The Rachel Zoe Project

Zoe built her fashion empire by being smart, dedicated, passionate -- and a total control freak. Some of that is played for laughs, but some of her monomaniacal behavior is outrageously self-centered and even self-destructive, as her rising anxiety levels and rapid weight loss attest. She can be obsessive to the point of dismissive of her well-meaning husband and staff. The consequences of her wrathful binges are often portrayed as greater success. That may fly in the world of high-fashion, but there are ways of being successful without being rude.

In the first episode, Zoe reveals that she'll be launching her own line of clothing and accessories -- and, consequently, using this show to promote it. Many, many, many brands are mentioned, too, including Chanel, Givenchy, Valentino, Versace, Zac Posen, Michael Kors, Christian Lacroix, Polo Ralph Lauren, Vanity Fair, Vogue, BlackBerry, Birkin (handbags), Decades (clothing store) and Piperlime (online shoe store). Rachel is also frequently shown holding an enormous Starbucks cup, with the logo clearly visible.