When it comes to fashion wars, the battle between New York and Los Angeles is ongoing (we’re on the fence ourselves). But, Rachel Bilson (and her amazing stylist) is our one hope for a peace treaty — the girl juggles NYC edge with breezy, flowing L.A. style like it’s her job. Oh wait, it is her job — ever since her days on The O.C., Rachel has basically been a professional style icon. We caught up with the busy lady in a rare moment of peace and quiet to talk about fall trends, fashion week, and her go-to outfits.

Of course, we did have a slightly selfish motive in mind. Rachel’s got an amazing collaboration going with ShoeMint (basically a one-stop shop for affordable, chic footwear). Not only is she the face of the line, she also designs all the picture-perfect steppers that are always right on trend. We got in on the fun, too, and now we’re bringing the goods to you! We teamed up with Rachel and ShoeMint to bring one lucky reader a year’s worth of shoes. Yep, a year. You heard right! But hurry — this crazy contest ends at the stroke of midnight. Enter here!

What gets you most excited about fall? Any trends you’re looking forward to wearing?
“The opportunity to layer and add even more boots to my collection! Nicole and I are loving tonal color-blocking and are obsessed with oxblood and navy for fall.”

If you had to wear one outfit forever, what would it be?
“I would choose a long floral dress with my Balmain leather jacket and the Suki lace up bootie.”

What’s your favorite comfy-chic ensemble?
“Jeans, a cozy knit sweater, and the Sydney boot.”

How would you characterize your NYC style (versus L.A.)?
“Peacoats, more tailored pieces, and menswear-inspired outfits in the East, and motorcycle jackets and flowy, feminine dresses in the West.”

What’s one pair of shoes you couldn’t live without?
“The Mia! I love the height.”

How do you cope with the stress of Fashion Week?
“I am hard at work on my show Hart of Dixie, so I can’t even get to Fashion Week this season. I always find the best way to combat stress is to take time to hang out with my family — my little sisters always put everything in perspective. Also, eating healthy always improves things! My current obsession is Pressed Juicery.”

Do you have any guilty pleasures like bad TV or Hostess cupcakes?
“I will definitely indulge in some peanut butter cookies from Lark Cake Shop.”

What do you wear when you know it’s going to be a long day and a late night?
“If I know I have meetings and am heading straight out afterwards, I love a flowy bright top, a great pant, and a bold statement shoe. You can always cover up with a textured blazer if it gets chilly.”

Which shows are you particularly sad to miss at NYFW?
“If I could be there, I would love to see 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, and Prabal Gurung.”

Don’t forget to enter here to win a year’s worth of perfect pairs — it’s your last chance, the contest ends when the clock strikes midnight!

Rachel Bilson‘s debut footwear collection has just landed in the UK. The actress created the range of pumps and sandals in collaboration with her stylist and friend, Nicole Chavez, and shoe designer Steve Madden – who provided the technical expertise and craftsmanship.

The Hart of Dixie star admits that she jumped at the chance to create her own footwear collection, describing how she uses her own fashion preferences in order to help with the design process.

“Shoes definitely came in first place when I was deciding what kind of line to launch,” the Chanel muse told us. “I am a size 5 (UK size 2), so I always had difficulty finding exactly the shoes I wanted in such a small size. Now I’m able to design based on the voids I find in my own closet – and I can always get my size!”

Orignally launching their line in the US in association with online destination SHOEMINT.COM, Bilson and Chavez – along with the ShoeMint team – decided to team up with website STYLISTPICK.COM in order to distribute the designs to a UK market – the website with which Cheryl Cole also collaborated on her debut shoe collection.

“We work really closely together, we’re in each other’s lives every minute of the day,” Chavez told us. “We constantly share what we’re inspired by – street style, friends, family, what we love in our own wardrobes and just everyday life. I am blessed to have not only a client that inspires me, but a client that I can call a loyal and loving friend.”

While Bilson has featured on her fair share of best dressed lists, the actress cites the Olsen twins, Diane Kruger and Alexa Chung as her celebrity style icons.

“I also love Diana Vreeland and Coco Chanel,” she adds.

Chavez, who first met Bilson when she worked in the wardrobe department on The OC, says that she loves the actress’ “effortless” style. “I love that Rachel thinks out of the box and experiments with her fashion,” she said. “She is ever-changing and her style is always evolving – never overworked or pre-meditated. She knows what she likes and dresses based on how she feels in the moment.”

