and this afternoon, I had an in-apartment body conditioning treatment that has me feeling totally reset. I nearly gatekept the info on this because the waitlist to get an appointment is a month-long (no, really), and I don’t want to have to compete with y’all for avail, but I have my sessions booked out till November, so I figured why not share! sharing is caring.
a few friends and wellness girlies I follow brought Kevin’s services to my attention, and they were not exaggerating his magic! over the course of nearly two hours, he was able to identify some of the ways the right and left sides of my body compensate differently during movement (particularly running) and through his unique application of “seitai” or “alignment” based on his background in Japanese bodywork, Kevin helped walk me through how I can move better. he comes to you and I’d highly recommend submitting an inquiry on his site or DMing him to inquire if you’re interested in a session. tell Kevin I sent you!
speaking of movement, there’s a whole lot of it ahead over the next couple of months. tomorrow marks week eight—the halfway point—of my NYC marathon training cycle. but the back half of my training regime is going to unfold across a completely new backdrop. two weeks from today (my 31st birthday!!) I depart for six weeks of consecutive travel. it’s been quite a process to organize all the logistics, but things are officially all falling into place, and I’m starting to get excited.
this temporary respite from New York will kick off with my tenth annual birthday trip…that’s right, I’ve been THAT GIRL who thinks the world revolves around her birthday for a decade now. I’m actually going to write all about why I think more people should treat the culmination of another year around the sun like it actually matters (it does!) in my September 8th send, so I’ll hold back on unleashing my thoughts here for now. but just know that I’m the biggest proponent of the self-indulgent birthday trip and think you should be, too. this year, I’ll be going to Colombia! it’ll be my first time visiting the country, and I’m really looking forward to the chance to see more of South America.
from there, I’ll be spending a month living in Paris before heading to Italy for a week for a work trip. then, by the time I’m back, it’ll be mere weeks from the marathon and election!!!!!! the week of November 3rd will start with running 26.2 miles through my favorite city in the world, followed by voting for our first female president on November 5th. I actually cannot handle how epic it’s going to be. it feels like everything is building up to this moment!
the DNC of it all
I was laser-focused on the convention all week and am still riding high on the wave of hope I feel after listening to so many incredible stories on the DNC stage. did you watch?? if so, you know what I’m talking about! I mean, that roll call? the hundreds of creators helping to spread the word? the Jack Schlossberg effect? the Obamas’ speeches? Tim? KAMALA? are you kidding me?! I’m going to make this section snappy, but please expect even more political content on my corner of the internet because there has never been a more important election in our lifetime, and you better believe I’ll be talking about it all the way to the polls.
closing out our summer series
to wrap up August, I’m closing out a series of four Q&As that sit outside our usual domain of the literary universe. it was fun to flex my creative muscles a bit here and feature folks outside the book world! but now that we’ve had a chance to switch it up with those in the marketing, creative, finance, and fashion spaces, I’m curious: which do you gravitate towards most? and if you’re like, wait, what? I’m linking up the three other Q&As from earlier this month down below.
the vulnerable act of making things
meet Rachel Cohen
to round out our final installation in the summer school series, I’m thrilled to be featuring Rachel Cohen, the stylist behind @theraylist. as someone who doesn’t identify as trendy or gravitate towards spending much time/energy/resources on fashion (see: my infatuation with luxury hotels, upgraded flights, and restaurants as my primary vices!), I’m super selective about which fashion ‘influencers’ I follow so as not to feel sucked into the void of comparison. I love that Rachel feels like a breath of fresh air amongst the noise, and I think you will, too. can’t wait for you to dive into our chat about her career evolution! xKD
Kayla Douglas: Rachel, before we wind back through your career path, tell us a bit about what you do today through your work as a wardrobe stylist.
Rachel Cohen: As a wardrobe stylist, I work with a mix of clients throughout the year, handling different projects to meet their unique needs. I have regular clients I see seasonally or monthly, making sure their wardrobes are always up-to-date and match their personal style. I also take on one-off projects, like helping clients pack for trips, refreshing their basics, and putting together professional work wardrobes.
I absolutely love writing on Substack, where I can dive deeper into my thoughts on fashion (and non-fashion), share detailed guides, and offer exclusive content to my subscribers!
KD: You left the buying department at Bergdorf Goodman to fully dedicate your consultation services to your growing client list. What has that transition looked like?
