Rue La La: We imagine you were born stylish. Tell us how you got your start in fashion.
Rachel: I had wanted to be a designer since I was 8 years old. While back-to-school shopping, I realized that I wasn’t happy with the selection I had to choose from and decided to do something about it myself. My first job was in retail at the age of 14, and I’ve worked in the industry ever since. When I moved on to the more behind-the-scenes side in licensing, I got a firm understanding of the business side of fashion which helped me to build the foundation to eventually start my own company.

Rue La La: You always look so put-together. Do you have any guiding rules for your personal style?
Rachel: I love mixing things – hard and soft, masculine and feminine. I mix prints, colors, and textures and take risks by trying new things. My style tends to lean toward the classic side, but there is always a twist. If I have a simple, feminine dress on then I will wear a strong statement piece of jewelry to balance it out.

Rue La La: You’ve dressed Michelle Obama over 18 times. We admit it – we’re jealous. How does it feel to work with a First Lady?
Rachel: I’m so honored that she chooses to wear my designs. When I think about the First Lady and what she puts out there, how strong she is, and how she works at balancing her public responsibilities and her family – she really does represent everything in a woman that I aspire to be.

Rue La La: Will you let us in on what inspires you?
Rachel: I’m most inspired by traveling to different places and seeing how each culture dresses. I can sit in a café anywhere and spend hours just watching people go by. I also get inspiration from my books. I surround myself with all kinds of books in my office and at home. Fall 2011 was inspired by Peru. I fell in love with the rich colors and eclectic mix of layered print and texture from the Andean culture. I can’t wait for you to see – the collection is hitting stores as we speak.

Rue La La: What is your favorite style from the Fall 2011 collection?
Rachel: A dinner blouse. I have been designing them more and more every season. They are the perfect option instead of a dress to make you feel polished, effortless, and chic. You will see them in a variety of different styles and colors in the Fall line.

Rue La La: Give us the inside scoop. What will you personally be wearing come fall?
Rachel: A great trench coat or trench dress is key to any wardrobe. They can be worn across seasons and in many ways. Trenches can be worn from the office to a cocktail party. I always give them as gifts to my busy girlfriends.

Our Rachel Roy Boutique opens Friday, August 5 at 11AM ET.

Heather Thomson is the mind behind the figure-flattering unmentionables. Her revolutionary designs have become must-wears for many women. Here, the innovative designer dishes on her Yummie Tummie favorites, her own style rules, and insider shapewear tricks.

Rue La La: What are three intimate essentials every woman should have?
Heather: If I had to pick a few, it would definitely be one of our tank tops, the Briefie bottom, and a good shaping slip (the Peek-A-Boo is one of my favorites).

Rue La La: Yummie Tummie items are all about versatility – tell us about a few wear-every-which-way favorites.
Heather: The Original Tank is the essential layering piece – perfect for under your favorite top, blazer, sweater, or dress. It’s also amazing to wear to a yoga or workout class. Another favorite is our Emilie Pantie – it fits and looks great and is super comfortable. Plus, the lace trim brings a sense of luxury, so you’ll forget you are wearing shapewear.

Rue La La: These past few seasons have highlighted lingerie on the runway. What traditionally not-seen pieces can become an outer element of an outfit?
Heather: Our black Peek-A-Boo slip paired with a great heel and a chunky necklace is an ultra sexy piece that can be worn as a dress for a night on the town or under a sheer dress as the perfect foundation. Another pick is our Teddie – it can be worn under a great jacket with a skirt or jeans. As I like to say, “the Teddie will take you from the boardroom to the bedroom!”

Rue La La: Shapewear should be snug. But how snug are we talking here?
Heather: It should fit true to size. You want it to be snug but not suffocating. If you are looking for extra slimming, I recommend sizing down, but for everyday dressing, get the same size you wear in tops and bottoms.

Rue La La: Give us your top five can’t-live-without items.
Heather: My Yummie Tummie tanks, a great pair of sunglasses, TOM FORD lipstick, tall black boots, and a great cashmere sweater.

Rue La La: What’s a style rule all women should live by?
Heather: Be honest with yourself and know yourself. Spend time understanding your best features and how to work with them, and understand what you deem your less-than-perfect areas and learn how to work with them. If you are comfortable and believe in yourself and what you’re wearing, it will show and you will always look great – clothes should enhance you, not make you unsure or uncomfortable.

