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- [00:00]
Lauren Sherman
The holidays are not that far away and sure that season gets pretty crazy, but you can get ahead of it with Macy's. Macy's biggest fall sale is happening right now with 40 to 60% off fall essentials and everything you would need for the holidays. For women there are many great deals. 50% off dresses from Calvin Klein, D Can wine and Klein plus 60% off coats from Michael, Michael Kors and Karl Lagerfeld. Paris Cozy season is covered too. Cashmere sweaters are 60% off and you can grab designer handbags under $100 from brands like Michael Kors and DKNY. I'm also loving that women's shoes are 30 to 50% off and yes, diamond jewelry is up to 75% off. It's not just for the ladies though. There are suits from Calvin KLEIN those are 50 to 75% off. And for the kids, sweatshirts and dress up clothes are full 40 to 60% off plus Abercrombie Kids is 30% off. Basically, it's the perfect time to stock up. And now shop Smart for later. From October 17th through October 26th, shop@macy's.com or in store.
- [01:05]
Psalmsation Representative
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- [02:10]
Lauren Sherman
Hello and welcome to Fashion People. I'm Lauren Sherman, writer of Puck's fashion and beauty memo line Cheat. And today with me on the show is model, actress, podcaster and founder Molly Sims. We get into all of it plus up top. Jacob Gallagher from the New York Times joins me to discuss the appointment of Grace Wales Bonner as Creative Director of Menswear at Hermes. Before we get going, I wanted to remind you that if you like this podcast, you'll definitely love Puck, where I send an email called Line Cheat. If you're a fashion person, you get that reference. It's an original look at what's really going on inside the fashion and beauty industries. Line sheet is scoopy, analytical and above all, fun. Along with me, a subscription to Puck gains you access to an unmatched roster of experts reporting on powerful people and companies in entertainment, media, sports, politics, finance, the art world and much more. If you're interested listeners of fashion people get a discount. Just go to Puck News fashionpeople to join Puck or start a free trial. Happy Friday, everyone. This is a special little intro with none other than Jacob Gallagher of the New York Times. What's up, Jacob?
- [03:31]
Jacob Gallagher
Hi, Lauren. Good to talk to you again.
- [03:33]
Lauren Sherman
I'm so happy for you to be here. We had to emergency pod because of some breaking news that you broke.
- [03:39]
Jacob Gallagher
Yeah, I guess now it's if this is on Friday, this is four days after, but yeah, breaking insofar as it happened this week. But yeah.
- [03:48]
Lauren Sherman
Well, here's the thing. I don't know if I'll ever have to do an emergency pod unless someone like, even if, like anyone die.
- [03:57]
Jacob Gallagher
I was gonna say don't say a name. Don't put that out into the world.
- [04:00]
Lauren Sherman
You know, if someone there is like one person, if they die, I think I'll have to do an emergency pod. We all know who it is, but I don't think that person's gonna die for like 15 more years. I probably won't be doing this anymore anyway. So. For the past week we have been speculating on who might be the next designer of Hermes Menswear. And on Tuesday, the company announced via a story in the New York Times, don't credit other people. People don't link to the trades. It was Jacob who got the scoop. Although I did mention her name the day before. I just wanna say that, that Grace Wells Bonner is the new menswear creative director for menswear at Hermes. And I wanted to have you on really quickly to discuss and what you think about it. You've been covering her career since the beginning and you know probably more about Grace than any other reporter. So what, what do you think about this appointment?