RC: It's been almost a year since I left the buying department at Bergdorf Goodman! It was my first job out of college, and those three years were amazing for learning and growing. I worked in the home department, which was a nice break from fashion and helped me get a broader perspective on style and design.
Leaving Bergdorf's was a gradual and pretty demanding process. I was juggling both roles—keeping up with my job there while growing my consultation services. It was exhausting, but after seeing a steady increase in my client base and revenue for about 4-5 months, I knew it was time to take the leap and focus fully on my styling business and content creation. It was a tough decision, but I have no regrets and haven't looked back since!
KD: How do you approach getting dressed every day, and in turn, how do your personal style and aesthetic influence how you style your clients?
RC: When I style my clients, I always focus on their individual tastes and preferences. It's not about just copying my style onto their wardrobes. Instead, I use my aesthetic while making sure their unique style stands out. Many of my clients have a style similar to mine, which makes our collaboration easy and natural. This way, I can blend my influences with their personal needs seamlessly.
KD: What does an average "day in the life" look like?
RC: Every day is different for me, reflecting the variety in my work and personal interests. My busiest time is definitely in the fall, while summer is a bit slower. But I'm always busy with something which makes each day unique and fun.
Besides styling clients, I'm really into cooking and wellness. I love making beautiful dinners for my husband and me, trying out new recipes and fresh ingredients. Wellness is a big part of my routine too—I make sure to go for long walks or get in a Pilates or yoga class regularly to stay balanced and energized.
My mornings usually start with checking emails and planning my day, followed by client consultations, wardrobe edits, or shopping trips. In the afternoon, I might create content for my Instagram community or write for my Substack. Throughout the day, I also find time to connect with my clients and followers, sharing insights and styling tips.
This mix of work and personal activities keeps me engaged and inspired, making every day productive and enjoyable!
KD: You started The Ray List in college to share your perspective on the fashion space. You recently transformed it into a bi-weekly Substack! What can readers glean from The Ray List today, and where can they subscribe?
RC: Substack has become my favorite place to connect with readers. I wanted something more from social media, and Substack is just what I was looking for. It lets me dive deeper into fashion topics and share so much more. On The Ray List, you'll find my latest discoveries, favorite picks and personal insights. I share curated collections, packing tips for your next trip, and more. It’s a mix of fashion finds, personal thoughts, and styling tips. You can subscribe to The Ray List on Substack to catch all my latest posts and updates!
KD: How does content creation, whether for Substack or social media, factor into your approach to the evolution of The Ray List?
RC: Content creation has played a huge role in shaping The Ray List and getting my name out there in the fashion world. It’s been key in evolving my name and has opened doors to collaborations with brands I've always dreamed of working with. I also love sharing my daily outfits and style tips in a casual, authentic way—like with classic mirror selfies and casual stories. Connecting with my followers through direct messages is another highlight. It’s all a lot of fun and adds a personal touch to the content I share!
KD: What's the best part of working for yourself?
RC: The best part of working for yourself is definitely having the freedom to set your own schedule. You can take a trip whenever you want, attend that 10 a.m. workout class, or enjoy a day of rest and relaxation without needing to ask for permission.
KD: On the flip side, what are some of the things (that Instagram may not see) about running your own company that you'd advise people they need to be ready for before going out on their own?
RC: Working for yourself definitely has its challenges. During my first month on my own, I found myself exhausted. I was working non-stop with hardly any free time. I thought being busy was a great thing, but I quickly realized I was missing out on the work-life balance that every job should have. It took a few months to find that happy medium, but now I feel much more balanced.
There’s also the pressure to ensure you’re doing everything you should and could be doing, which can be overwhelming. While the freedom to make your own decisions is fantastic, it can also be daunting to manage so many ideas and tasks at once!!
KD: Beyond work, what inspires you?
RC: This is a tough question because I find inspiration all around me! My mom is a major source of inspiration (and my biggest cheerleader and best friend)—she’s like my superwoman with her generosity, love, and unwavering commitment to family. I hope to have the same close relationships with my kids that she has with me and my siblings. It’s truly the greatest gift.
KD: What's next? What are you looking forward to as we approach 2025?
RC: As we head into 2025, I’m really looking forward to the fall. It’s when I feel the most inspired and get a boost of energy from the cooler weather. I’m excited to put that energy into my business and have a busy, productive season ahead. It's the perfect time for fresh ideas and a renewed focus, and I’m eager to use this momentum to hit new goals.
Thank you so much for the interview!!!