Second Life

Latest Episodes:

Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo: 831 Stories Co-Founders Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo are the founders of the modern romantic fiction entertainment company 831 Stories. The two met in college, and after graduating, Claire worked in the arts and Erica in editorial, but they stayed close and constantly shared ideas. In 2010, they partnered up and launched Of a Kind, an e-commerce company that sold limited-edition pieces and crafted meaningful editorial content about the designers behind them. Of a Kind grew a loyal following of customers who loved Claire and Erica’s keen sense of style and humor. In 2015, they sold the business to Bed Bath & Beyond and stayed at the company for four more years doing marketing and strategy. In 2019, BB&B closed Of a Kind, which allowed Claire and Erica to slow down for the first time in years. They took a pause and thought about their next steps. Realizing the potential of the romance space (and how much they personally resonated with the content), they founded 831 Stories. The company now has a publishing imprint with Simon & Schuster, and their first book, Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff, was published this past September.

The Who What Wear Podcast: Paris Fashion Week S/S 2025: Layering Hacks, Shades of Pink, and the Return of Peep Toes Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

Who What Wear Associate Director of Special Projects Kristen Nichols just got back from Paris Fashion Week, so we had to get her in for an episode to break down her time in the fashion capital of the world. Join Kristen and Shopping Director Bobby Schuessler as they discuss the biggest headlines from Paris, their favorite shows, and the trends they’ve noticed across fashion month—from a return to personal style to an anti–quiet luxury movement. Plus, they talk about their dream shopping lists, including which of the 11 newly debuted Hermès bags they’d love to own.

Imani Ellis: The Creative Collective and CultureCon Founder and CEO Oct 07, 2024

Show notes

Imani Ellis is the founder and CEO of The Creative Collective and CultureCon. Imani studied communications in college and soon after began her career as an NBC Page at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. After just two months, she was plucked from the program for a job in communications at Bravo. She spent the next few years at NBCUniversal, rising through the ranks, but she craved a more authentic connection and collaboration. In 2016, she founded The Creative Collective from her living room. What started as a weekly gathering for Black and Brown creatives quickly outgrew her apartment, as Imani realized there was a real need for these spaces. In 2017, she created CultureCon, a conference that brought together Black and Brown voices to collaborate and celebrate each other. Over the next few years, she scaled CultureCon considerably by moving to larger venues; inviting guests such as Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King; and working with brands like Target, Google, HBO, and Netflix. In 2022, she left NBCUniversal, where she’d risen to VP of communications, unscripted entertainment publicity, to pursue her projects full-time. This year’s CultureCon, presented in partnership with Max, wrapped up just this past weekend.

The Who What Wear Podcast: Illustrator Jenny Walton on Life in Milan and Her Essential Vintage Shopping Tips Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Jenny Walton is an illustrator, a writer, and Vogue's vintage shopping columnist. She studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design and subsequently worked in fashion and textile design at places such as Anthropologie and Calypso St. Barth. She eventually transitioned into illustration and began posting her work on Instagram, where she has since built a dedicated following. She also drew attention for her unique, vibrant, and eclectic sense of style. For the last few years, she's been living in Milan, pursuing further opportunities in illustration and running the popular Substack publication Jenny Sais Quoi. Walton joins us this week to talk about her sources of inspiration, the difference between American and Milanese fashion, and her best vintage shopping tips.

Chelsea Hirschhorn: Frida Founder and CEO Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

Chelsea Hirschhorn is the founder and CEO of the fertility, pregnancy, and infant product company Frida. Chelsea originally worked as a lawyer, first as a bankruptcy attorney during the 2008 financial crisis, and then as associate counsel and director of special events for the Miami Marlins. But after a few years, she realized that she’d built a self-sufficient business at the Marlins and started to think about other opportunities for growth. At the same time, she’d started a family, and when her son got his first cold, she pulled out a Swedish nasal aspirator called a NasFrida that her neighbor had gifted her a few months prior. She used it and thought, “Why isn’t this product available in every corner of America?” As it turned out, the neighbor, who had a business importing and selling NasFridas, was looking to sell theirs and close up shop. Chelsea took a risk, bought the stock, and the NoseFrida was born. She quickly got the product into pediatrician’s offices and began sourcing and creating new ones. Today, her company, Frida, has over 150 products; is available in major retailers like Target, CVS, and Walmart; and is carried at more than 430,000 distribution points in 45 countries. The brand offers postpartum solutions, fertility aids, and recovery kits for C-sections and incomplete pregnancies. Today, Frida is known as a massively helpful brand for new parents and hopeful ones.

