Because her success has been so beyond what anyone thought a stylist could achieve, THR decided to recuse her from this year's list (though her presence on the red carpet has been less in the past year, with Hudson and Garner having kids). But to hear Zoe tell the story of her own success, these accomplishments pale next to a singular event in 2011: the birth of her own son, Skyler -- or Sky Sky as Zoe has dubbed the 11-month-old -- her and husband (and RZI president) Rodger Berman's first child. "It's a paralyzing love," she says clenching hand to heart. "He's so blinding, I can't see straight most of the time."
Even turning 40 doesn't seem to faze Zoe, who celebrated her birthday with 60 friends at Chateau Marmont in September and, in a scene that could have come straight out of Benny Hill, witnessed her chocolate espresso cake (featuring an image of Zoe as a little girl) fall to the floor when a server slipped. Today, she laughs off the mortifying snafu: "I'm so happy with where I am now, that I'm in a permanent good mood. Things that used to get me down don't stress me out anymore. … Instead of being terrified at 40, it's like my life is complete.
"I'm a living cliché. All those things they say about a baby changing your perspective -- it does! I stare at my 500 racks of clothes, and I'm like, 'When am I wearing it?' I went through this thing where I thought, 'I'll sell everything.' Then I was like, 'Wait, I'm having a momentary lapse of sanity.'"
Another shocker in the new Zoe world order: The fanatic vintage collector admits she hasn't bought anything for herself "in so long." Instead, she's splurging on $230 Gucci booties for Skyler (with plans to encase them in bronze) along with anything baby by Burberry and Ralph Lauren. "It's all so freakin' cute," Zoe yelps. "Listen, I know it's excessive. It's disgusting, and I'm embarrassed. My only excuse is that I didn't have a girl. I have a living doll with no opinion right now."
Naturally, her interest in apparel for infants has prompted speculation as to whether she'll launch a baby line. "I think it would be really fun," says Zoe. "There are incredible baby clothes out there -- I go into Baby Gap and want to buy one of everything! -- but I definitely think there could be more."
But first there's the matter of her women's line, which has expanded to jewelry ("You can buy a cocktail ring for $150 or a necklace for $600 -- it's all in a contemporary price point"), winter accessories ("It's part of the head-to-toe complete look"), bags ("I'm obsessed"), shoes and even hats. At her fall runway show at New York Fashion Week in February, Zoe rolled out '60s- and '70s-inspired downtown London looks. Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were her muses for a collection that screams rock-star chic. "When Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger were dating, it was fashion history. So it's very tailored suits and ruffles and tunics," says Zoe, who started out as a magazine fashion assistant (later becoming tabloid fodder herself when clients Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie got painted as members of a size-zero harem).