- [04:57]
Jacob Gallagher
Well, you know, it's funny you said that because I. I think probably this is a designer who, you know, similar to a lot of designers that come out through London through the Central St. Martin pipeline. You know, I think she's someone that has a lot of name recognition and a lot of acclaim through the kind of British fashion universe. Like, I think here in America. I was probably one of the reporters that spoke with her the most, but, you know, certainly. And I want to give credit to, you know, all those reporters in the UK that have been covering her career, you know, since she was at Central St. Martin. I think that this is probably for her to speak about her first. This is probably the best appointment, you know, imaginable. I mean, there is something. I led my story with this, and a lot of people picked up on this same piece of an interview she did many years ago. And then, as if it came out of nowhere, we're not noting that I had gotten. That I had found this first. But she told System magazine many years ago that it was her dream to work at Hermes. I think that that's really valid. Like, she is that kind of designer where she has such a taste for craft and for, you know, I think. And that's such a trite thing to say, but I think it's very true for her, where she had a real eye for tailoring and for, you know, more sort, sartorial references and through lines that she wasn't always able to, I think, bring to life through her brand. A lot of the tailoring that she. In kind of outerwear, more formal outerwear that she would show on her Runway, was produced by Anderson Shepherd. And then there was always a question of how much of that would then make it to her commercial lines. And let's talk about Hermes. I mean, she. This is not an LVMH brand where it's going to be as much attention on pumping, pumping, pumping and getting. You know, I think I certainly. I think Hermes would like her collections to sell, but I think she's going to have a lot of room to explore again her sensibility and, And. And really, I think, offer this vision that she's always had. You bring it to life more. This, this kind of more suity, more romantic aspects of her brand. I can definitely see those coming through more. As for Hermes, I mean, you know, I, I think it's so hard to wrap my head around Veronique not being there. You know, she's been there for 37 years. Like, her smiling at the end of those Runway shows and doing the full walk and waving to everyone. Like, that's such an integral part of. Of what the. That menswear line was. And, you know, she had such an intimate understanding of what that their wealthy consumer wanted. I think that is probably, in my eyes, the big question for how Wales reaches kind of that entrenched, often older client that, that. That Hermes really has. There's a lot of excitement and vitality to what Grace does. I. I would love to see. I'm really curious how she's going to kind of broaden that scope to. To target that Hermes consumer, but she has a lot of time to do it. You. You had in her newsletter that she starts in June. She actually starts in January.
- [07:59]
Lauren Sherman
I'm aware it's been updated. So.
- [08:02]
Jacob Gallagher
So her first show is in January, so has more than a full year to work on this. And I think that that goes to show how Hermes is kind of a label that, though it is huge, it moves slower, it's going to give her time to develop.
- [08:14]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah. So I, I want to talk a little bit more about Grace, but first let's talk about Veronique and what can you discuss her sort of place in the menswear ecosystem? Because I really, I have gone. I don't go to, you know, I dip in and out of men's, but when I go, I do usually go to Hermes. And I find it to be like, everything about Hermes sort of like separate from the rest of the industry, but also for menswear in particular, she seemed really important. Like, it's like you all have an opinion about her, whereas I think in women's there's a much, a lot more noise, whereas she was a really big part of the conversation every single week. Can you, like, explain her as a designer? And also, like, what that. Who that customer is, is the customer, sort of the proto Loro Piana customer. And that's what Grace is going to have to be thinking about. Or like, where does Hermes Menswear fit into the menswear ecosystem?
- [09:20]
Jacob Gallagher
You know, it's tricky because as you say that, I'm thinking, where does Hermes Menswear fit in with Hermes? Like, we have to note that Hermes is a luxury house that has creative directors of so many. Like, Grace is now one of. I think at least I'm gonna get the number wrong. But it's like at least 10 creative directors that Hermes has under their whole umbrella. Because, you know, it's housewares, it's accessories, it's ties, it's scarves, it's bags, it's there. It is a very siloed design structure there. And obviously they all correspond and work together and it's a whole universe. When you go to the store but, you know, her focus is, is on menswear. And, and I, I think those Veronique shows, they would always listen. It was, it would, it would be easy to say, this was a designer who was there for 37 years. She's 71, she's leaving the brand. It, it never felt like it was getting stale or getting stodgy. It's, you know, it certainly wasn't guiding trend, per se, or it wasn't a show where you go and say, oh my God, this is the, the fit or the silhouette, the color of the season, what have you. But they were really strong clothes. There was always a lot of energy through texture and through color and what she was doing, you know. But then at the same time, like, I remember there were a few seasons where I was like, whoa, those pants are quite slender, or, you know, whoa, this is a more challenging silhouette here. She was really trying to shape that, that customer. But again, I'm saying shape that customer. The Hermes menswear business, you know, listen, it's a specific thing, the Runway to the store. I don't know if you, you know, went to their store here, if you would see all those clothes in the store. Like, I think we need to do, we need to recognize that a little bit how much there was concept on the Runway and how much there was the commercial sensibility. But, you know, they were very wearable, very lush, very opulent clothes. And you could see the kind of client there in the leather jackets and in the big sweaters. And that was really what they were kind of, I think, offering to that client.