Rue La La: For the big reveal – how many days a week do you usually wear a Yummie Tummie piece?
Heather: Every day, can’t leave home without one! We have a fun challenge we ask people to do: Wear a Yummie Tummie for seven days straight, and then don’t wear one and see how you feel. The common conclusion is that once you go Yummie, you can’t go back! It just changes the way you get dressed in the morning. It not only makes you look great, but it makes you feel great.

Our Yummie Tummie Boutique is open March 1-2, 2011.

We always prefer the scenic route. So in preparation for our upcoming Experience from Ciclismo Classico, purveyors of bike tour vacations in foreign locales, we sat down with our very own Josh Wilson, who recently toured Tuscany with the company, to get a taste of his experience.

Rue La La: How is traveling on a bike different from, say, a bus tour or cruise?
Josh: This is a much more personal and hands-on experience. You are slowly riding through the countryside so you take in the smells, sights, sounds, and people in a way that you can’t in a bus.

Rue La La: We love getting around on our bikes, but… what kind of intensity are we talking about?
Josh: The average route for our tour was about 40 miles per day and included one or two challenging climbs. There’s flexibility built in each day – those who want to do more miles and see more of Tuscany can break off from the main pack and do an extra loop. It’s a great opportunity to ride faster and climb harder and I looked forward to them each day.

Rue La La: How about people who aren’t avid bikers?
Josh: There are cooking demonstrations, history and language lessons, walking tours of ancient cities, great restaurants, and some really wonderful shopping. The tour we did switched hotels every couple of days. If you didn’t want to ride every day you could only ride on the days when you were switching hotels and spend the day shopping instead.

Rue La La: What do you pack for a tour like this?
Josh: Ciclismo Classico provides a good list. In addition to bike clothes and evening attire you should bring packable rain gear. I also recommend bringing the pedals and saddle from your bike at home. The guides are happy to install these on your bike for the tour and you’ll be more comfortable riding on something that you are used to.

Rue La La: Okay, but you’re someone who happens to have great style. Could you be stylish on this kind of trip?
Josh: I rode in a couple pairs of Ibex wool bike shorts and wool jerseys that I hand-washed at night in the hotel sink. In the evening, I wore leather shoes, khakis, and dress shirts. My wife Cory chose to ride in more modern synthetic bike shorts and colorful cotton T-shirts. She wore dresses and skirts that were lightweight and not wrinkle-prone when she was off the bike. Irons and laundry service aren’t readily available so you need to be smart about what you pack.

Rue La La: We’re talking Italy – the food had to have been amazing.
Josh: We ate a lot of authentic Tuscan foods (boar, white beans, rustic pasta, pecorino Toscano cheese). One of our guides, Sandro, owns a farm where he raises livestock and grows olives for oil and grapes for wine. Sandro made sure we ate well and always had a perfect local wine pairing to go with the food. He also got us into a Sassicaia tasting in Cortona where we got to try some amazing Super Tuscans. The most memorable meal of the tour was at the Fattoria Santa Vittoria vineyard in the Chiana valley. The vineyard owner, Marta, made us the tastiest lasagna that I’ve ever eaten from local mushrooms and cheeses. We sat down to the lasagna, local prosciutto and figs, and some roasted vegetables along with a sampling of the vineyard’s wine – this was a simple, home-cooked meal but by far the best of the tour.

Rue La La: What did the group leaders bring to the experience?
Josh: Our guides were with us from early in the morning til late at night and showed a real interest in sharing their language and culture with us. They loved their country and were very proud of its natural beauty, art, culture, and food but were also very candid and truthful about the problems that face modern Italy. Cory and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Italy after the tour ended, and it wasn’t the same without our guides. They were able to provide us with a level of access and insight that you can’t get on your own. We’re already planning a reunion trip to one of the guides’ farm in Sienna.

We had more questions for Josh – read his responses on Facebook.

Our Ciclismo Classico – Italy & Vietnam Boutique opens Friday, January 21 at 11AM ET.

We must admit, even though winter’s chill just officially set in, we’ve been daydreaming of jetting off to the tropics for a while now. We sat down with ELLE.com Editor Sydney Wasserman to fulfill our island craving with her take on all things Resort.

Rue La La: What trends from this season’s Resort collections are you most excited about?
Sydney: I love the idea of mixing different prints in one bold outfit. It takes a keen eye to be able to clash prints without looking like a clown, but when done right, it’s so chic. I also like the look of a high-waisted short suit - it gives off the air of a high-powered jetsetter. And I can’t forget this season’s color craze: neons.

