DORÉ

When I was told that our very own Style & Content Editor, Christina, is best friends with Rachel Pincus, a stylist who we’ve worked with extensively, I was very dubious. At first glance they seem to be on opposite sides of the spectrum. Rachel comes across as an open book, Christina takes a beat to crack open. I’ve been working with them both separately for months and this shoot was the first time I had ever seen them in the same room.

To say their best friend energy was infectious is an understatement. With Rachel admitting to Christina such truths as, “I even wore a bra for you today!” and “You inspire me to never put color on my nails.” It’s always refreshing to see someone with their best friend, I think it’s when you’re the truest form of yourself. You’re not putting on any facades, you’re just you.

The icing on the cake for us, beyond being best friends, is that these two ladies are prreeeetttyyyy freakin’ stylish. In the theme of Relationships, we asked them to play a little Newlywed Game for us (their answers below) while styling the other one. Okay, so the original intention was for them to style the other one, but they are both pretty headstrong when it comes to what they like, so let’s say each look was a collaborative effort.

The best moment of the shoot being Bogdana noting, “It’s a little like you’re a couple posing for engagement photos,” and both Christina and Rachel chiming back simultaneously, “we are.”

Christina, describe Rachel’s style.
Haha. Rachel knows this. Her style is… I’ll use the word promiscuous… but still a tomboy. She is always wearing oversized, baggy, boyish clothes yet somehow she is also always showing skin and looking sexy. It’s actually a skill. I do not understand how it works. I am perpetually jealous and in awe of it.

Rachel, describe Christina’s style.
Cool french girl who happens to be from New Jersey.

Who takes more fashion risks?
Christina: Probably Rachel.

Rachel: We both pretty much stick to our uniforms. I’m definitely more likely to be wearing less clothing, if you call that a fashion risk. Usually Christina just looks at me and says “RAQUEL!”

What makes your friendship work? What quality do you love most about each other?
Christina: Rachel and I are true opposites. She’s a bundle of energy and I have a very calm vibe. Rachel is constantly on, she loves being around people, she’s loud and passionate and enthusiastic all the time. Sometimes it’s exhausting! I’m pretty much exactly the opposite. I think sometimes we drive each crazy with how different we are. Rachel is like, “WAKE UPPPP!!” and I’m like, “you need to chill out.”The real reason our friendship works, from my perspective, is because even though Rachel takes a lot from her friendships she puts even more back into them. Nobody cares more about my challenges at work, my new boyfriend, what my mom said yesterday or what I ate for lunch than Rachel. I tell her mundane details of my life and she’s like THATS AMAZING IM SO PROUD OF YOU TELL ME EVERYTHING. She’s a good friend and she really cares and she’s really fun. I like to think that we’re helping each other grow into better people. I try to help Rachel be more calm and rational while she breaks me out of my shell and teaches me to be more confident.

Rachel: We actually have pretty different personalities. I think we’re a bit of a yin and yang which works out nicely. Besides all of them…Christina is one of the smartest women I have ever met. She consistently offers me incredible insight and challenges me to think on a personal and global level.

How often do you borrow clothes from each other?
Christina: Quite often. Our wardrobes are pretty interchangeable. We end up just giving things to each other a lot of the time. If something looks better on her I’m like, you just keep it, and she does the same to me. We live pretty near each other now so we can always get things back :)

Rachel: I think she has one shirt of mine? CH, you still have that white silk tank? I literally take her clothes all of the time.

What is one think you’d want to steal from the other’s closet?
Christina: Hmmmm.. that’s a tough one. Maybe those pink Acne boots? I like her Gucci slides too but I don’t think they would be as cool on me!

Rachel: Her cowboy boots. Which I already did :)

Christina, who is Rachel’s favorite designer?
I actually don’t know who her favorite is! Is that bad? I think because as a stylist she works with brands that I don’t know if she would necessarily wear. I know she really loves wearing Acne, so maybe Acne? She likes downtown cool brands, like Alex Wang, Priscavera, Sandy Liang, that type of stuff.

Rachel, who is Christina’s favorite designer?
She has a major girl crush on Maryam Nassir Zadeh.

Who is actually your favorite designer?
Christina: My favorite designer is Phoebe Philo forever and ever. I know Rachel loves Phoebe too, but I don’t know if she would say thats her favorite.

Rachel: I have an Acne problem.

Have you ever shown up somewhere accidentally matching?
Christina: Haha all the time. We don’t ever really match exactly but we are almost always in coordinating looks. We wear our own version of a similar theme or look.

Rachel: Besides the time we got matching Jersey Girl henna tattoos?

Any traits, habits, style quirks you’ve picked up from each other?
Christina: Yes!! I think Rachel has the best style so I always try to copy her, but I really can’t pull off the sexy tomboy thing at all. I end up looking like a 12 year old boy. The one thing I stole from her is that I started buying my jeans a little baggier. I was always like why do her jeans look so cool and mine look so stupid? And I’ve learned it’s because they’re a little baggy. That’s a good trick actually.

Rachel: Listening to podcasts in the morning, putting almonds in the fridge, and always wearing hoops.

On Christina: Dress, Joseph; Sneakers, Common Projects On Rachel: Shirt, 3.1 Phillip Lim; Jeans, NEED; Shoes, Maryam Nassir Zadeh

On Christina: Jacket, Simon Miller; Black Jeans, RE/DONE On Rachel: Jacket, Sandy Liang; Jeans, NEED

On Christina: Jacket, Simon Miller; Jeans, Miaou; T-Shirt, For Days On Rachel: Jacket, Miaou; Shorts, Simon Miller