- [11:16]
Lauren Sherman
The way Hermes works is that every store director buys the collection for the store. And this is very rare in, at this level of luxury to have that. So you go into a store and I've, I've mentioned this to people at Hermes that I think they should do like a pop up with Nadej's whole collection so that like fashion girls will want to go buy it. And I wonder if someday they'll do something like that, because you go and look at the rack and there's like a couple Runway pieces. But usually they are buying A, they're really focused on accessories and home, because that is what's driving a lot of the business. But B, it's really about like, who is the local client in Nashville or Miami or Lisbon, what are they buying and how can we customize for them? And I think the interesting thing to me about Veronique was that it didn't feel dated to me.
- [12:12]
Jacob Gallagher
No, I totally agree with that.
- [12:14]
Lauren Sherman
And and that is amazing. Like, let. What. Let's say we love Karl Lagerfeld.
- [12:20]
Psalmsation Representative
That.
- [12:20]
Lauren Sherman
That was not anything. It didn't connect. She was connecting to real humans in the, in her designs.
- [12:26]
Jacob Gallagher
Those were real and you could see them and they were. Of the conversation.
- [12:30]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah. But really quickly back to Grace and then I'll let you go because I don't, I don't want to keep you for too long. We could talk for an hour about this. But I think the one thing I'm curious about, what do you think's gonna happen? Because I had heard some stuff about her business and like, I went to her 10 year. I was in London and I got to go to her. Or maybe it was in Paris. Oh, it was Paris men's. I got to go to her 10 year show, which I think you were. You were on leave.
- [12:57]
Jacob Gallagher
I think I was on leave, yeah.
- [12:58]
Lauren Sherman
And it was great. She's really good. I went backstage. I really like her. She's. She's obviously also just how influential she has been on a lot of American designers. I think you're right that, like, she's not super well known in the US but she's been very influential. So, you know, like, I just whispered someone's name. We're not going to offend them right now. But she's. And I do think her, like her attention to detail, that when you're a really detailed designer, that becomes. That influences other designers. And. And so one, There are two, two parts to this question. One is, what do you think will happen with this business? Like, I wonder if they'll just keep it because Adidas carries the business. Everyone knows that. She would say that too. I'm sure. Maybe they'll keep the Adidas line as great. Maybe they'll keep doing that. But the other part is women's. And I think Leandra and I discussed her at length on Tuesday's episode. We didn't know, we recorded it on Monday that she was actually the designer. But I think there will be more overlap in the. Because now people just shop. Like men shop women's, women shop men. There's like a lot of. I have friends who buy Phoebe Filo male friends who buy Phoebe Filo shirts. Like, there's. There's more overlap. But I do, I have some of her pieces. Like, I'm a really big fan of her work. Do you think that she'll. Do you think she'll keep the business? And secondly, like, what do you think happens for her kind of expression as a womenswear designer?
- [14:32]
Jacob Gallagher
I think it's interesting because to me, what I always think of with her is kind of that she was, you know, there are trends that we've seen, like, to your point, about her influencing American designers, like, I think she, you know, as I said in my piece, like, and this is the Adidas collab, but she certainly deserves a lot of credit for pushing the samba back that, you know, that was part of like that moment with Adidas and Gucci and her and that I think the samba revival she gets a lot of credit for, but also that kind of sportswear hybrid. Like her tracksuits were a really popular item and continue to be like, that's kind of, I think the expression of her brand that we see the most is her jersey. You know, again, for, for probably commercial reasons and also just, just for, you know, what she was able to put forth production wise from the Runway to, to her stores. Where it goes from here, I don't know. I mean, this is, this is. She would be the first designer in a long time to have her own brand and also be doing Hermes. You know, I think we'll see. But certainly there is that legacy there. You know, La Mer and Margiela, they continued onward with their own brands, you know, post their time with Hermes. But, you know, I think we'll have to, you know, wait and see. This is, this is a designer who again, like, I've always thought like those Runway collections would feel really full and really thorough and there would be just that open question of how much of that would end up in stores. And I'm sure we heard a lot of the same rumors and speculation about where her business was and how much of, yeah, how, how frankly how real it was and how much of her sales did come from Adidas or what have you. But you know, I think whenever this happens, you know, it's just more, it's more financial resources, it's more, you know, production resources at one's disposal that, you know, hopefully she'll be able to flesh out her own brand further if that's what she desires. But you know, I think I, I just think and, and then, you know, we can kind of wrap it. But I'm, I'm, I'm really curious of how much that her, her hit making ability with Adidas. I mean, her Adidas collaboration now is, has been going on for so long and there are so many skews within that. I'll be curious. It's not like Hermes. You know, we're in a moment where designer sneakers are kind of fading and Over a little bit.
