Story + Rain Talks

Always Busy. As an actor, social media influencer, New York Times best selling author, one time talk show host, and newly anointed podcast host, one thing is for certain: Busy Philipps is ALWAYS busy. Brilliantly cast as a 90’s girl group member, Philipps’ latest project is Girls5eva, a Peacock comedy from Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and Meredith Scardino. The Hollywood veteran (though it perpetually...

Inspiring Creativity And Taking Action. Some would say she was, or is, a quiet storm. The OG of celebrity DJ’s made her mark on the music, nightlife, and fashion scenes. Beverly has model good looks, an elegant demeanor, vast knowledge of songs and artists, and---of course—major talent on the turntables. When she began her career as a DJ, she was opening up for other DJ’s early each evening; nobod...

Flowers And Fashion. When asked about the connection between her former life in fashion and her current life as an entrepreneur in the flower industry, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings says she was always drawn to beauty. After spending many years behind the scenes at Gucci and at Tom Ford, Whitney did what many smart entrepreneurs-in-the-making do: she set out to solve a problem. Hitting wholesale flowe...

Dove Conquers All. You might think Dove Cameron is the typical American child star birthed by the world of Disney. She’s not. The actress and singer might’ve even reset the perception and “mold” in terms of what people have come to expect. This podcast features a very honest and real discussion with the star that, amongst other things, sheds intimate light on what it was like starting in the enter...

Success In Authenticity. Bobbi Brown is a beauty industry titan, world famous makeup artist, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and as she likes to say, “serial entrepreneur”. As a professional makeup artist, Bobbi changed the cosmetics business when created 10 simple lipsticks that evolved into a global beauty empire. After leaving her billion-dollar company Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in Octob...

Celebrity Style. It’s true that Ashley Streicher is one of the most sought-after hair stylists in the industry, and she’s also a beauty entrepreneur. Ashley helps to run beauty business, Striiike, with her 2 sisters, who are brow and makeup pros, respectively. The business was born out of pure demand: everyone loved the effortless collaboration and communication the women brought to their work as...

A Career To Covet. Lisa Benson has a job many would want. The kind of job that begs the question “how did you get to do this?” As a Vice President at IMG Models, she’s a woman responsible for the fruitful careers of many, including supermodels Chrissy Teigen, Lily Aldridge, Chanel Iman, Hilary Rhoda, and more. She enjoys building her models into brands, and appreciates when they come to her with a...

Game Time. It’s game time for English-Caribbean actress Nathalie Emmanuel. Our July 2020 cover star steps into the leading-lady spotlight opposite Kevin Hart, in Quibi’s 10 episode action parody-comedy, Die Hart. Nathalie also has leading lady status in Hulu’s film-to-series reboot of Four Weddings And A Funeral, starring as Maya, on Mindy Kaling’s stylish production. She’s long enjoyed success as...

Diving In. Story + Rain cover model Lauren Layne grew up in Joplin Missouri, was discovered at an amusement park when she was 9 years old, and made her way to New York City, in a classic model-gets-discovered story. An internationally sought-after model with soulful eyes and all American brunette looks, Lauren is a go-to for brands like Ralph Lauren. But she didn’t allow her enviable career to sto...

The Modern Male Designer. Shane Ward grew up in Detroit, one half of a set of identical twins, and one of seven siblings. By his own account, those streets where he learned to play football were dangerous, but it was there that he gained confidence stemming from a talent for the sport. While caddying for a local golf course in high school, Shane was exposed to all sorts of people and acquired an e...

A Writer's Passion. On this podcast we're talking to publishing + media + professional, Bee Shapiro, longtime beauty columnist for the New York Times, author, and fragrance brand founder. Beauty Expert? An understatement! Bee’s been testing and trying products, and tracking the evolution of beauty for over 10 years. An under-represented category in beauty, she founded clean and sustainab...

Cultivating A Cult Following. Lele Sadoughi has been designing accessories that the modern American woman can't get enough of for over ten years. From her signature work for J Crew to her cult-status statement headbands, Lele has her pulse on the bells and whistles that we all want. It’s no wonder. The designer studied at the prestigious Central St Martins school in London and has worked for...

A Veteran And Her Values. Straight from Instagram Live comes this conversation with PR, branding, and feminist powerhouse, Kelly Cutrone. During episode 39, Kelly answers questions from her deeply devoted fans, we talk fashion then and now, which of Kelly's distinguished clients made the biggest impact on her, and being open-minded in an industry that can be both category and judgement-focuse...

