Second Life

Hannah Cheng is the cofounder of the frozen-dumpling brand Mimi Cheng's, but before she and her sister started their dumpling empire, Cheng was working at J.P. Morgan on the rates derivatives sales desk. While working in finance, Cheng frequently brought her mother's homemade dumplings into her office, where her coworkers begged for her to share. Upon realizing the demand for Taiwanese comfort food, Cheng and her sister decided to open a Taiwanese restaurant in the East Village in 2014, naming it Mimi Cheng's as an ode to their mom. The sisters then went on to open four more restaurants in New York City before expanding into the frozen-food space, which was their goal all along. Cheng and her sister recently made the decision to close the restaurant side of the business to focus on selling their frozen dumplings, and Mimi Cheng's is now available nationwide in Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and many other retailers.

This month marks Who What Wear's 20th anniversary! To celebrate, we're spending all of October with guests who have left an indelible mark on the fashion-and-beauty world and grown up alongside us over the past two decades.

This week, Hillary is joined by her good friend Jen Atkin, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Ouai and Mane. Even if you're not familiar with Atkin, you've likely heard her name dropped by numerous guests on this show. Atkin has styled some of our favorite It girls' most iconic looks and founded two incredibly successful hair brands. But above all, she has been a champion of and mentor to other artists. Today, she chats all about building her hair empire; the behind-the-scenes details of some of her buzziest celeb looks, from Hailey Bieber to Bella Hadid; and the impact she has had on the hair industry.

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

Monica Padman is the cocreator, cohost, and producer of Armchair Expert. In her first Second Life episode in 2021, Padman chatted about her early dreams of being an actress and how she transitioned from nanny to creative partner to Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. Since her last episode, Padman has grown in her role as host and producer. She and Shepard continue to cohost Armchair Expert, and they were even nominated at the 2026 Golden Globes in the inaugural Best Podcast category. Padman has also been instrumental in adding numerous shows under the Armchair Umbrella, and she's even branched out into the true crime space with her podcast Beth's Dead, which is starting production for season 2. We recorded this special conversation in the studio, so if you'd like to watch this episode, make sure to check out the video version on Spotify.

This month marks Who What Wear's 20th anniversary! To celebrate, we're spending all of October with guests who have left an indelible mark on the fashion-and-beauty world and grown up alongside us over the past two decades.

This week, Hillary is joined by one of the most influential celebrity stylists working today: Jason Bolden. Bolden actually started styling "accidentally" back in 2011 after his good friend Gabrielle Union asked for help finding a look for an event. Today, he is a widely celebrated celebrity stylist who works with A-listers such as Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Michael B. Jordan, and many more. He chats all about crafting his buzziest looks—from Kidman at the 2026 Met Gala to Erivo's jaw-dropping Wicked press-tour wardrobe. Plus, he shares his dream styling clients.

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

Kristina Blahnik is the CEO of Manolo Blahnik. As the niece of acclaimed designer Manolo Blahnik, she grew up in the family business but never intended to work in it. Instead, Kristina studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and eventually had a practice of her own, where she worked for just under 10 years. In 2009 when her uncle Manolo Blahnik couldn't travel to the factories to develop the brand's new collection, Kristina stepped in and joined the family business full time. In 2013, she assumed the role of CEO, a position that she maintains to this day—although she prefers the title of "creative strategist." Since coming on board, she has expanded the business from two boutiques to 20, grown the Manolo Blahnik team from 26 people to over 250, and spearheaded major collaborations with brands such as Birkenstock and Balenciaga.