- [16:53]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [16:54]
Jacob Gallagher
But, you know, it's like, will she be able to pull something off like that with Hermes? You know what? How much is Hermes going to be looking for that from her? That would be really interesting because it's not like Hermes is a brand that in the past has had the hit shoe, the hit kind of accessory for men. They would be. I'll be really curious to see if she's able to kind of inject something like that into Hermes.
- [17:15]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah. And also how she'll work with Pierre Hardy, I think, who does the shoes. Shoes. I think Nadej has done a really good job working with him. Like the. We were. Leandra and I were talking about the cowboy boot. If you're going to buy a designer cowboy boot, it's going to be from Hermes now. And that has a lot to do with how they've been able to work together. Yeah. I mean, if I was advising her, I would say keep doing the Adidas line and close the rest of the business. Like, I personally think do this. Enjoy your life. Do the next 10 years. You can always look at what La Mer did. Like he did Hermes. He was doing his other line. He left. He really built out. Now that business is giant. It has just exploded. And I think if I was advising her, which they had. No one's paying me. That is what I would say to do. But I think it's going to be really interesting. I think with smart of them, I think it's amazing that she gets a year to. A year and a half really to. I really would have loved to see her project. Maybe someday.
- [18:20]
Jacob Gallagher
Someday. Someday.
- [18:22]
Lauren Sherman
Jacob, congrats again. And let's. You gotta come on soon. We gotta do a. Me, you and Becky. We'll figure out a good topic.
- [18:29]
Jacob Gallagher
We'll figure out a time. All right. Thanks, Lauren. Good to see you.
- [18:31]
Lauren Sherman
Thank you. Good to see you too. And now let's get going with Molly. Molly Sims. Welcome to Fashion People.
- [18:41]
Molly Sims
Hello, fashion people. We were just discussing I might be the first model ever on your show.
- [18:48]
Lauren Sherman
I think I need to start because we've definitely done more than a hundred episodes. I need to start being better. Are you. Do you do this with your podcast? Like when you have a 50th episode or 100th of episode, you do a sort of celebration. Are you all good at that?
- [19:05]
Molly Sims
Yeah, I'm good. I do it by years. So where on the rim is now four years old. Which is crazy because it's amazing for someone who didn't want to do a podcast. I'm still going.
- [19:19]
Lauren Sherman
It's with your really good friend, right?
- [19:21]
Molly Sims
Yeah, it's my best friend, Image Gormley. She lives in New Jersey. New York. And I mainly, I'm in New York now, but I mainly live on the west coast. And yeah, it's six kids between us, a tall one, a short one. You know, we're very different but very alike and it's really fun.
- [19:42]
Lauren Sherman
I mostly listen to it via clips on Instagram. Like when you had on, I think you had on your personal trainer or something about how much you should be strength training. Oh, yeah, Sarah rag came like four up 45 times for me.
- [20:01]
Molly Sims
But yeah, you were targeted, Lauren.
- [20:05]
Lauren Sherman
I mean, I was like, should I try to see this woman?
- [20:10]
Molly Sims
Actually, I was the girl in the back of soul cycle. When they were like, now we're gonna take our two pound weight. I was so like, oh my God, I can't. I'm gonna gain muscle from the two pound weight. Yeah, I was that girl.
- [20:27]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, you're. You're an inspiration all around. I wanna ask you. I, I wanna rewind, but I do wanna ask really quickly on this point because it's your friend and because you've been doing it now for four years. So you weren't at the beginning of. You're not Marc Maron, who's been doing it for 15 years, but you weren't like, that's during COVID area when era when a lot of podcasts got really popular. How is the parasocial relationship thing? Because you've been famous for a long time, but like, this is a different kind of famous. Do you feel. How is it like, do people DM you a lot? Do you get approached in public a lot more now? What. What is it like?