The Who What Wear Podcast: Emily in Paris Costume Designer Marylin Fitoussi Breaks Down Your Favorite Season 4 Looks Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Marylin Fitoussi is the costume designer of the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris. Since its first season, Marilyn's work on the show has been a crucial and beautiful piece of the show's storytelling, and in 2022, she won the Costume Designer’s Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Television. Over the last four seasons, she’s guided Emily and company through character development, masquerade balls, trips to Italy, and much more with her joyous costumes. Marylin joins us this week to talk about all the details of the looks in Emily in Paris season 4, the important dialogue between herself and the actors, and what kind of fashion she hopes to dive into in the recently announced season 5.

Kristen Faulkner: Cyclist and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

Kristen Faulkner is a cyclist and the 2024 Olympic champion in the Women's Road Race and Women's Team Pursuit. Faulkner grew up playing sports in rural Alaska and was recruited to row crew at Harvard. After graduating with a degree in computer science, she moved to New York City and worked for a venture capital firm, identifying early stage software startups for investment. She missed competing and being part of a team, so with a recommendation from her friend, she took an introductory cycling class in Central Park. She quickly realized she loved the sport and started training before work and on the weekends. She competed in amateur races and hired coaches to help her perfect her form. In 2020, she was invited to join a women’s professional racing team based in San Francisco, and over the next four years, she trained extensively, using her VC brain to analyze her performance. She notched several professional race wins, and after deciding to quit her VC job to pursue cycling full-time, she moved to Europe to train. This summer, she competed in the Women's Team Pursuit and Women's Road Race events in the 2024 Paris Olympics, bringing home gold medals in both categories.

The Who What Wear Podcast: Tapping Into Timepiece Trends: Our Editors on the Past, Present, and Future of Women's Watches Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

This week, Who What Wear associate director of fashion news Erin Fitzpatrick is here to talk about her latest feature on the past, present, and future of women's watches. The category has been exploding over the past few years, and there are so many It-girl pieces on the market. Join Kat and Erin as they break down the top brands and styles, upcoming trends, and watch recommendations for any price point. Plus, they talk their dream watches and how the first-known wristwatch was actually commissioned by a queen.

Emily Nagoski: Author and Sex Educator Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Emily Nagoski is a best-selling author, researcher, and sex educator. Emily studied psychology in college, and a fateful job as a peer health educator drew her immediately to the field of sex education and violence prevention. She went on to receive a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a PhD in health behavior. After working as a researcher at the famed Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, she took a job at Smith College, where she lectured and was the director of wellness education. After teaching a class on women’s sexuality, the thing her students said they took away most from the class was that their bodies were normal. She knew that she was onto something powerful and wrote Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life to help women understand their own sexuality. The book was a huge hit, and eventually, Emily left her job to write and speak full-time. Over the last five years, Emily has written two more books, including this year’s Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

www.ndvh.org

1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

TTY 1-800-787-3224

National Sexual Assault Hotline

www.rainn.org

1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Love Is Respect

www.loveisrespect.org

1-866-331-9474

TTY 1-866-331-8453

Text: loveis to 22522

Chat Online:www.loveisrespect.org

These resources were sourced from futureswithoutviolence.org.

The Who What Wear Podcast: New York Fashion Week S/S 25 Report Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

This fall’s New York Fashion Week just finished, so Editor in Chief Kat Collings and Editorial Director Lauren Eggertsen are here to break everything down. They’re covering their favorite shows, their new must-have pieces, and the trends they’re noticing, from flowy boho looks to sheer dressing and naked shoes. Plus, they talk about the week’s biggest shows, including a Ralph Lauren Polo Bar re-creation in the Hamptons and the first-ever fashion show at the Guggenheim museum.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected