More than any other Real Housewives series, Real Housewives of New York is closely associated with the fashion world. New York City is, after all, the center of that universe. In the show’s many iterations over 15 seasons, at least one Housewife in the cast has worked in the fashion industry. Even former RHONY stars, like Bethenny Frankel, remain fixtures of New York Fashion Week.
The reboot pitched itself as more focused on high fashion than the OG, especially when Jenna Lyons signed on. And now, in Season 15, the show adds Rebecca Minkoff, an already controversial “friend of” who is also a major designer. From OGs to the reboot cast, here are some of the RHONY ladies who worked in the fashion industry. Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most fashionable one of all?
Ramona Singer
When people think about Ramona Singer and fashion, they probably flashback to that infamous runway walk. But that embarrassing/iconic moment aside, Ramona had a long career in the industry. Remember her early seasons tagline, “I like making my own money. I find that an aphrodisiac.”
Ramona graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in marketing. She went on to work as a buyer for Macy’s. Throughout her career, she also worked for brands like Calvin Klein. Eventually, Ramona started her own business, RMS Fashion Inc. As she explained on the first season of RHONY, RMS bought excess items from major brand, and then sold them to discount retailers. Along with then-husband Mario Singer, she started True Faith Jewelry in 2005. She later launched several fashion and beauty related businesses, including an HSN jewelry collection and a skincare line.
In addition to fashion, Ramona also worked in real estate. However, she was let go amidst her racism scandal last year.
Jenna Lyons
A lot of fashion fans were surprised when Jenna Lyons signed on for RHONY. She’s been famous in that world for ages. Especially since Jenna was the creative force behind J Crew’s renaissance. Earlier this year, she signed on for a new gig as Editor-In-Chief for lifestyle and fashion brand Coveteur. Jenna also has a line of fake eyelashes. On the show, she opened up about how her rare genetic disorder led her to start one.
Jenna is also a total fashion icon, and the epitome of strong personal style. She stays true to her aesthetic, even when not everyone is on board, like when she wore jeans to the RHONY reunion. I’m sure her choice to wear socks with black pumps in this promo shoot will raise some eyebrows too. But no one can deny she has some iconic looks over the years. However, Jenna claims she won’t be dressed by the big designers anymore for Season 15.
Leah McSweeney
Leah McSweeney also worked in fashion for decades, albeit in a different part of that world than the other names on our list. Leah’s tee shirt line, which she founded in 2004, is called Married to the Mob. Throughout the past 20 years, she’s collaborated with major brands like Nike, Reebok, and Kangol. When the designer started her line, she worked with Rob Cristofaro, the father of her daughter Kier. Rob was already a big name in streetwear, as the founder of Alife.
When Leah first came on the scene, she was one of few women in streetwear, which was a big boy’s club. Leah’s first tee referenced the major streetwear brand Supreme. In a 2007 interview with Observer, she explained, “I wanted to kind of mock one of the guy brands.” As she later recalled to Complex, Leah’s boldness shook up the streetwear industry, and made her a polarizing figure. The same could be said about her time on RHONY.
Rebecca Minkoff
When her casting was first announced, a lot of RHONY fans already knew of Rebecca Minkoff because of her successful line of handbags. While she’s best known for these accessories, Rebecca’s career really got off the ground after Jenna Elfman wore one of her tee shirts on a late night show. In the RHONY Season 15 trailer, Brynn Whitfield memorably quips that you’ll find Rebecca’s brand at Nordstrom Rack.
The jury’s still out on whether or not the show will be a good move for her namesake brand. Since her casting was announced, a lot has come out about her family’s history in Scientology. Her co-star Sai De Silva branded Rebecca “boring” in a hot mic moment. Also, Rebecca suggested a fake fight with her fellow fashionista Jenna Lyons.
Ubah Hassan
According to the Season 15 trailer, Ubah Hassan’s modeling career factors into her feud with Brynn. When Brynn says she’s not Gisele Bundchen or Naomi Campbell, Ubah claps back, “Naomi wish! Gisele wish!” Talk about coming in Ubah Hot!
The RHONY star was born in Somalia, the same place as Iman, one of the most (if not THE most) legendary supermodels of all time. Whether she’s as famous as Iman, Giselle, and Naomi is up for debate, but the 41-year-old’s had a massively successful modeling career. Ubah was the face of Ralph Lauren’s Spring/Summer 2009 campaign. Sai shared those pictures on her Instagram stories to defend Ubah (and throw shade at Brynn) after the trailer came out.
While Brynn quipped about her posing for Dress Barn, Ubah’s also modeled for Betsy Johnson, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, Rachel Roy, Lucky Brand Jeans, and CoverGirl. She’s appeared in magazines like Vogue Italia, T Magazine, and Allure. And she’s worked with major fashion photographers like Steven Meisel.
TELL US – WHICH OF THESE RHONY STARS WHO WORKED IN FASHION HAS THE BEST STYLE?