- [21:10]
Molly Sims
Yeah, I mean, who needs a TV show? No, I'm just joking. Or a film. No, I'm kidding. I think we kind of resonated, you know, we started the podcast because granted, not everybody needs to take my advice, listen to my advice, or even do my advice, whatever. But I was a little. I didn't love the gatekeeping of Hollywood, of beauty, of oh my God. I, you know, I got a lot of sleep and you know, when people, I'm from Kentucky, so people would ask me, like, okay, I've done this, I've starved for three days. I did this diet, I sat in, you know what I mean? Like, I went to we care. I did that. I was always honest. But what I found, when I would ask people, they wouldn't say like, what they really did. And I always found that and listen, we are four years now. You got Kylie Jenner giving you her under the muscle breast implant size, which, you know, we've just come so far. But at the time, it really bothered me. And the one thing Emisha and I were really good about, and I had a baby about two years, 18 months before she did. We were always really good about sharing information, meaning you gotta do this or you gotta do that, or I figured this out so you can never do this again. And it was just a safe place that I thought women could come and learn something. You're always going to learn something by the end of the. At the end of the episode. Whether it's the trick tips and tricks of an incredible actress or a plastic surgeon or I'm never doing this, or I don't know. I think it just came from a. A place of honestly, transparency.
- [23:06]
Lauren Sherman
I love it. I'm gonna ask you a bunch more questions about this later. On the subject of transparency. The first thing we usually ask, which we jumped into other things immediately, is what did you have for breakfast this morning?
- [23:20]
Molly Sims
I had Gray's scrambled eggs.
- [23:24]
Lauren Sherman
Oh, what are. What is Grace? What is Grace?
- [23:27]
Molly Sims
He just had. I made him scrambled eggs and then he didn't eat them. This is your kid. Okay. And then I ate them.
- [23:32]
Lauren Sherman
I like some, like, special Farm, wherever you are.
- [23:36]
Molly Sims
No, no, no, no. I made a scrambled eggs. And then there's this really very expensive, horrible, but amazing place called Round Swamp that you buy anything. It's. I mean, you can't walk out of there without at least spending $100. And you've only gotten like a half of a thing. But there are these cinnamon rolls, and we get them like once every two weeks is just like a treat. And he was a really good boy this weekend. And so I, I got him the cinnamon roll and then I ate the last two bites.
- [24:08]
Lauren Sherman
That's a perfect protein first. It's funny. So this is the second time Round Swamp has appeared on Fashion People. The first was with Nick Brown, I'm sure, you know, and he. He recommended the granola. And then one of my colleagues, John Arand, who writes about sports, he got the granola and he's been messaging me. He's like, I spent all this money on the granola. So we bought the granola. The granola is out of this world. I can't even imagine what the cinnamon crumbs are like. It's so good.
- [24:41]
Molly Sims
I mean, what they're very, very famous for. And I actually have a recipe that it's close. I'm Close to it. I've been in the Hampsons since 1999. I bought my first house with my first modeling money.
- [24:54]
Lauren Sherman
Amazing.
- [24:55]
Molly Sims
The chicken salad. The chicken salad is the single best chicken salad. I'm from the south so everything is made with mayonnaise but it is the single best chicken salad you will ever have. But it will cost you. It's a lot.
- [25:10]
Lauren Sherman
What I can recommend to our, our listeners who are not in Long island is order some of the stuff. We got the jam, we got the, we're big squirrel jam people in our house but we did buy some of this Ron Swamp. We bought the granol and if you are in the vicinity of Long island go to Round swamp and get this chicken salad and maybe a cinnamon roll.
- [25:33]
Molly Sims
Pretend you're going to like a really expensive dinner and you're not really going to eat a lot but it's going to be amazing. Right? That's you know I, you can't, I can't afford to go there. I mean it's so we literally do it like on special occasions but it is delicious.
- [25:51]
Lauren Sherman
So good. Okay. So you said you bought your first place with modeling money in the late 90s in the Hamptons. Tell me, I'm sure you've told the story a million times but how did you from the south, how did you get into modeling? What was the industry like when you entered the market and what were you sort of bringing other than being beautiful and engaging to the table for brands and all of that stuff?
- [26:19]
Molly Sims
I Lauren, I did not enter at a good, at a good time. I entered into the heroin chic era. Kate Moss who's incredible.
