YZ: It’s not a secret that reality shows do not always match the reality. How do you feel about your portrayal on the show?
OP: I know that people who watch the show tend to feel like they know me, but there’s a lot more to me beyond what you see on The City. I don’t think that the 10 minutes of screen time I get every week can really give anyone a true sense of what I’m like as a person. Whether its negative or positive, I think what you see of me on the show is a very limited aspect of my life and my personality.
YZ: You and Whitney don’t seem to interact much this season – what are your relationships really like?
OP: Now that Whitney and I don’t work together, we don’t get to see each other all that much. We’re both really busy with work and trying to keep up with our lives outside of the show, but when we do run into each other it’s definitely very friendly. I’ve never had any hard feelings towards Whitney.
YZ: According to Joe Zee you really stepped it up during the last ELLE assignment – do you feel like you are finally grasping the job? What are some of the lessons you learned so far at ELLE?
OP: I’ve been very lucky to have the support of Joe Zee, who I think has one of the most brilliant minds in fashion right now. It would be hard to work with him and not learn new things every day. It’s been really fun to get behind the scenes and learn the background and the history and all the inner-workings – I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the long hours and hard work that go into the making of the magazine.
YZ: It seems like you’ve won Joe Zee’s heart, but not Erin’s… What are you relationships really like? Is there more drama than we could catch on the small screen?
OP: My relationship with Erin has been challenging and I think we probably got off on the wrong foot. I felt like she had a preconceived notion of me and treated me with hostility straight off the bat. It was hard for me to walk into a new work environment where that was the case, just as I’m sure it was hard for Erin to adjust to the cameras coming into her work environment. It was a new experience for both of us and unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped, but I’m just doing my best to work through it. At the end of the day we’re both there to do a job and act in the best interest of the magazine. I’m doing my best to put our differences aside and move on.
YZ: Do you see you future in ELLE? Is this your dream job or there are any other fields you would like to pursue?
OP: Working at Elle is definitely an amazing job and a fantastic learning experience, but there’s so many different areas that interest me. I’d also love to try my hand at designing, maybe acting, maybe some other projects in the entertainment arena… Ideally, I’d like to try it all.
YZ: We heard some rumors about your new jewelry line. Tell us more!
OP: I can’t give too much away because its still a work in progress but I can say that I’ve been collaborating with one of my favorite designers, Roberta Freymann on some great jewelry pieces. It’s been a really fun project for me and I’m very excited for everything to be finalized.
YZ: Let’s talk about your personal style - what is your “It” bag for this fall season? ”It” shoe?
OP: My “it” bag for the season has been my Chloe Gemma bag and I’m loving Topshop’s grey lace-up platform booties. I think most people have already caught on to this but I am a huge Topshop fan. Designer Brian Reyes has a really beautiful accessories line – I love his classic pump in stingray and am a huge fan of his jewelry line, which is very reasonably priced.
YZ: Your hair looks consistently flawless – are there any hair styling/care secrets you could share?
OP: I just do my best to keep it healthy. I try to give my hair a rest from the heat and styling tools every so often by wearing it straight or pulling it back.
YZ: What are some things we wouldn't know about you from watching "The City?"
OP: Well, there’s a lot people don’t get to see. I think for the most part you see me in a stressful work environment butting heads with a coworker… and of course there’s a lot that takes place that eventually ends up on the editing room floor. Unfortunately you don’t get to see me with the people I really love and care about and how I interact with them, which is very different from the way I interact with most people on the show.
YZ: The show episodes are widely covered in the blogosphere. Do you read blogs? What are some of your favorites?
OP: The blogs and websites I read are more fashion and style based or news . I try to ignore all the reviewers and commentators who write about me and the show – it can really distort your sense of self. I think it’s important to just stay grounded and keep doing what you’re doing. I don’t like to read show recaps or anything like that – I was there, I know what happened.