Second Life

Welcome back! For the first episode of 2024, Editor in Chief Kat Collings and Beauty Director Erin Jahns are here to walk you through refreshing your beauty routine for the new year. While you’re creating your annual goals, why not also start setting healthy habits like tossing your expired makeup or giving your nails a much-needed break from heavy manicures? Erin’s also sharing how to find a skincare specialist that’s right for you, which ingredients and treatments are sure to dominate this year, what hairstyles we can expect to see in 2024, and why she’ll use makeup wipes until her dying day.

Elizabeth Saltzman is the woman behind the impeccable style of some of Hollywood's most talented ladies. Think Jodie Comer, Julia Garner, and Gwyneth Paltrow. However, Saltzman initially wanted to pursue architecture and became involved in the Downtown New York nightclub and art scenes. But, unable to avoid her fashion destiny for long, she took a retail job at the Madonna- and David Bowie–approved fashion destination Parachute. From there, she was recruited to work at Giorgio Armani, where she worked her way up from the stockroom to the public relations department. After a few years, she made yet another pivot into editorial work, quickly becoming a senior fashion editor at Vogue and then fashion director at Vanity Fair. After spending 20 years at some of the most iconic publications and labels in fashion, industry experts suggested she try applying her impressive fashion eye to styling—and her friend Gwyneth Paltrow just so happened to be looking for a stylist. The two teamed up to create stunning look afte

Will Kahn is a stylist, editor, and overall jewelry expert whose résumé includes roles such as accessories director at Town & Country magazine and jewelry director at Moda Operandi. But of all his projects and accolades, our favorite is his Instagram account, @willsnotebook. What began with one post documenting Kahn's editorial process—namely, photographing pieces of fine jewelry placed on top of his personal notebook, surrounded by his notes—became a unique, approachable avenue of discovery for people who were curious about jewelry. In this episode, he shares how Lauren Conrad influenced his career path, why you should be shopping vintage jewelry, and what jewelry trends to expect in 2024.

Before becoming an entertainment powerhouse, Brit Marling was headed toward the world of investment banking. But during a college internship at Goldman Sachs, her gut told her that finance wasn’t the field she should be in. With a desire to tell stories, she soon pivoted into independent filmmaking. In 2011, she made a major splash in the entertainment industry when her films Another Earth and Sound of My Voice premiered side by side at the Sundance Film Festival. Both films were nominated for Independent Spirit Awards and picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight, and in the years following, Brit went on to create massive hits like The East and The OA. Now, she’s evolving her career yet again: In November, Marling made her television directorial debut on the FX murder mystery show Murder at the End of the World starring Emma Corrin. Catch the finale of the series tomorrow, December 19.

Jasmin Larian Hekmat is the founder, designer, and CEO of fashion-girl favorite brand Cult Gaia. Hekmat started Cult Gaia as an accessories line, creating stunning pieces that doubled as objets d’art like the iconic Ark Bag. Eventually, she realized that in order to style the pieces the way she envisioned, she’d need to start designing clothes to go with them, thus the ready-to-wear and lifestyle brand was born. Hekmat's commitment to producing meaningful, artistic pieces has never wavered. Today, Who What Wear Editor in Chief Kat Collings sits down with the designer to talk about Cult Gaia’s Resort 2024 collection, which was recently shown at the brand’s first official fashion show in Los Angeles.

Though Monique Rodriguez always had an interest in beauty, she initially started her career as a nurse. Monique spent eight years in the medical field, but after experiencing a tragic life event, she returned to her passion for beauty to help work through her grief. She began experimenting with hair product formulations in the kitchen, sharing her personal haircare journey and explaining the science behind the ingredients on social media. But when her followers urged her to bottle and sell the haircare mixtures she was creating, Rodriguez realized that her side project had big potential. In 2014, she launched Mielle with one product, a mint almond hair oil, and since then, Mielle has grown to include 10 collections, arrived on shelves in over 100,000 stores, and in 2023, was acquired by Procter & Gamble, marking the largest exit ever for a Black female beauty founder.

