Second Life

Jessica Knoll is the New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and The Favorite Sister, and her work has been published in over 40 languages. Her books are so gripping, in fact, that they’ve both been adapted for film and television, respectively. With that career success also came a pivot, as Knoll has made a name for herself in the industry as a standout screenwriter and producer with even more projects under way. She’s adapting the Reddit short story “I Think My Mother-in-Law Is Trying to Kill Me” for Sony and sold her first original script, ‘Til Death, to Amazon. But back before Knoll was adapting stories for film and television and even before she was writing the books that would inspire them, she was an editor at Self and Cosmo magazines. Tune in to hear how her multifaceted career has unfolded in unexpected and fascinating ways.

Adair Curtis is an acclaimed interior designer and co-founder of JSN Studio—a multidisciplinary design and styling firm he runs with his husband, celebrated stylist Jason Bolden. His clean and elegant aesthetic has landed him countless celebrity clients, features in Architectural Digest, and a new Netflix series, Instant Dream Home. On this episode, Adair walks Hillary through our "Dream Home" feature on Who What Wear, where he dishes on the latest design trends worth investing in.  Check out our "Dream Home" feature with Adair here: https://www.whowhatwear.com/home-decor-trends-room-by-room

Yasmin Sewell is the founder of Vyrao, the world’s first well-being brand to fuse energetic healing with master perfumery. With scents like I Am Verdant and Witchy Woo, the brand has designed six personal scents to evoke specific emotional reactions. But before Sewell was building a brand around her love of wellness and energetic connection, she had a legendary career in fashion that included opening an avant-garde boutique in London in the ’90s and working at major retailers Browns, as the buying director, and Farfetch, as the vice president of style and creative. Tune in to this episode to hear what drove Sewell to make the drastic career change, what she thinks being creative is really all about, and why she’s more fulfilled now than ever.

This week, Hillary speaks with Kendra Scott, designer, philanthropist, and founder of her namesake jewelry brand. Since 2002, Scott’s jewelry has been worn by women all over the country, including major celebs such as Mindy Kaling, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, and Priyanka Chopra. Today, the business is valued at over $1 billion. Behind the business, though, life hasn’t always looked as shiny as Scott's designs. She’s detailing it all in her new book, Born to Shine. Tune in for a sneak peek into everything that went into creating this incredibly personal project.  Shop Born to Shine: Do Good, Find Your Joy, and Build a Life You Love here: https://www.amazon.com/Born-Shine-Good-Find-Build/dp/1546002324

Lele Sadoughi is a designer and the owner of Lele Sadoughi. She is best known for her iconic knotted, jeweled headbands seen on women such as Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, Mindy Kaling, and Naomi Campbell. Before striking out on her own, Sadoughi designed for brands such as Rebecca Taylor, Banana Republic, and Anthropologie. In 2006, she launched the first-ever jewelry collection for J.Crew, creating iconic pieces that are still sold today, including the well-known bubble necklace. In 2012, while working as the jewelry design director at Tory Burch, she entered her second life and founded Lele Sadoughi. In this episode, Sadoughi discusses how she designed jewelry for a whole generation of shoppers and what the winning formula is for creating pieces that are stylish, affordable, and widely appealing. Plus, we dive into her pivot to face masks during the pandemic and how she responded to a global health crisis.

Emma Roberts is an actor and producer best known for her roles in Scream Queens, American Horror Story, Holidate, and We’re the Millers. In this episode, Emma and Hillary dive into their mutual love of reading and how Emma reads books to turn them into screen adaptations for her production company, Belletrist. Emma also shares her dream role and her closet staples and favorites.

Amy Liu is the founder and CEO of Tower 28 Beauty, a modern beauty brand based in Southern California. Its best-selling products—from the SOS Spray to the ShineOn Lip Jelly—offer a makeup experience that’s skin-friendly, effective, and affordable. This episode, hear about how Amy got her foot in the door in the beauty industry and how she used her years of experience as a marketing director at brands such as Smashbox and Josie Maran to create her own company.

This week, Hillary passes the mic to Who What Wear Editor Eliza Huber and Editorial Director Lauren Eggertsen, who are reporting from New York Fashion Week. This episode, hear about the trends our editors are seeing come down runways and what to expect this coming year in terms of styles, colors, and more.

Colette Dong and Aly Giampolo are the co-founders of The Ness, a digital fitness platform and workout studio in New York City. The two first met when they were working as professional dancers, and after finding that they both wanted to move on to the next chapter of their careers, they teamed up to create The Ness, a trampoline-based workout that delivers high-intensity movement with low impact on the body. In this episode, Hillary talks with Aly and Colette about their first lives as dancers and how their training informed their business philosophy. Plus, they discuss the health benefits of bouncing on a mini trampoline and what’s next for this budding fitness empire. 

On this week's episode, contributing editor Courtney Higgs sits down with our September cover star, actress Kerry Washington. Washington is best known for her roles in the hit TV shows Scandal and Little Fires Everywhere and films such as Ray and Save the Last Dance. Her latest project, The School for Good and Evil, is a fantasy film set to come out this October, in which she’s appearing with castmates Charlize Theron and Michelle Yeoh. In this episode, Washington and Higgs talk about everything from Washington’s earliest childhood memories of swimming with her family to her purpose as an actor and why she's a self-described textbook Aquarius.