Rue La La: How have Resort collections evolved over the past several years?
Sydney: Resort has certainly become a predominant season with its own story and look. I think Michael Kors summed it up best when he observed that while Spring and Fall set the trends, Resort is the wardrobe that will be in a woman’s closet.

Rue La La: What are the must-packs when you travel somewhere tropical?
Sydney: An oversized towel for beach lounging, a canvas utility bag to withstand sand, and a great pair of sunglasses.

Rue La La: Describe your perfect, over-the-top Resort ensemble.
Sydney: A floor-brushing, sheer blush draped dress (the maxi is here in a big way this season), a chic tote bag, graphic polka dotted heels (think playful, color-popping platforms), and, of course, a turban.

Rue La La: Walk us through what’s always in your beach bag.
Sydney: A good book, an iPod with plenty of battery life, delicious-smelling sunscreen, Havaianas flip-flops in case the ocean floor is rocky, a hand-painted parasol, a silk scarf for a creative head wrap or in case it gets chilly, and moist towelettes to freshen up after a day of sand and surf.

Rue La La: Resort wear is all about wanderlust – if you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Sydney: I’m dying to go to Argentina and Turkey. I’m not the most adventurous traveler, but those are the top two on my list at the moment.

Rue La La: You made your film styling debut on the set of Sex and the City 2. Give us the juicy details.
Sydney: I was brought on to get in touch with the VIP departments of different brands, so we could pull sample clothes for the actors. I also researched global accessories markets to introduce the extraordinary Pat Field to new designers around the world.

Rue La La: How did you get inspired?
Sydney: Pat and the co-costume designer Molly Rogers scored amazing finds from vintage shops in Miami – spectacular pieces from mid-century and the late 60s and early 70s. These made me really excited to get working. Plus, a movie with that many scenes and backdrops calls for a the-more-the-merrier attitude, so our warehouse was stuffed with racks and racks of different types of outfits.

Rue La La: The cast of Sex and the City 2 travels to Morocco in the movie – what did you have in mind while helping dress the foursome for this adventure?
Sydney: Color. Molly Rogers found these exquisitely decorated umbrellas – complete with pom poms and dangling coins – that set the tone. Morocco is such a richly colorful country, so we really got to indulge in all things vibrant. Also, kaftans, turbans, and vintage robes – who could ask for more?

Our ELLE Editor’s Selections: Resort Boutique opens Wednesday, December 22 at 11AM ET.

Miguelina is known for her ultra-feminine designs: romantic textures, airy colors, and international allure. Her Fall 2010 collection (which our selection comes from) is inspired by the Spanish dancers depicted in Colombian photographer Ruven Afanador’s book, Mil Besos, and gets a shot of edge. We touched base with Miguelina herself to get her take on style, inspiration, and travel.

Rue La La: What is about the Spanish dancers that you found so enticing during design for your Fall 2010 collection?
Miguelina: The passion of the Flamenco dancers and the freedom of their expression. I responded to the way Ruven captured their spirit through his work.

Rue La La: What are other sources of inspiration for your line?
Miguelina: I usually gain a lot of inspiration from my travels, but this season was mainly influenced by Ruven Afanador’s work. It inspired me to incorporate a bit of edge to my own creative vision.

Rue La La: Boudoir-inspired pieces are still going strong – your collection includes lots of lace, lingerie details, and romantic materials like chiffons, velvets, and satins – tell us about this style.
Miguelina: I like things that are very feminine, but also comfortable. I like fabrics that are easy to pack, can travel well, and adapt to different climates. The Miguelina girl is always on the move and does not want to spend a lot of time packing.

Rue La La: What’s the best way women can pull off these lingerie-inspired pieces?
Miguelina: It is best to layer them.

Rue La La: Describe the woman you are designing for.
Miguelina: The woman I design for is ultra feminine and confident. She is effortlessly sexy and sophisticated.

Rue La La: What trend are you in love with right now?
Miguelina: Caftans layered with great jewelry!

Rue La La: What’s a bold style that you wish you saw on more women?
Miguelina: Jumpsuits.

Rue La La: Your designs have a distinctive jet-setting sensibility. Discuss!
Miguelina: I love traveling and get most of my inspiration from my trips. The Parisians are very fashionable and are never shy when it comes to how they embrace their fashion. I like the drama! My Spring 2011 collection was inspired by my trip this summer Petra in Jordan. And I just returned from Acapulco and I am full of fresh ideas!