Stylist Rachel Zoe and The Rachel Zoe Project return for a second season at 10 p.m. Monday on Bravo.

Growing up in the wealthy New York City suburb of Short Hills, N.J., Rachel Zoe wanted to be a mailbox.

Sure, most girls' aspirations run toward more human endeavors, but Zoe (rhymes with go), the stylist star of "The Rachel Zoe Project," returning to Bravo for its second season Monday, Aug. 24, had her reasons.

Zoe's clients include Anne Hathaway, Demi Moore, Eva Mendes, Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler and Jennifer Garner. Zoe, 37, peruses international fashion shows, browses in stores and persuades jewelers to lend out baubles worth millions. It's not a bad life, particularly for fashionista shopaholics. In a wide-ranging interview, she shared her style philosophy with Zap2it.

QUESTION: Have you always loved to shop?ANSWER: Yes, I have, unfortunately. I kind of wish I could say otherwise. I don't wake up in the morning and say I want to go shopping today. It's something I stumble upon and I see it and I want it and I love it. I very, very rarely say, "Let's go shopping today. Let's make a day of it." I only do it in Paris and Italy. I don't run around shopping all day; I don't have the patience for it.

QUESTION: Let's switch gears. What did you want to be when you were growing up?ANSWER: When I was little, little I wanted to be a mailbox because I thought it would be extremely fascinating to see what messages people were sending and get into people's minds. I was a psychology/sociology major at college, and I knew I was best with people. I was fascinated by what made people do what they do. I loved meeting different people. ... I was a hostess at a restaurant, and that's where I met my husband. He was a waiter.

QUESTION: When did you become interested in fashion?ANSWER: I was obsessed with fashion and glamour from a very young age. I did not know until I graduated that you could make a living out of it. Had I known then what I was going to do, I would have gone to (Central) Saint Martins (College of Art & Design) in London or F.I.T. (New York's Fashion Institute of Technology).

QUESTION: When did you know this was for you?ANSWER: The first day I started, for real. I graduated in '93. I hostessed that summer, and I got a job as a fashion assistant at YM magazine. I was making like $10 an hour. The first day I started, my dad called me, and I said, "I am literally doing this the rest of my life." I had paid my dues there for three years. I went freelance at 25.

QUESTION: Please explain what a stylist does.ANSWER: There are a number of designers that show collections throughout the year. As a stylist, we are responsible for picking the best look for our clients. And along with the premiere comes the press junket. The designer sends samples, and then if she needs 15 looks, I will have over 100 looks to choose from.

QUESTION: If I understand correctly, designers lend dresses to you so stars will be photographed in them, making for great advertising. Must the actresses return the dresses?ANSWER: It depends on what it is. If someone wears a dress to the Oscars, more often than not they let them keep the dress. Every situation is different. Sometimes they send them back.

QUESTION: How do you decide each person's individual look?ANSWER: One client's favorite dress is another person's least favorite dress. It is really my job when I look at the runway shows and say, "This would be amazing on Annie!" or "Only Cameron could wear this dress." It is never the same love and match for two people. They are all completely different, different personalities, bodies, sometimes an overlap. A dress that would look amazing on Eva would be amazing on Demi.

QUESTION: Are you any different with the camera running than when it isn't?ANSWER: Just the same. I kind of wish that I was but I am not. I don't wear two hats in my life.

QUESTION: Taylor, one of your employees, says on air how much she hates her job and is, at best, insubordinate. Why do you keep her?ANSWER: I have people stop me on the street and say, "Fire her!" People are Team Brad (another employee) or Team Taylor. ... She's working with me for 3 1/2 years. No one in my entire career has had my back like Taylor does. When I leave the country, I know that nothing will go wrong.

QUESTION: What is the most common mistake you see on the red carpet?ANSWER: Bad hair and makeup is usually a big problem, wrong accessories. People tend to (do) too much. My biggest thing is too much makeup and too much hair. One should not confuse glamour with a costume party. Glamour does not mean to pile on too much makeup.

QUESTION: What's your fashion advice to those of us who aren't famous?ANSWER: Just do what works best for your body. Do not follow trends. Get inspired by trends and follow them if they work for you. If skinny jeans are the hot trend and don't work for you, wear wide-legged jeans.

QUESTION: How long have you been with Rodger (Berman, her husband)?ANSWER: Our 17-year anniversary is Aug. 29, from first date. We have never broken up. Feb. 15 is our 12-year wedding anniversary.

QUESTION: What would be your ideal styling assignment?A: I would really love to style Johnny Depp. He is one of the most brilliant actors of our time.

QUESTION: What are your hobbies?ANSWER: Does shopping count as a hobby? Baking is kind of my hobby I do when I am super stressed out. I will bake a banana bread."The Rachel Zoe Project" returns for its second season Monday on Bravo.