Marina Larroudé is the co-founder and CCO of Larroudé, a shoewear company that boasts cheerful designs paired with luxurious construction. Her shoes are made at a family friend’s factory in Brazil, where Marina is originally from. Since launching two years ago, the brand has sold shoes around the world, online, and in department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom. It has also collaborated with brands such as Oscar de la Renta and Barbie. Prior to starting Larroudé, Marina worked at Vogue Brasil, and after years as a market director across the Condé Nast family, she eventually became the vice president of fashion direction at Barneys New York. In this episode, Marina tells us stories of how she navigated the professional world of fashion, the lucky breaks she got, and how she actually created so much of her luck by putting in the work.

Celebrity colorist Jenna Perry is the owner of Jenna Perry Hair, a studio in New York City that has tamed the tresses of ladies from Dua Lipa to Kendall Jenner and the Hadids. Her signature coloring techniques blend the art of painting hair with the science of formulas and coloring. In this episode, Perry explains her secret to achieving effortless hair color and why low-maintenance styles rule in her book. Plus, she shares how she entered the world of hairstyling and why she believes the best hairstyles shouldn't prevent you from living your life. 

Courteney Cox is best known for her iconic role as Monica on the hit sitcom Friends, but she’s also a director, a producer, and now a businesswoman. Her newest project, Homecourt, is a brand of elevated homecare products that aims to deliver goods that are as thoughtfully designed as the skincare we use on our bodies. Think of them as beauty products for the home. Her nontoxic products include dish soap, hand soap, lotion, and surface spray, all formulated by skincare chemists and perfumers. On this episode, Cox gives us a glimpse into her early life growing up in Alabama and explains how a fateful dance with Bruce Springsteen changed the course of her career forever. Plus, she dives into what it’s like to be a business owner and what the process of creating a new brand entailed.

This episode, Who What Wear editor Anna LaPlaca joins Hillary to dish on all things fall fashion. Anna shares her top runway moments, the dominating (and micro!) trends, and, of course, all the must-haves this season. LaPlaca spills on which pieces we should invest in and which we should dig out from the back of our closets. Plus, some key new items that can revamp your wardrobe.

Iskra Lawrence is a British model, activist, and founder of Saltair, a modern bodycare line. She first landed in the spotlight in the aughts when she was a model and spokesperson for the lingerie line brand Aerie, which prominently featured unretouched photos of diverse women. To this day, Iskra does not retouch the images she posts on her social media platforms and is also a brand ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association. At the beginning of this year, Lawrence started her first business as the founder of Saltair, a modern bodycare company branded as an everyday luxury with scents such as Santal Bloom, Black Tide, Exotic Pulp, and Seascape. This episode, Iskra and Hillary discuss her small-town British origins and what informed her earliest understandings of work. Plus, she shares her tips for financial freedom and what she’s learned as a business owner.

Garance Doré first rose to prominence as one of the original style bloggers, popularizing the idea of going out to the streets and taking photos of beautiful clothes in the wild. Now, she’s the founder of Doré, a skincare brand that champions simple formulas and an even simpler skincare routine. In this episode, hear how Garance first got the idea to start a skincare brand on a silent retreat and why she believes life isn’t meant to be spent in front of the mirror. Plus, she shares her wardrobe staples.

Ara Katz is co-founder and co-CEO of Seed Health, a microbiome-science company pioneering innovations in probiotics and medicine to impact human and planetary health. Her flagship product, the Daily Synbiotic, is a two-in-one daily capsule containing both a probiotic and prebiotic to support gut health. Prior to starting her own science company, Katz co-founded the mobile-commerce startup Spring, where she helped launch ApplePay on the iPhone. On this episode, hear how the death of her mother sparked a lifelong curiosity in human biology and how this interest eventually led her to create a product that she hopes will revolutionize the way we take care of ourselves—starting with our insides. Plus, Katz debunks some common misconceptions around gut health.

On this episode, Who What Wear editor Jasmine Fox-Suliaman speaks with our August cover star – singer-songwriter and model Rina Sawayama. The Japanese and British artist became an instant pop sensation back in 2020 with the release of her debut studio album, Sawayama. Rina’s musical styles range from pop to rock to electronic, and her sophomore album, Hold The Girl, is out this month. Jasmine talked to Rina about her early days as a musician when she modeled to make ends meet, why her music draws so much from trauma, and why it’s important to keep things real, especially when you’re a pop star.

What exactly does “Gah!” mean? According to Lisa Bühler, it’s an outburst of joy and delight at finding something you just absolutely need in your closet. Bühler is the Founder and CEO of Lisa Says Gah, an e-commerce platform that aims to be a home for artists of the fashion industry. After a decade of working in fashion, Lisa observed its toll on the environment as well as how hard it was for smaller labels to compete with big brands. So she set out to create what she calls an “anti shop”—a place where independent design thrives and all products are made ethically and sustainably. Before starting LSG, Lisa worked as an account executive and then as a buyer for Nasty Gal, where she was in charge of sourcing dresses, outerwear, and sweaters. In this episode, Lisa shares everything from how uprooting herself inspired her to start her own business to how she grew revenue a whopping 300% during the pandemic. Plus, she very generously shares some career mistakes she’s made.

Erin believes that what you wear gives you the power to tell your story. Over the years, she’s created looks for Hollywood celebrities like Kerry Washington and Sarah Jessica Parker, and most recently, Anne Hathaway and her unforgettable looks at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. In this episode, hear how Erin got her start in styling, her philosophy around personal style, and her tips for getting dressed in the morning.