Second Life

Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn, professionally known as Rob + Mariel, have been on The Hollywood Reporter’s “25 Most Powerful Stylists in Hollywood’’ list for 10 consecutive years, for their consistent ability to blow our minds with fashion looks for longtime clients like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Cara Delevingne, and so many more. This week, they’re bringing us inside their creative mindset, including what it’s like to design hardworking costumes for live performances (like Super Bowl LIV) for the biggest superstars in the world.

Julia Haart has proven she is unstoppable. As the co-owner and CEO of Elite World Group—a talent management company composed of 48 global agencies representing actors, artists, musicians, models, and even virtual avatars—Haart’s mission is to modernize the industry by transforming social platforms into impactful media channels. Prior to EWG, she worked in fashion, founding her own shoe brand before becoming the creative director of Italian luxury brand La Perla. It’s quite the dynamic career, none of which started until Haart was 43 and decided to leave the Orthodox Jewish community in Monsey, New York she had grown up in. Talk about a second life.

Nail artist and celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik is best-in-class. Not only does his celebrity client list include the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, and Kim Kardashian, but Tom is also a world champion, having won over 300 nail competitions. He’s also the first nail artist to ever hold a contract with Chanel. On this episode, Bachik tells Hillary about working with his famed clients, his winding road to the top of the industry, and how best to care for your nails.

There’s no denying Julianne Hough and Nina Dobrev are two very notable names in Hollywood. Dobrev was catapulted into the spotlight when she starred in Degrassi and six seasons of the CW hit The Vampire Diaries. She has gone on to act, write, and produce projects like the feature film Lucky Day and the upcoming Netflix romantic comedy Love Hard. Meanwhile, Hough is a two-time professional champion on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, an award-winning recording artist, and an accomplished actress in movies like Safe Haven and Footloose. Plus, she’s the founder of her own production company, Canary House Productions, and fitness platform, Kingry. In March 2021, the longtime friends decided to add yet another piece to their multifaceted careers when they launched Fresh Vine Wine, premium wines for health-conscious individuals.

Eric Daman is an Emmy Award–winning costume designer, celebrity stylist, fashion designer, jewelry designer, and author. Getting his start in TV on the high-fashion drama series Sex and the City, Daman went on to lead costume design in the full six-season run of the CW’s original Gossip Girl, where his designs earned him a 2009 Costume Designerʼs Guild nomination and established his reputation as an influential force to be reckoned with. Daman is here to talk about his vast career, including all the Easter eggs to look out for in his latest project, HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot.

At the helm of innovative health research at Apple is Sumbul Desai, MD, the vice president of health. There, she helps oversee initiatives, including clinical product development, innovative clinical partnerships, and medical research, plus the ever-evolving health features on iPhone and Apple Watch. As you may expect, her background in medicine is extraordinary. Previous to Apple, she was the vice chair of strategy and innovation at Stanford Medicine as well as the associate chief medical officer at Stanford Health Care. What you might not expect is her first life in business strategy at Walt Disney Co. and ABC News.

Celebrity and conceptual hairstylist Chris Appleton is responsible for arguably more viral hair looks over the past five years than anyone else in the game. (Think Ariana Grande’s snatched ponytail, J.Lo’s glamorous Superbowl curls, and that "wet" look Kim Kardashian wore to the 2019 Met Gala.) In this episode, Chris speaks with Hillary about the inspiration behind some of his most iconic looks, how he entered the industry, and the easiest styles you should be trying at home.

Tori Bell, a passionate founder and voice in the anti-racism movement, has built a platform that inspires allies everywhere to make a difference. Bell began her community-centered diversity work through creating the global employee resource group Black Women at Facebook, which now has over 2500 members. She also started her own brilliant newsletter, Inclusion Unpacked, which helps support those on their allyship journey through weekly diversity, equity, and inclusion resources. On July 13, Bell is launching a Social Media Allyship Program, which outlines how to become a better ally in three cohesive steps. On this episode of Second Life, find out how Bell’s past career experiences—from working at Suntrust Investment Bank to Facebook—led her to find a highly inspiring and purposeful career.

This week, Hillary sits down with the Wonder Woman of Vogue, Leiomy Maldonado, and The Good Place actress and founder of iWeigh, Jameela Jamil. The pair are two of the four judges on HBO Max’s Legendary, in which voguing teams called "houses" compete in dance challenges and showcase fashion for a chance to win a cash prize. Jameela and Leiomy speak to the incredible community that the show represents and bring us behind the scenes—sweat, shade, and looks included.

In 2013, Netflix released a series that would forever impact television: Orange Is the New Black. Actress Dascha Polanco quickly became a fan favorite as she played the role of Daya Diaz for seven seasons of the cultural phenomenon of a show. Polanco has also been in several notable films, including Golden Globe–nominated Joy, Oscar-nominated The Irishman, and most recently, the highly anticipated adaptation of the musical In the Heights. On this episode of Second Life, find out how—and why—Polanco decided to take a chance on Hollywood after spending years in the medical industry studying to become a nurse and working as a hospital manager in New York City.