Susan Korn is the founder of the charming, quirky, and downright joyful accessories brand Susan Alexandra. Korn started her brand by making jewelry and creating handmade painted pieces. But one fateful day, she discovered a bead shop in Chinatown and had a vision of a beaded bag she wanted to create. Her beaded bags have since cemented her as the queen of whimsical fashion. Now, she’s expanded into DIY charm jewelry, custom sculpted pet pieces, home goods, a full Judaica line, and has collaborated with brands like Pebbles, Bose, and Crocs. This week, she joins Kat to talk about how she approaches designing a new product, her dreams for the brand in 2025, and her epic dog fashion show with Rachel Antonoff at New York Fashion Week this past fall.Listen to Susan Korn’s Second Life episode here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aisha Bowe is an aerospace engineer and the founder of the engineering consultancy firm STEMBoard. Bowe wasn’t always an engineering wizard. In high school, she struggled to connect academically and enrolled in community college with little hope that any field could interest her. But a teacher identified her strengths and suggested she try out engineering. She thrived in her engineering courses, and her confidence and sense of possibility for her career began to grow. She followed this passion to the University of Michigan, where she gained two degrees in aerospace engineering. Bowe interned at NASA in college and then was hired full-time. She ultimately spent seven years there, working on small spacecraft and flight trajectory dynamics. In 2013, she founded STEMBoard, a startup that provides engineering services and solutions—a feat she accomplished without any outside funding—and eventually left her job at NASA to pursue her startup full-time. In 2020, she founded Lingo, a company that creates self-paced, at-home STEM education kits for kids. Earlier this year, it was announced that she would be the first Black woman to travel to space with Blue Origin, the spaceflight company founded by Jeff Bezos.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kristen Nichols, Associate Director of Special Projects at Who What Wear and an expert in luxury markets, shares her insights on the future of high-end fashion. She discusses transformative trends and leadership changes shaping the industry, and how sports are intersecting with luxury fashion. The rise of personalized items like bag charms reflects consumers' desire for individuality. Nichols also anticipates a shift from minimalism to maximalism, sparking excitement for upcoming innovations in 2025.

Taryn Delanie Smith, content creator and former Miss New York, shares her inspiring transformation from aspiring diplomat to viral TikTok sensation. She discusses her journey of authenticity, emphasizing how humor helped her connect with fans, especially through her character Denise, a receptionist in heaven. Taryn highlights her advocacy for housing insecurity and reflects on the growth she's experienced while balancing her social impact work with her entertainment career. Her honest approach to content creation provides a relatable lens for those navigating personal struggles.

Becky Malinsky is a stylist, consultant, and writer of the popular Substack newsletter 5 Things You Should Buy. In 2022, after several years as The Wall Street Journal's deputy fashion director, she started her own business, offering executive and professional styling, consulting, trend reporting, and more. At the same time, she launched 5 Things You Should Buy, which provides insightful, straightforward advice and fashion analysis, and the newsletter now has over 64,000 subscribers. In this episode, we picked Malinsky's brain on everything from her hero pieces and how she styles them for winter to her favorite pieces from her brand-new Alex Mill collaboration and, of course, five things we need for the holiday season.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rebecca Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Soft Services, shares her journey in the DTC consumer goods industry. With past roles at Gin Lane Media and Glossier, she reveals how these experiences shaped her approach to entrepreneurship. Listeners will learn about navigating cultural expectations and her journey from finance to founding a body care brand. Zhou discusses the unique intersection of comfort and aesthetics in product design, along with the recent expansion into Sephora, showcasing her commitment to innovation and customer empowerment.

Paul Tazewell, a celebrated costume designer known for his Tony Award-winning work on Hamilton and Emmy-winning designs for The Wiz Live!, joins the show for an engaging discussion. He shares insights into the creation of Glinda's iconic bubble dress, blending homage with innovation. Tazewell also delves into Elphaba’s emotional transformation through costume choices, and the unique school uniforms at Shiz University that foster individual expression. From whimsical trends to vintage shopping, his perspective on the visual language of Wicked is both enlightening and entertaining.

Lauren Caris Cohan is a filmmaker and the chief creative officer of the chic and sustainable womenswear brand Reformation. Lauren got her start as a styling assistant at Free People in Philadelphia in the late 2000s, eventually working her way up to the title of artistic director. While looking to pursue a newfound interest in screenwriting, she was given carte blanche to create a series of narrative short films for the brand. In 2017, she left the company to look for new opportunities to explore filmmaking. She consistently worked on her projects, creating short films, writing scripts, and co-founding a creative services agency called Lolly Would. In 2017, she co-founded the industry-disrupting lingerie brand Cuup, again bringing her distinctive creative flair to craft the storytelling around the start-up. In 2020, she was brought in by Reformation to consult on projects, and in 2022, she was appointed the role of chief creative officer. In her time as CCO, she’s guided Reformation through some truly amazing collaborations—from the New York City Ballet to Monica Lewinsky.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 suicideNote: The audio introduction incorrectly states that Geo received a Master's in Arts Education. She received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.