Second Life

This week, Kat, Who What Wear co-founder and Chief Content Officer Hillary Kerr, Shopping Director Bobby Schuessler, and Editorial Director Lauren Eggertsen are here to discuss their best, chicest, and most original gift ideas for the holidays. They’ve curated a list for (almost) everyone in your life, from a vintage butter mold and a gorgeously kitschy wine bottle apron for the host in your life to personalized packing cubes for your travel-obsessed bestie. They also talk tips for buying presents for multiple people in your life during the busy holiday season, the value of a personalized gift, and whether or not thank-you notes are still required in this day and age.

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Geo Rutherford is a popular TikTok creator and author of the new book Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes That Dot Our Planet. Geo started her career as a high school art teacher in the Midwest, creating engaging and thoughtful art curricula for her students. She eventually decided to get her MFA at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Upon moving, she fell in love with the Great Lakes and their unique role in our ecosystem. (She even based her thesis art show on them.) When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she started posting videos on TikTok, and one of her first-ever videos about her Great Lakes–inspired art went viral. She then leveraged her background in arts education with her newfound limnology hobby and posted more about lakes, telling informative, entertaining stories about the oddest and coolest lakes worldwide. This fall, she published her book, which Kirkus Reviews calls “a chilling but thrilling primer for budding limnologists,” and continued her annual TikTok series, Spooky Lake Month, in October.

Content warning: Brief discussion of suicide

Note: The audio introduction incorrectly states that Geo received a Master's in Arts Education. She received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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Today, Senior Fashion Editor Anna LaPlaca joins us to discuss her 2024 State of Style story. At the end of each year, Anna takes a closer look at why the trends of the last year have emerged, what they point to in our larger society—and what might be next. She’s incorporated detailed research from industry sources and talked to fellow editors and experts to take the pulse of the fashion industry right now. Is boho here to stay, or are we simply feeling the singular effects of Chloe? Is quiet luxury finally cycling out? What does the return of maximalist fashion mean culturally? Listen to find out.

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Scarlett Johansson is an actor, director, producer, and co-founder of the skincare company The Outset. She began acting at age nine and continued to work steadily through adolescence and beyond, making films alongside industry legends like Robert Redford and taking on increasingly ambitious roles like the titular character in Girl With the Pearl Earring. Her career climbed to new heights in the last decade, as she was nominated for Academy Awards for the films Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story, and played the lethal superhero Black Widow in the Marvel movie franchise. But after years as an accomplished actress, she knew that she wanted to expand her horizons and use some of her hard-earned expertise for her own projects. She then founded her own production company, These Pictures, and in 2022, co-founded the skincare company, The Outset, to provide solutions for adult acne and other skin issues that had plagued her for years. The brand, which launched on Amazon and QVC earlier this year, has come to be known for its effective ingredients and simple, nonirritating formulas. As if that wasn’t enough, this year, Scarlett directed her first feature film, Eleanor the Great, starring the 94-year-old acting legend June Squibb.

PS: Listeners can use code SECONDLIFE for 20% off their purchase of The Outset products (bundles and sets not included)

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Jocelyn Pierce is the costume designer of Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or–winning film, Anora. The film follows an atypical Cinderella story of a sex worker from Brooklyn and the son of a Russian oligarch. As part of her research, Pierce spent time in Brighton Beach, New York, where the film is set, to get a sense of the world she was re-creating. She even invited the exotic dancers who participated in the film to use their own clothes as costumes. Anora was widely released on October 18 and is already garnering awards buzz. Pierce joins us this week to talk about her feelings-driven philosophy on costume design, why she’s an indie girl at heart, and Anora’s costume references to the American dream.

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Drew Afualo is a podcaster, author, and immensely popular TikTok creator. Drew studied sports journalism in college and originally aspired to be an on-air sports anchor. After graduating from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, she worked in PR before landing a digital content creator job at the NFL. At first, it seemed like a dream job, but the position wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and in January 2020, she was let go. When the pandemic hit, she was living at home with her parents and feeling further away than ever from her career dreams. One day, she started posting videos on TikTok on a whim. Viewers were immediately drawn to her hilarious, perfectly articulated takedowns of misogynistic comments. Her following grew quickly, at times gaining over 100,000 followers every couple of days. In the years since, she’s continued to grow her audience and now has over 8 million followers on TikTok. Drew’s also started two hit podcasts and authored a best-selling book, Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve. This year, she was named on The Hollywood Reporter’s List of Most Influential Influencers.

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Genesis Webb is the stylist and fashion creative director for pop sensation Chappell Roan. Webb got her start assisting stylists like Nicola Formichetti, where she refined her sensibility and eclectic, daring style. After meeting Chappell at a fateful V magazine shoot in 2023, the pair has done some incredible work together, creating instantly iconic and recognizable looks for Chappell's Midwest Princess Tour, TV appearances, festivals, and more. This week, Webb joins us to talk about her wild year thus far, her earliest fashion influences, and why she'll always stick to latex and leather.

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Anne Fulenwider is the co-founder of Alloy Women’s Health, a start-up dedicated to helping women receive safe, effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause. From a young age, Anne wanted to be a writer. After college, she landed a job working for the famed writer George Plimpton at The Paris Review. Over the next decade, Anne continued honing her writing and editing skills at publications such as Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, and Brides, and in 2012 took on the role of the editor in chief at Marie Claire. Over her eight-year tenure, she brought her editorial voice to the magazine and created new projects like the Image Maker Awards and Power Trip. In 2016, a devastating personal loss made Anne realize there was still so much work to be done in women’s health, and in 2019, she left her post to found Alloy Women’s Health with her friend Monica Molenaar. In 2021, they raised $3.3 million in seed funding and launched the company with a telehealth service to allow women access to crucial hormone prescriptions. Over the last five years, they’ve scaled and expanded Alloy to include in-depth consultations with physicians and customized treatment plans with prescription and over-the-counter products while achieving profitability within just three years.

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Iván Pol is a celebrity facialist and the founder of The Beauty Sandwich. He began his career as a makeup artist, working for brands like Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown. But a by-chance meeting with Jennifer Lopez set him on the aesthetician path after realizing he wanted to create a facial experience that fully prepared clients to look their best before any makeup was even applied. He spent years working for a top dermatologist in Florida (learning the ins and outs of clinically effective skincare) before founding his own company, The Beauty Sandwich. His signature “sandwich” method combines innovative high-frequency technology with effective skincare products to tighten, lift, and sculpt the skin. This week, Iván joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about his techniques and methods, what it's like working with celebrities like Anna Sawai and Sabrina Carpenter, and his best tips for a snatched face.

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Katie Jane Hughes is a world-renowned makeup artist, content creator, and founder of the beauty brand KJH Brand. Hughes originally trained as a nail technician and worked for several years in London as an in-demand nail tech for runway shows, editorials, and red carpet events. But she knew that her true passion was makeup, so she eventually quit doing nails and moved to New York City, throwing herself into the makeup world. During this time, she also started posting tutorials and looks on Instagram and, eventually, TikTok—a decision that’s paid off, as she now has over one million followers between the two platforms. Fans were drawn to her sense of humor, her impeccable technique, and her down-to-earth, no-BS approach to makeup. Last year, after years of working with brands like Glossier and Estée Lauder, Hughes launched her own makeup line, KJH Brand, which focuses on multiuse, flexible products that anyone can use. The brand followed up its first smash-hit release, the Hyper Shine High Lite Kit, with its newest product, the Soft Smudge Lip and Cheek Stick, released this October.

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