Month: August 2019

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who’ve made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode will give you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on iTunes, and stay tuned. 

This week, we’re rebroadcasting and expanding upon one of our favorite Second Life episodes from the archives with Aurora James.

As far as fashion brand founders go, it doesn’t get much cooler or more interesting than Aurora James, founder and creative director of trailblazing sustainable accessories brand Brother Vellies. The brand’s shoes and bags are inspired by African culture and materials and are even handcrafted by local artisans. Since starting the company in 2013, James has won a CFDA award and counts Beyoncé and Solange Knowles as fans. But as is always the case, her current career wasn’t exactly what she originally set out to do. After studying journalism in college, James worked as an agent for models, in production at Fashion TV, and for a nonprofit community garden project called Woolly Pocket.

Soon after a significant life change and move to New York, James took a trip to Africa and that’s when she first had the idea to create Brother Vellies upon encountering the skilled craftsmen she came across while visiting different parts of the continent. Now, we know and love Brother Vellies for its beautifully unique shoes and bags that James designs season after season. (Tip: Her Instagram account is a must-follow.)

Head to iTunes to subscribe to Second Life and listen to this episode to hear all about James’s fascinating, inspiring journey to launching Brother Vellies. Below, shop some of the brand’s stunning shoes and bags.

Next, find out how Jen Atkin became the world’s most influential hairstylist.

Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren are 73 and 61, respectively, but they are not done kicking ass. In an exclusive, Deadline reports that a Stallone-Lundgren collab on an action-oriented TV show is getting plenty of attention in Hollywood—and on learning the description, we can see why.

That said, Stallone won’t actually be the one dodging fake bullets if the show—titled The International—happens.

From Deadline:

The show, starring Lundgren and executive produced by Stallone, hails from Tony Krantz’s Flame Ventures. According to sources, the project was sold in the room at all three broadcast networks it was pitched to this week — Fox, CBS and NBC — and also drew interest from the two streamers it was taken to, Netflix and Apple. (Because of ABC’s renewed focus on female-focused fare, the network was the only one of the Big 4 not to hear the pitch.)

Here’s the setup: Deadline reports Lundgren will play “a covert operative at the Department of Safety and Security at the UN” who acts as “the UN’s secret special agent, a one-man S.W.A.T. team and hostage negotiator.”

The same report indicates Stallone may also direct the show’s pilot. 

Stallone acknowledged what was going on with the show via Instagram.

“Myself and BALBOA PRODUCTIONS are so proud to announce this incredible new show called ‘THE INTERNATIONAL’ …” wrote Stallone in his image caption, “It’s going to be fantastic working with my old hard punching friend @dolphlundgren !!! More info in the near future .”

It actually is pretty cool to know that in addition to working together, the old foes from Rocky IV appear to be pretty tight in general—they’re running buddies with Arnold Schwarzenegger as well and the trio were hanging out recently in L.A. 

Stallone commemorated the occasion with a video.

His caption read, “Men that refuse to grow up. Actually why bother??? We’re having fun! Grow old [UNgracefullly]!!!!!!”

There’s no word yet on when The International might be broadcast or on a streaming service, but it looks like Lundgren and Stallone will keep having fun until it is, regardless.