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PEOPLE
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Zooey Deschanel: Behind the seams

Donna Freydkin
USA TODAY
Zooey Deschanel has teamed up with designer Tommy Hilfiger for a collection of dresses.

NEW YORK — Yes, being a celebrity often means being presented with fancy fruit intricately fashioned into animal sculptures. But it's also endless, exhausting, and repetitive, especially when you're Zooey Deschanel and you're spending a crisp spring Monday promoting your new clothing line, To Tommy, From Zooey. Between selfies (of which there are too many to count) and the same fashion-centric questions asked repeatedly, there's not much time left for, well, a good time. But Deschanel, 34, doesn't mind. "It's really fun because it's new. It doesn't feel like work," says the actress of her capsule collection of 16 frocks, inspired by Deschanel's own retro-cool style and each named after her friends. The dresses, ranging from $98 to $199, are available at Macy's and Tommy.com.

Here's a look beneath the seams of Deschanel's fashionable day:

5:30 a.m.: Deschanel's day begins when her glam squad — a makeup artist and a hair stylist — arrive at her hotel to get her ready for a day of non-stop media appearances. She's good-natured about all the fuss. "I've been here (in New York) since Friday. I did the cameo on Saturday Night Live. That was super-fun," she says. How does she keep her energy going when she's been working before sunup? "I don't know where it comes from. Coffee?" she says. "You sleep a lot when you get home."

8:22 a.m.: Deschanel, who stars on Fox's New Girl and is part of the band She and Him, steps out into a crowd in Times Square to promote her collection with a mini fashion show on Good Morning America. After, she is accosted by fans asking for photos. "All those people were so cute. Those girls came all the way from London," she marvels. When told that she's the queen of the selfie, Deschanel only laughs. "I'm trying!" she says.

The Red Pleated Long-sleeved Jersey Dress from Zooey Deschanel's clothing line.

8:43 a.m.: Escorted by security, she heads back to the dressing room. The models from the show ask for a photo. "Oh yeah, of course, let's do it," she says. "They are so tall. I thought I'd look like a real shrimp here."

8:55 a.m.: Deschanel gets into a waiting SUV, en route to two hours' worth of satellite media interviews. First, she poses for waiting paparazzi and signs autographs. And next up, she sits in a studio and does quick chats with TV stations across the country. "They are so funny," she says. "This I prefer because it's so weird that I find it amusing."

9:03 a.m.: Deschanel sits back in the plush car, and takes a sip of water after applying hand sanitizer. She has shaken a lot of hands this morning, and touched countless phones for the requisite selfies. Promoting her line of 16 dresses, so far, isn't a chore. "The clothes are incredibly high-quality. They have French seams. They're well put-together.

The Short Sleeve Jersey Dress from Zooey Deschanel's clothing line.

9:18 a.m.: Deschanel wears Chanel pumps paired with her own dress. "I'm a sucker for a kitten heel," she says, getting into the elevator and heading to the 13th floor. "What? It's the devil floor!" she jokes.

9:20 a.m.: Deschanel and her crew arrive at the studio and find the kind of culinary spread that makes every morning even brighter. "It's beautiful!" she marvels, looking at the platters lined up before her. "Look at this fruit! It's a swan made out of a plum. I need a plum swan. If I don't get a plum swan, I will freak out and storm out."

9:30 a.m.: Now she has two hours of back-to-back chats with outlets in San Francisco and Omaha, among many others. Deschanel changes her dress, switching into a dark-blue frock with a bow that "had to be perfectly tied," she jokes. Putting her collection together took roughly 18 months, she says before her onslaught of interviews. "It's different from my other creative outlets. Every detail has been thought through. With acting and music, a lot of it is about spontaneity," she says. "With this, the more meticulous you can be, the better."

11:45 a.m.: Interviews done, Deschanel finally sits down for a lunch, from Fig & Olive. "Let's finally eat!" she says, loading up on chicken and salad.

1:07 p.m.: Now, it's time for a break. Deschanel apologizes repeatedly for being tired. "I need to lay my head down for a bit," she says, heading back to her downtown hotel for a mini time out, and a change of clothes."I always try to be professional. I always try."

3:45 p.m.: Her glam squad returns, to get her ready for her Macy's in-store appearance, set for 5 p.m. "If it's a huge crowd of people, it can be daunting. But a small group of people who wants to say, that's manageable," she says.

5 p.m.: It's her Macy's appearance, and she's prepared for more selfies with fans. Although Deschanel would rather spend a few minutes talking to each person, instead of posing nonstop. "I don't understand it, exactly. Eventually I just sort of gave in to it, but I have a philosophical problem with it. I can't impose that on other people. If I admire someone, I want to talk to them, to share the experience with them," she says. "The experience is more important than the getting of something."

Bedtime: Tonight won't be a late one, predicts the actress. She's wiped and didn't sleep particularly well Sunday night. "I'll probably be really tired. I'm not totally adjusted to the time zone," she says. And yes, she'd like to do another collection, down the road. "I'd love to — I really hope so," she says.

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