Second Life

As a writer and podcaster, Aubrey Gordon is working to debunk common wellness fads, educate people about anti-fat bias, and ultimately inspire action for fat justice. After years of blogging under the pseudonym Your Fat Friend, Gordon now has two books, What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat and New York Times best seller “You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People. She’s also the co-host of the wildly popular podcast Maintenance Phase. But before she was engaging readers and listeners through thought-provoking media, she spent 12 years as a community organizer, helping to get pro-LGBTQ laws passed, including making Oregon the second state to require insurers to cover healthcare for trans people. To hear how a letter to a friend catalyzed Gordon’s pivot to her current work and why she’s not planning on stopping anytime soon, tune in to this week’s episode.

Senior fashion editor Allyson Payer brings us inside her brand-new story "Red Carpet Recap: The It Celebs, Trends, and Designers Everyone Is Talking About." For this story, Allyson tapped experts—including celebrity stylist Tara Swennen; Catherine Kallon, the founder and editor of Red Carpet Fashion Awards; and even the social media management platform Dash Hudson—for the scoop on what went the most viral and why. Tune in to hear who she deemed the It celebs of the season, the designers making the biggest buzz, and so much more.

Whether it’s in wellness, fashion, public safety, or beyond, there’s no question that Heather Vandenberghe is an absolute force. As the CEO of the wellness company Flexpower, she’s working to reposition pain relief as a core component of people’s routines. Before she was giving recovery products a major upgrade, she actually spent most of her career spearheading marketing teams at iconic fashion brands such as Bebe, Louis Vuitton, and Tommy Hilfiger. But when Vandenberghe was working at LVMH as the youngest vice president in the company’s 150-year history, a personal tragedy shook her world and made her reconsider everything. To hear how Vandenberghe navigated this devastating time and how she pivoted her career in the process, tune in to this week’s episode.

In today’s episode, associate fashion editor Yusra Siddiqui sits down with Who What Wear May cover stars the Jonas Brothers. Four years after the release of Happiness Begins, Nick, Kevin, and Joe are back with The Album, and they’re here to break down everything from key influences to their creative process to how their dynamic as brothers and as musicians has evolved over the years. Plus, they’re diving into the style direction that they’re each excited to showcase on tour.

After just a few short years within the industry, Zarna Garg has comedic achievements most could only dream of. When Garg isn’t touring the world with her show, she’s performing 15 times a week at New York City’s Comedy Cellar, all while creating content for her 709k TikTok followers. Just last week, her brand-new comedy special, Zarna Garg: One in a Billion, premiered on Prime Video. But this hasn’t always been Garg’s life and career. After immigrating to the U.S. as a teenager to avoid an arranged marriage, Garg went on to practice civil litigation law before stepping away to become a stay-at-home mom to her three kids. She eventually decided to write a screenplay called Rearranged—which beat out 11,000 other scripts to win the Top Comedy Screenplay Award at Austin Film Festival in 2019—before eventually pursuing a new career path as a performer.

This week, Hillary is joined by shopping editor Indya Brown and Associate Director of Special Projects Kristen Nichols, who are here to tell us everything we need to know to be the best dressed wedding guests at any and all summer nuptials. They’re breaking down what exactly constitutes the various levels of formality you may see on an invite, the trends that your most stylish friend will definitely be adorned in, and the practical factors to take into consideration to make sure you have a fun time. Plus, we answer a ton of your wedding guest questions, including recommendations for just what to wear—where.

Jessamyn Stanley is an award-winning yoga instructor, internationally acclaimed voice in wellness, and so much more. While Stanley was working to get her MA in performing arts management, a friend introduced her to Bikram yoga. As she began to share her practice on social media, her growing followership encouraged her to enroll in a yoga teacher training course, and the rest is history. Today, Stanley is a regular contributor to Self magazine, has written two yoga books, and has built her own inclusive wellness app, The Underbelly. In this episode, Stanley speaks about the systemic inequity Black women face, especially within the wellness industry, as well as why she believes in the benefits of naked yoga. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how her pivots, including attending culinary school, helped Stanley find her path.

Anna LaPlaca, fashion editor and author of State of Style, discusses current fashion trends and their influences, including fashion psychology and history. Topics include the origins of quiet luxury, the evolution of hemlines and handbags, and the rise of capsule dressing. They also explore the popularity of slouchy clothing, sculptural jewelry, and skinny stiletto heels.

Melissa Ben-Ishay is the founder and CEO of the bite-sized-cupcake empire Baked by Melissa. Since Ben-Ishay and her partners founded the company in 2008, Baked by Melissa has sold over 250 million cupcakes, opened 14 brick-and-mortar stores, and created a thriving e-commerce business. Though Ben-Ishay always loved baking, she actually started her career in advertising, and after being let go from her role as an assistant media buyer, she went to her brother for advice. “Don’t worry. It’s the best thing that ever happened to you. … Go home. Bake your cupcakes. We’ll start a business together,” he told her. From there, Baked by Melissa was born. Tune in to hear how Ben-Ishay continues to evolve her career, including stepping into the role of CEO of the multimillion-dollar company and her most recent pivot to TikTok sensation.

Thought leader, founder, designer, activist, and author Aurora James may be best known as the founder of the accessories and footwear brand Brother Vellies, which has supported artisan communities across Africa and beyond. In 2020, she launched the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a call to action for major corporations to create sustainable and supportive ecosystems for Black-owned business which has signed on companies like Sephora and Nordstrom. On this episode however, she’s here to discuss her highly personal, emotional, and absolutely brilliant memoir, Wildflower. In the book, Aurora shares both beautiful and heartbreaking stories from her childhood to the present day. Preorder now: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wildflower-aurora-james/1141987008;jsessionid=BF345FD71EF295895AC6677E4DE5B64D.prodny_store01-atgap13?ean=9780593239452&st=AFF&2sid=Random%20House%20Inc_8373827_NA&sourceId=AFFRandom%20House%20Inc