New York Post

Rachael Ray cooks up an apparel ‘pop’

- By LISA FICKENSCHE­R lfickensch­er@nypost.com

Rachael Ray is busting out of the kitchen.

The television personalit­y, chef and cookbook author began peddling furniture last fall — and is now plunging into apparel, jewelry and accessorie­s.

She is opening a pop-up shop in Austin, Texas, at her decade-old Feedback music-and-food festival — which coincides with the South by Southwest music, tech and film con- fab — starting on March 13.

Ray has built her business championin­g the everyday cook, concocting 30-minute meals that have been vilified by foodie snobs. Now, she’s betting that her down-to-earth touch with apparel and tchotchkes will be her next big hit.

“My friends and I are bringing in some of our favorite stuff and testdrivin­g it,” the celebrity chef told The Post. “If people like what we do, that’s our starting point to turn it into some- thing bigger.”

The Moxie Shop, as it’s called, will offer such apparel brands as Otte, Ganni and Mother. Accessorie­s on display will come from Hadid Eyewear, April Soderstrom and Ellis Brooklyn. It will be open for a week.

“These are things that I wear, stuff that’s loose and comfortabl­e,” Ray said.

The Rachael Ray Home Collection launched in the fall, including dining, bedroom and living room sets that she designed, as well as a line of cookware.

But she’s a long way from becoming the next Martha Stewart, who sells everything from bedding, dinnerware, paint, furniture and oodles more at national retailers like Macy’s.

Ray’s cookware is sold in national retailers, but her furniture is hard to find, available mostly in smaller shops, like Peter Andrews’ three stores on Long Island.

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