“Real Housewives of Orange County” star Heather Dubrow seemed immune from Wednesday night’s sweltering air on the rooftop of the Aman Hotel’s Fifth Avenue location.
Dressed in a white and black sleeveless Alexander McQueen dress, she looked unfazed by the muggy summer temperature and chatted unhurriedly with guests about her upcoming collaborative collection with Susan Bender. The duo first connected via Instagram, after the designer spotted Dubrow wearing some of her styles and they became friendly. Dubrow had purchased the items at the Elyse Walker boutique. Diehard fans of the reality show know that Bender’s New York showroom was featured in a season 16 episode.
A devotee of Nicolas Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton designs, Dubrow also favors Prada. Born in the Bronx and raised in Chappaqua, Dubrow routinely visits Manhattan. Her husband Terry, a celebrity plastic surgeon, who headlines the reality show “Botched,” was seated nearby. Although this week’s trip was a swift one, she said of her 57th Street location, “The reason we’re staying here is that the mother ship —Bergdorf’s — is across the street. No trip to New York is complete without going to the shoe department or seeing Joseph Costello, my dear friend over there [who is a personal shopper and stylist.]”
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As much as she loves fashion, the reality personality doesn’t enjoy being in the stores as much as she used to, since browsing anonymously is no longer a sure thing. Given that, she often shops online. Dubrow hopes fans will, too, when her capsule collection with Bender launches in about two weeks.
Dubrow recalled speaking with the designer casually about a dearth in the market. “I said, ‘Isn’t it so lame that you can’t get the good basics anywhere? You can go to Theory, eh. But [where are] the good pieces that you want to have forever?’ and Susan said, ‘Why don’t we do that? Let’s make those.’”
Dubrow suggested that even designer stores like Chanel, Gucci or Prada, shoppers can’t always find essentials like black pants or a simple black dress, unless the houses happen to be showing those pieces that season. “But we all need those things. So we started talking about what those essential pieces are and what they look like for everybody,” she said.
A black leather jacket made the final edit, and both Dubrow and Bender brought theirs to Wednesday night’s event. “So simpatico” with their tastes, the pair’s fashion endeavor was easy, according to Dubrow.
Having a built-in audience has changed. Before her “Real Housewives” fame, she started in television at the age of 26 on “Married…With Children.” “Fame was different then. You would hire a publicist to get you a blurb in People magazine [crossing her fingers for effect.] Or it was really exciting to get TV Guide every week to see if they put your picture in for an episode of your show,” she said.
The game has changed with social media. “It has morphed from, ‘I love your character. I love your show.’ to ‘Oh my God, I love your house. How are your kids?’” Dubrow said. “At first, that was very jarring. But in another way, you really realize that you have the opportunity to affect change, which is powerful.”
Now taking part in season 18 of “RHOOC,” Dubrow had previously taken a hiatus, after having been on the show for a few seasons. When Bravo came knocking again, she and her husband had a family meeting. “I said, ‘The only reason to go back is to show our family and to try to start conversations in other people’s families.’ We have four children. They have different genders and sexualities,” Dubrow said. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool, if we were able to do that?”
To that point, this season the show will highlight Dubrow presenting at the GLAAD awards, and scenes from the fashion show she hosted in Sonoma for Family Equality, a nonprofit that advances equality for LGBTQIA+ families. Her castmates modeled and Dubrow convinced Bender to come, too. “By the way, some drama and chaos ensues,” Dubrow said with a laugh.
The designer added, “That was unbeknownst to me at the time. I had thought everybody was so copasetic with what was going on.”
Dubrow replied, “But no — that’s the world we live in. I can’t tell you the details. You will have to wait and see. Things definitely happened. But I was so excited to bring it all together.”
Needless to say, “RHOOC” watchers often ask her questions about the show wherever she goes. “You have to look at it like this. I am profoundly grateful that anyone cares,” she said. “The truth is it’s done a lot for our family. My husband has what I call a ‘spin-off show,’ called, ‘Botched.’ That’s been running for nine seasons. We have done a lot in the real estate world. We have written three books together. I’ve had a podcast for almost a decade. We’ve had a skin care line for almost 11 years. All of these things we’ve been able to do, because of this platform.”
However, helping other families is her highest priority, she said. Last year her husband had a mini stroke, while having dinner with her at The Ivy. “It was a congenital hole in his heart like what Hailey Bieber had,” she explained.
The incident went viral after the couple “were caught arguing” outside of the restaurant, because Dubrow was trying to get him to go into an ambulance. “We did many interviews about the signs of having a stroke and what to look for. I got hundreds of messages from people, who ended up saving their loved ones’ lives, because of that,” Dubrow said. “So yeah, it’s weird being on a reality show and some of it’s annoying. But basically, I’ve been given the opportunity to help people.”
Being creative through fashion is another upside. “I love Susan. And I love this thing that we’ve created together. How lucky am I?”
Dubrow said that she is most like herself, when she is with her family. “You know I’m really lucky. When we got married, I was 30 and he was 40 and a half. Who knew we’d end up having children? But when the six of us are together, it’s my best moment. They’re such interesting and cool humans. They’re all so different. And I’m so lucky to be married to such a cool guy,” she said. “I’m not saying everything’s perfect. Life isn’t perfect. People aren’t perfect. But I’m very grateful and cognizant of the fact that we’ve been fortunate.”