This week, Who What Wear Editor in Chief Kat Collings, editor Eliza Huber, and associate editor Yusra Siddiqui are here to walk you through the second annual Low-Cost, High-Joy Gift Guide. After spending weeks curating a list of 53 unique, delightful items that won't break the bank this holiday season, our editors have unlocked the golden rules of gifting in 2023: 1) Socks are actually a great gift when they're from Sandy Liang. 2) When in doubt, gift something that was made in France. 3) If you're not pausing The Real Housewives of New York City during scenes in Jenna Lyons's home, you're missing out on crucial gifting inspiration.

After graduating with her master's degree in fashion journalism and racking up industry internships at publications like British Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily, Alice Bell set out to become a fashion editor. She landed a coveted role as a fashion assistant at U.S. Vogue, and while working there, started spending her free time dissecting her love life through the lens of astrology. While her interest in editorial work waned, she quickly became the unofficial office astrologer for Vogue employees, and wanting to share her knowledge with a larger community, she began offering readings for free on her social media. Soon, Bell realized that astrology was her calling and quit her job to pursue it full-time. Flash forward to today, and Alice is a full-time astrologer, author of Trust Your Timing, podcast host, and, in a full-circle moment, the resident astrologer at British Vogue.

This week, Who What Wear Beauty Director Erin Jahns is back just in time to prepare us for December’s many celebratory events. The holiday season is the perfect time to experiment with new beauty looks, and whether you’re a beauty pro looking to re-create the year’s biggest runway trends or a makeup novice trying to elevate your look in one simple step, Erin’s got you covered. Plus, she’s recommending which brands to shop for the most festive products and sharing tips for ensuring your makeup lasts all night long. 

In 2020, Lindsay Holden, alongside her Co-Founders Britta Chatterjee and Shannon Kearney, set out to disrupt the haircare space with the launch of their clean, inclusive, and salon-grade haircare brand, Odele. Derived from the Norwegian phrase for “to share,” Odele can be used by anyone who shares a shower, regardless of age or gender. Despite launching amid a global pandemic, the company reached profitability in the first six months of business, and today, the line is on shelves at CVS, Ulta, and Target. But before getting Odele on major retailer shelves, Lindsay worked on the other side: she spent eight years working at Target in various buyer and merchandising manager roles within the domestics and home department, learning what makes a great product. Even before that, she spent her early career as an account manager, first at the mattress company Serta, and later, at image-licensing business Corbis.

Laura Brown is a journalist, a former editor in chief of InStyle, the founder of LB Media, and the BFF everyone wishes they had. After losing her EIC position due to InStyle’s print shutdown in 2022, Brown was suddenly free to do whatever she wanted—namely bridging the gap between her fashion world and various community-building programs. Among her other initiatives to “meddle for good,” Brown recently became chair of (RED)’s Creative Council, where she rallies her friends in fashion and Hollywood to join the fight against AIDS. Plus, she launched a collaboration with the dreamy French brand Sézane unofficially called French Enough, an ode to the French-girl aesthetic with a hint of LB’s trademark mischief.

Back in 2015, Gara and her team at Post Investment Group recognized the lack of affordable yet elevated massage experiences—and The Now was born. With chic design and exceptional massages at the forefront of their business, they opened the first boutique as a calming oasis within Los Angeles, and over the last eight years, The Now has grown to over 50 locations, launched a line of wellness products, and introduced a membership model. But Gara’s not stopping there: in 2022, using her learnings from The Now, she created Bowie Barker, a full-service pet grooming and self-wash business. But before she was growing two businesses simultaneously, she applied her keen eye for design and sharp attention to detail to making jewelry. What started as a creative outlet during her years spent as an entertainment industry assistant quickly became her buzzy, celeb-favorite line, Gara Danielle. 

This week, Hillary sat down with Kristen Nichols, Who What Wear's associate director of special projects. Kristen put together this year's Luxury Report, which details the brands and celebrities influencing designer shopping, the most coveted high-end items of 2023, and, of course, the ins and outs of the quiet-luxury trend. Plus, Kristen shares how to source sold-out items like the Alaïa fishnet flats, and Hillary explains her theory on why all fashion leads back to the Olsen twins.

