Second Life

Whitney Beatty and Ebony Andersen, the pair behind the L.A.-based dispensary Josephine & Billie’s, are completely shifting the cannabis narrative. They are setting a new industry precedent with a mission to bring first-in-class cannabis education, access, and community to women of color through an elevated retail experience. Yet before they set out to transform the cannabis industry, their careers looked exponentially different. Beatty had a highly successful career in entertainment, eventually ending up in the unscripted space at Telepictures, where she was the SVP of development. Andersen served as an urban planner for Riverside and Ventura counties in California before starting her own land-use consulting firm. On this episode, find out how Beatty and Andersen made their way to cannabis, and persevered through a harrowing path to create a seismic impact on their community.

Adir Abergel is the creative director of innovative haircare line Virtue Labs and hairstylist to the stars. He is behind the locks of celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Charlize Theron, and longtime client Kristen Stewart. This week, Abergel is breaking down what went into preparing his clients for the Oscars this year. He styled two nominated women for Hollywood’s biggest event, Jessie Buckley and Kristen Stewart. Plus, he offers a window inside his extensive research, his creative process, and, of course, his favorite products, including everything new from Virtue Labs.

Chances are you're familiar with the top online luxury  fashion retailers—Net-a-Porter, The Outnet, and Mr Porter. At the helm of those premier shopping destinations is the president of luxury and fashion, Alison Loehnis. Since joining Net-a-Porter in 2007, Loehnis has evolved the business through major moments of strategic growth, including the launches of The Outnet in 2009 and Mr Porter in 2011 and a merger with Italian online fashion retailer Yoox in 2015. However, before Loehnis was spearheading the world’s leading luxury retailers for men and women, her career was quite dynamic. From working at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi to joining the team at perhaps the biggest luxury corporation in the world—LVMH—to becoming a creative executive at Disney, Loehnis has truly done it all. On this episode, find out how Loehnis’s past career experiences have led her to become one of the most influential women in fashion retail.

Shilpa Yarlagadda is a 24-year-old Harvard senior whose ethical fine jewelry line is worn by some of the most influential women of today, including Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, Amanda Gorman, and Serena Williams. With her company, Shiffon, Shilpa aims to empower women by donating profits from the sale of the signature Duet Pinky Ring to other female entrepreneurs. Tune in to hear everything from how she launched the company out of her dorm room back in 2017 to what it was like breaking into the diamond industry of New York. Plus, she breaks down what “ethical” jewelry really is.

Victoria Beckham is unstoppable. She has become a style icon—both with her influential personal style and her eponymous ready-to-wear line—and, most recently, a beauty connoisseur with the launch of the clean, inclusive, high-performance beauty brand Victoria Beckham Beauty. With Sarah Creal as the CEO and Beckham as the creative director, the brand has grown tremendously into retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Violet Grey while maintaining unparalleled standards. But both women have quite the backstory. Creal started in product development for some of the biggest brands in the industry, such as Tom Ford, Prada, Estée Lauder, and Bobbi Brown, and as I’m sure you know, Beckham spent her early career touring the world with the Spice Girls. The group produced three studio albums, selling over 100 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling girl group of all time—iconic. She then went on to put out her own album as a solo artist before launching into a fashion career with the acclaimed success of her clothing line. On this episode of Second Life, find out how Beckham and Creal made major career pivots that landed them at the helm of a successful beauty empire.

Spring is upon us, and we’re ready to dress the part. This week, Hillary is joined by Who What Wear Editorial Director Lauren Eggertsen, Market Director Bobby Schuessler, senior editor Kristen Nichols, and Editor in Chief Kat Collings to discuss all of the emerging trends for the season ahead, including the accessories that are sure to become Instagram famous, the miniskirts that have already gone viral, and the sneakers that keep selling out.

Alli Webb is back! When we spoke with her back in 2018, premier blowout destination Drybar had become a household name with over 100 locations nationwide and a beloved line of products and styling tools sold at major retailers. In her first episode, Webb detailed the journey of  her career from fashion and PR to creating the blowout empire. Since then, a lot has changed. The line of products and tools was acquired for $225 million, and Webb stepped away from the business in a major way, freeing her to launch an additional three companies, including the innovative massage concept Squeeze, talk therapy company Okay Humans, and jewelry brand Becket + Quill. Her most recent pivot, however, is taking on the president role at Canopy, the world’s cleanest humidifier for beauty and skincare. On this episode, find out how Webb went through a personal and professional transformation that’s left her more fulfilled than ever.

Danielle Hirsch is the brilliant bridal designer behind Danielle Frankel Studio. Her designs are fashion-person favorites, and she is known within the industry for driving the entire bridal category forward with her ability to marry nostalgia and tradition with modernity. In 2019, she was chosen as the first bridal designer to participate in the annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. In this week’s episode, Hirsch talks about designing custom gowns in her New York atelier, drawing inspiration from the brides themselves, and all of the things to consider when searching for your perfect dress.

Robin Arzón, head instructor and VP of programming at Peloton, is a force to be reckoned with. She has built a devoted community through her loyal riders at Peloton and 960k followers on Instagram who are drawn to her high energy, intense drive, and unwavering encouragement, and she’s a two-time best-selling author, writing Shut Up and Run and her most recent children’s book, Strong Mama. But before Arzón was running ultramarathons and training the masses, she had a seven-year career as a corporate lawyer. And that’s not the surprising part: Arzón didn’t even grow up as an athlete. In fact, as a kid, she’d say she was “allergic to exercise.” So how did she become one of the most celebrated trainers today? It started when Arzón found healing from trauma through movement in her 20s, and eventually, her love for athletics eclipsed her career goals as a corporate lawyer.

On this episode, Who What Wear editor Jasmine Fox-Suliaman speaks with our March cover star—actress, singer, producer, and writer Keke Palmer. From starring in movies such as Akeelah and the Bee and Hustlers and playing Cinderella on Broadway to creating her beloved TikToks, hosting the Met Gala, and co-authoring a series of short stories, Palmer continues to expand her groundbreaking career in every direction. She’s here to talk about finding her way through success, celebrity, and her most fulfilling work; the power art holds in shifting perspective and culture; and her highly anticipated upcoming projects, including Alice, in theaters March 18, and Jordan Peele’s Nope, out this July.