Second Life

Irene Chen is the cofounder of the functional luxury brand Parker Thatch. Before founding her own brand, Chen graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science and began her career in financial consulting. After a couple years in this field, she decided to pivot to fashion, an industry she'd always been drawn to. She first worked for Calvin Klein in its licensing department before transitioning to Donna Karan, where she worked her way up to become the director of product development. Upon meeting, she and her business partner and husband Matthew Grenby decided to start a business of their own, an e-stationery brand called iomoi. This brand went through multiple iterations—from e-stationery to physical stationery to homeware—before they landed on something that stuck. After the success of their first bag, Chen and Grenby decided to focus on functional luxury handbags and rebrand the company to what it's known as today: Parker Thatch.

This week, Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi, returns to speak with Who What Wear Editor in Chief Kat Collings about her new book, Almost Reckless. The last time Smilovic joined the pod in 2024, she gave us a guide to her design philosophy: creative pragmatism. This time, she's here to share the "almost reckless" framework that helped her uncover creative pragmatism and how you can use this framework for your own creative pursuits. They discuss everything from how to make sense of your current closet to taking fashion risks that pay off, and Smilovic gives us a BTS look at her design process at Tibi. Plus, learn how to make the most of your suitcase space when packing. 

Watch this episode ⁠⁠here on our new YouTube channel⁠⁠, and be sure to subscribe! Listen to Smilovic's previous episode here! 

Rose Previte is the restaurateur and entrepreneur behind acclaimed DC restaurants and bars such as Maydan, Medina, and Sook as well as a new food concept in Los Angeles. However, Previte started her career in local government after graduating with a master's degree in public policy. Her first life was interrupted when her husband became NPR's Moscow correspondent, and they moved across the world, visiting over 30 countries in three years. Inspired by her travels, she decided to open a restaurant in DC, and in 2014, her first restaurant, Compass Rose, opened to much success. She then went on to open additional restaurants and a bar in DC, and she recently expanded to L.A. with a food hall, Maydan Market. Previte has also written a cookbook, launched a CPG brand, started a wine company, and founded the restaurant group No White Plates.

This week, Who What Wear Editor in Chief Kat Collings sits down in studio with Executive Editorial and Style Director Lauren Eggertsen and shopping editor Chichi Offor to give you the rundown of the best pieces, trends, and brands to shop in summer 2026. They discuss staples that never go out of style and how trends from last summer have evolved (is taffeta the new linen?) and name-drop the exact pieces to snag to update your wardrobe. 

Watch this episode on our new ⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠, and be sure to subscribe!

To shop products mentioned in this episode, click here! 

Lauren Harwell Godfrey is a jewelry designer and the founder of the brand Harwell Godfrey. But before she started her own jewelry brand, she began her career in advertising. Her advertising career spanned 15 years, working with clients like Adidas, Levi’s, and Ray-Ban. However, she didn’t feel artistically fulfilled and decided to enroll in culinary school. After graduating, she worked in Bay Area restaurants Chez Panisse and Bar Tartine. She also contributed to cookbooks and started her own vegan food blog. Ultimately, she decided that the culinary world was not the right fit and pivoted back to designing jewelry. She started making jewelry for herself and her friends before launching her fine jewelry brand in 2017. Today, she remains the sole designer, and her pieces have been worn by everyone from Kamala Harris to Rihanna.  

This week, Who What Wear Executive Editorial and Style Director⁠ Lauren Eggersten⁠ sits down with three swimwear experts to talk about everything 2026 swimwear style. Our guests include⁠ Natasha Oakley⁠, a model and the CEO and cofounder of Monday Swim,⁠ Lauren Chan⁠, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, entrepreneur, and former Glamour editor, and⁠ Sierra Mayhew⁠, one of our fashion editors and the writer of our annual Swim Report. They discuss everything from this year's trendiest swim styles to the best accessories to pair with your bikini (or tankini), plus how to find the perfect swimsuit fit.  

Watch this episode ⁠⁠here on our new ⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠, and be sure to subscribe!

Brooke Averick is a content creator, cohost of Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast, and the author of the new novel Phoebe Berman Is Going to Lose It. But before she was a content multi-hyphenate, she began her career as a preschool teacher at a Quaker school. Then, in 2020, she downloaded TikTok and began sharing videos of herself reading from her childhood journals. The videos went mega-viral, and she soon pivoted from teaching to full-time content creation. Since then, she’s continued to create vulnerable and hilarious videos and podcasts, and now she’s embarking on her latest venture as an author with her debut novel, which hit shelves this May. 

Order Brooke Averick’s new novel here!

Celebrity stylist Dani Michelle is known for creating looks that set trends and often ripple through the entire fashion industry. She works with some of the most influential tastemakers in the business, such as Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Daisy Edgar-Jones. This week, she joins Hillary Kerr in the studio to discuss how some of her simplest looks have become so impactful, why she loves to use a mix of runway pieces and vintage, and how she gets her hands on some of the rarest archival designer pieces in the world. Plus, she shares her favorite sunglasses, bags, and color combinations for the season. 

Watch this episode ⁠⁠here, on our new YouTube channel⁠⁠, and be sure to subscribe!

Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse known on the internet for her informative (and often hilarious) videos about healthcare. But before entering the world of content creation, Hamilton was an emergency room nurse. After working her way up to assistant director in that department, she realized she needed a change from the chaotic nature of the ER and pivoted into labor and delivery. During the pandemic, she began making content about nursing and providing insight into healthcare on social media, and since then, she’s created a community of over 6 million followers across platforms. This past May, she also added author to her extensive résumé when she released her first book, Birth Vibes, which quickly became number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Fashion designer Anna Sui debuted her work at a supermodel-packed fashion show in 1991, and her brand remains just as inspired and relevant 35 years (and over 90 collections) later. This week, Who What Wear Editor in Chief Kat Collings sits down with Sui in the studio to discuss the origins of her brand, how she’s maintained her distinctive point of view since the beginning, and why the brand has attracted a new wave of Gen Z tastemakers like Olivia Rodrigo and Laufey. 

If you’re in the L.A. area, you can check out some of Sui’s iconic designs in person at the ASU FIDM exhibition, Obsessed: Fashion and Nostalgia in the ’90s.

Watch this episode ⁠⁠here on our new YouTube channel⁠⁠, and be sure to subscribe!