“My personal style is pretty organic,” Bilson added. “In my everyday life I’m a flats and cosy sweater kind of girl, but in my going out life I prefer something a little more sophisticated and body conscious – and definitely a heel for height.”

The fashion-devoted pair are able to reel off a string of favourite designers between them – while Chavez admits to being “obsessed with Peter Pilotto,” Bilson names Isabel Marant, Vanessa Bruno and The Row among her favourite labels – plus

“Chanel, always and forever.”

With prices ranging from £38 for ballet pumps, to £50 for heeled sandals, the Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez ShoeMint collection is available to shop now at www.stylistpick.com.

ShoeMint’s Rachel Bilson & Nicole Chavez teamed up with Look TV & Pose for a fun Google Hangout. Watch as NYC fashion bloggers and Look TV’s Grasie Mercedes ask Rachel and Nicole about ShoeMint’s new handbag line, plus see their top fashion picks from ShoeMint’s new fall collection.

Rachel Bilson & Nicole Chavez; Designers, ShoeMint. Los Angeles

What would you rather: Stiletto or wedge? Gucci or Pucci? Barneys or Bergdorf’s? Tough call, right? Now, try answering those Qs on the spot in under five seconds. We put ShoeMint designers Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez in the hot seat and fired some tough questions at them in our lightening round. Like we said, they pretty much share a one-track mind, but they definitely have their differences (particularly when it comes to Barneys/Bergdorf’s debate). Whose side are you on?

• Gallery Link
  Ad Campaigns > ShoeMint > Fall 2013 lookbook: BTS [caps]

Rachel Bilson and her celeb stylist-turned-biz partner Nicole Chavez share a one-track mind…for the most part, at least. As the co-designers of ShoeMint, the monthly membership shoe program spawned from BeachMint, the two work together harmoniously to create super cool soles that come straight to your doorstep. “The ShoeMint girl is someone who is trend savvy, expressive with her style, and unique,” says Chavez. Bilson, on the other hand, feels it’s a bit more utilitarian: “The ShoeMint girl is every girl. We really design for every woman; that is the biggest thing we strive for.” For the office, Chavez chooses the Veronique, while Bilson prefers the Carol. For date night, Chavez prefers the Chloe or Kathryn, while Bilson loves the Lamberts. That being said, they’re totally on the same page when it comes to running errands (the Christina is unanimous for both) and the everyday go-to shoe (the Esther, obviously). We’re not picking sides or anything, though. Views aside, the girls share a passion for fancy footwear and, as Bilson puts it, “a similar style aesthetic.” Bilson and Chavez work closely together; after all, they’re “in each others’ lives every minute of the day,” Chavez tells us—and have been since the good ol’ days of The O.C. (R.I.P). We spent the day on set at Smashbox Studios in L.A. with Bilson, Chavez, Yu Tsai (and his adorable dog, Soy!) and the entire ShoeMint crew, while they shot the Fall 2013 lookbook. While the team snapped Polaroids, we documented behind-the-scenes as the girls got pretty and primped and then Coveteur’d the collection. We had a blast catching up with Bilson and Chavez (a past Coveteur) and even played a little lightening round Q&A (stay tuned for the video tomorrow on The Coveteur TV!). Before we knew it, we heard the magic words “That’s a wrap!” and rolled out in our red Mustang convertible…we got a sweet deal at the rental place again.

• Gallery Link
  Ad Campaigns > ShoeMint > Fall 2013 lookbook

The style of fashion icon Rachel Bilson, the vision of celebrated stylist Nicole Chavez, and the shoe-making expertise of the legendary Steve Madden, combine to bring you www.ShoeMint.com – a celebrity shoe shopping experience unlike any other.

Each month, ShoeMint matches a selection of Rachel and Nicole’s exclusive designs to a shopper’s unique taste and personality. Available no where else, ShoeMint offers both essentials and standout pieces that make it easy to get dressed for any occasion.

ShoeMint’s exclusive designs by Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez feature real leather, suede and stitching, offering hard-to-find sizes from 5-11. While each month boasts a new collection, the site can be counted on to display different iterations of Rachel’s iconic style, Nicole’s fashion expertise, and Steve’s world renowned craftsmanship. Each pair is $79.98 and there is no obligation to buy for the month. Just pick or skip. How cool is that?

To find out more on how Rachel can become your personal shoe stylist, click here!