Though Heidi is a highly sought-after interior designer now, she didn’t predict she’d end up in the design world. After graduating with a masters in international public health, she spent her early career working at a medical clinic in the Gambia. But when she returned to the U.S. to continue working, she was disappointed by how administrative many of the stateside roles were and began a quest to find a new career. She tried a variety of career paths including bartending, acupuncture school, and teaching scuba, but she still couldn't find anything that felt right to her. That is, until she began blogging about design. Through her blog, Heidi landed her first job at a design firm, and eventually, she set out to create a firm of her own. Today, her firm works on projects across the country, and just this September, Heidi debuted a book called Memories of Home, which details 12 of her incredible projects.

Mara Hoffman began her eponymous brand in 2000 by designing and selling one-of-a-kind, handmade garments out of her New York apartment. Twenty-three years later, she's still known for making gorgeous statement pieces with bold colors and prints, but she continues to evolve her approach toward sustainable design and manufacturing. Hoffman recently partnered with textile-to-textile recycling company Circ to release a groundbreaking dress made from 50% recycled textile waste, and she is this year's CFDA Environmental Sustainability Award honoree. This week, Editor in Chief Kat Collings sat down with Hoffman to discuss designing from a place of honesty, the "change or die" mentality, and where they hope fashion is headed.

Vicky Tsai founded her skincare company, Tatcha, with the goal of helping heal people’s skin and soul. But while Vicky’s a major player in the beauty space now, it took years of trial and error to find work that matched her values. She first began her career on Wall Street as a derivatives trader at Merrill Lynch in New York City, but after witnessing 9/11 firsthand, she left her job to attend Harvard Business School for a fresh start. She interned at SK-II, then took a job at Starbucks in China, and later joined a tech startup focused on sustainability. Even with a successful career, Vicky still struggled to find her purpose, while simultaneously dealing with acute dermatitis on her skin. Then, 10 years into her corporate position, she decided to choose her own happiness. With no plan and a mountain of debt, she quit her job and began traveling. While visiting Kyoto, she learned about the beauty practices of geisha, and soon afterward, her skin was healed. She knew she had to find a way to bring her learning

Stacey Battat is a costume designer and longtime collaborator of director Sofia Coppola, known for her work on films like The Bling Ring and The Beguiled. But most recently, Battat took on the huge undertaking of crafting the looks for A24’s newly released biographical drama, Priscilla. Based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, Coppola’s Priscilla, which stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, depicts the couple's epic yet tumultuous relationship, this time from Priscilla’s perspective. From the late ’50s to the early ’70s, Battat had a ton of ground—and fashion eras—to cover when it came to costume design. She’s here to talk about how wardrobe choices impact character development, what type of research is involved in telling true stories, and why having a solid team is of the utmost importance.

Growing up, Sohla El-Waylly always had a passion for cooking, but it wasn’t until after she graduated college with an economics degree that she made the leap to attend culinary school. In the years following, she worked in fine-dining restaurants, even opening and running her own high-end diner for a year, before pivoting to food media and landing jobs at major food publications such as Serious Eats, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times. Along the way, she began showcasing her cooking skills on camera, and most recently, she served as a judge alongside Dan Levy on the HBO competition cooking show The Big Brunch. And now she’s embarking on yet another new venture with her first cookbook, Start Here, which hits shelves October 31.

This week, Hillary hands the mic to Who What Wear Editor in Chief Kat Collings for a special episode welcoming Nikki Ogunnaike to her new position as editor in chief at Marie Claire, Who What Wear’s sister brand! Nikki has big plans for the iconic publication, which she hopes to make feel like "a group chat of your most ambitious friends." The two EICs discuss growing up with Marie Claire, high-impact, low-lift personal style, and the accuracy of the Miranda Priestly depiction of an editor in chief.

Emily Schuman had the initial idea for a food and fashion blog called Cupcakes and Cashmere back in 2008, and today, the company has grown into a full-fledged media and e-commerce business. In addition to running the Cupcakes and Cashmere company, engaging with the 570,000+ followers on her personal instagram and designing and restocking the bestselling jewelry on her online shop, Emily recently embarked on a new endeavor: candles. In December 2022, Emily debuted Lavune, initially launching with holiday candles like Evergreen and Ember, which have returned for this fall season alongside the line’s core collection. Before she was running her own businesses, Emily spent her early career working in media advertising, first at Condé Nast and later at AOL. But while she was gaining valuable knowledge about publishing and the digital landscape, her free time was consumed by writing about the things she loved.