Creative Flow And Meaningful Designs. Almost 15 years ago, Pamela Love began making jewelry in her Brooklyn apartment. The one-time film student was once a stylist, a vintage clothing curator, and famously assisted the prolific painter Francesco Clemente. Deeply inspired by her time with him and by their friendship, it’s a little-known fact that to this day, she still mixes his paints for his comm...

Primed For Product Development. Celebrity makeup artist Matin is a native of Afghanistan who has a Masters degree in molecular biology from Berkley and once worked as a research scientist. During the time he called San Francisco home, he also worked in makeup for various top brands in both sales and as an artist. He was a top seller who honed his art in tandem, eventually being recognized by makeu...

Building It Like A Boss. Designer Rebecca Minkoff and Story + Rain founder and Editor-in-Chief, Tamara Rappa, go way back. Tamara knew Rebecca before she made her first handbag and before she met her husband. So she was excited to have a structured, sit-down conversation with Rebecca, who has built her brand in a big way and created the gravely important, Female Founder Collective. In this episode...

Pioneering Through The Pandemic. Chef Angie Mar’s unapologetic and over-the-top approach to food, life, and style is contagious. During one of the most stressful times in the chef, author, and entrepreneur’s career, we sat down with her to discuss how her storied, landmark restaurant, @beatrice_inn, has pivoted during the COVID19 pandemic both to serve the community, and the staff that she calls f...

More Than A Brush With Success. As a child and teen, Danielle Priano was abandoned by and passed around her family, she once lived in a halfway house, ended up in jail, and worked at a massage parlor at age 16. Until kismet happened, and she married the skill and love she’d had for doing hair since she was a little girl, with a fateful entry into beauty school. There, she fell in love with her wor...

A Timeless Vision For Those In The Spotlight. Hollywood runs through photographer Randall Slavin’s veins. He was born in the city of stars and learned and honed his craft at a none other than a headshot studio right off of famed Sunset Boulevard. When Story + Rain founder and EIC Tamara first met Randall, she had just moved to LA to work as a celebrity stylist and one of their most memorable shoot...

Pop Culture And The Pandemic. Our fashion panel is back with fashion + lifestyle expert and television personality, Robert Verdi, CBS Watch Style Director Sasha Charnin Morrison, and marketing + digital strategist and podcast host, Aliza Licht joined by Story + Rain Editor-in-Chief and founder, Tamara Rappa. In this episode, the group is giving their perspective on pop culture and the pandemic. We...

The Art Of Jewelry. Kimberly McDonald changed a part of the fine jewelry business forever. When she first began the second iteration of her career, she launched with a distinctly signature look: no one was working with geodes in the way that she was. Prior to Kimberly McDonald's entry into the luxury and fine jewelry markets, geodes and raw crystals had been treated casually and simply, often...

Building A Cult Brand With Passion, Integrity, And A Meticulous Eye. Celebrity facialist, skin expert and founder Of Joanna Vargas Salons and skincare, Joanna Vargas, was an early champion of plant-based beauty. With a degree in photography, an elevated aesthetic, a passion for science, and a longstanding interest in wellness, Joanna’s skincare line uniquely combines a clean and a luxury approach:...

Making Music And Making Waves. Jenna Andrews is a music industry force to be reckoned with: she is young, connected, driven, determined, and strong. And while she started out as a performer, she has found her power in producing, songwriting, mentoring and managing talent. She co-founded TwentySeven Music Publishing, and is an A+R consultant for Barry Weiss' RECORDS label. She’s written and co...

Elevating The Everyday With Food. An Instagram Live Podcast Recipe Box Banter. Aside from winning Chopped and other international food competitions, perfecting the plates at Sweetgreen, and cooking private dinners, Flannery is Executive Chef at Kin Travel, a sustainable tourism company, and sailing around the world with the Sailing Collective manning the galleys of private sailboats in her swimsui...

How To Be Well During The COVID-19 Pandemic. A pioneer of integrative and functional medicine, Dr. Frank Lipman is the founder of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City. He is the best-selling author of five books, an international speaker, and Chief Medical Officer at The Well in New York City. In this conversation, we’re getting real and detailed about the current COVID-19 pandemic and h...