- [26:30]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [26:31]
Molly Sims
Rendezvous with a very famous photographer who took in incredible pictures of, of her at that time it was just very, very gaunt, very thin, very again very waif. Like the problem for me is that I wasn't a waif and I you know wasn't the bone structure was, was not built like that but I was at. I went to public school Murray, Kentucky. Shout Out. My mom and dad were self made. I've been working since I was 14, well 13. I was a full on babysitter but my mom and dad had two companies they bought the books back when you would go to college and your professor would be like got a second edition now because they want to make money and then my dad would buy back all the first editions and he would.
- [27:20]
Lauren Sherman
Oh interesting.
- [27:20]
Molly Sims
Yeah so that's kind of. And then my. They made like a recycling from the books to paper. It was a whole thing. I went to Vanderbilt.
- [27:29]
Lauren Sherman
Amazing.
- [27:30]
Molly Sims
I Wanted to be a lawyer. I've never met a dateline that I didn't. That I didn't love. I fully bought a subscription to Court TV for the Karen retrial. I. I just always want. That's what I always wanted to do until I was a in. In between my sophomore and junior year I went and worked on the Hill because I thought maybe political law. Clearly after that it was never happening because nothing ever gets done. But during that time I had some pictures made. I've been my height since I was. Oh my God, I'm a 41 shoe. I've been 5, 10 since I was in eighth grade for them. 5, 9, 510 since I was in eighth grade. I had, you know, school. Vanderbilt was amazing. I. I loved, tried out. So I don't want to like put anything down. I just. I'm just not the girl who like everyone does the same thing and looks the same. I appreciated it. I loved it. There's some incredible. My best friend who I work with now on a daily basis for why she's my legal counsel. By the way. She is incredible with a highlighter and a note and an email. But that just kind of. I don't know. For whatever reason, I just wanted to do a semester abroad. I was going to do the London School of Economics. I just wanted to do something. I was from Kentucky, got out of my comfort zone. I'm an hour and a half away in Tennessee. And then someone had said take some pictures. They got sent to New York. I went there for the summer with my mom and I was already. I have the letter to Vanderbilt in my journal. My dad, both my parents recently passed away.
- [29:20]
Lauren Sherman
I'm sorry.
- [29:21]
Molly Sims
So sad. That's horrible. But I found the letter and the letter was like, I am just taking one semester off. I have an opportunity to travel. Don't think I can make any money. And I will be back. And it's interesting because I found the postcards and that. And then I found one postcard. I was sent to Germany, which I was supposed to be sent to Greece because at the time, you know, how many magazines were in New York or in LA? I mean, maybe 10. But if you went to Europe, you had the opportunity of Italy, Mexico, Prague, I mean all over Portugal, wherever. You had so many opportunities to get tear sheets which made a book which made you could work. Long. Long story short, I ended up in Germany. I was really unhappy. I was told I was too heavy, I was overweight, I would never make it. They had actually forwarded my. Given me the ticket for the money, it was 780 something dollars. Told me that I would never be able to repay them. And my mom was like, you know, I was living with someone who. An older woman who didn't. Who I actually ended up loving, who didn't really speak English and I definitely didn't speak German. But I don't know. There was one day, one instant on one casting that I think they liked me. I was nice. I was kind of. I was a fucking worker. I mean today I work like I'm poor. Like I just. And then I just kind of learned, right? Like, yes, probably. Was I a size 6 Jean or a 4 Jean? I was, I mean it was really embarrassing when someone makes you go get your jeans out of your. Out of your suitcase and you just have come from chocolate chip cookie dough dipped in a frosty fry with a frosty and a fry from Wendy's. Like it was definitely a mind fuck. You know, I never knew. And I started When I was 21, 21, I think I started modeling 19, 20, 21. I never knew my nose was crooked. So it definitely. But then I just started figuring it out. And I also was that classic pretty. I wasn't, you know, I wasn't too skinny. I wasn't. And I just kind of just made it through that, you know, it was a very difficult time in my life.
- [31:51]
Lauren Sherman
Oh man.
- [31:52]
Molly Sims
Then I moved to London, but I found a postcard. And then when I was in London, I was like, I think I might can make money. I think I might can do this. And then I went to Paris and I tried it. I cut off all my hair, I dived, dyed it jet black. I tried so hard to be goth and emo. I try, I tried, I starved. I. God, I lived on rice, crackers and honey, which by the way is a carb on a carbon of sugar.
- [32:26]
Lauren Sherman
But when you're 20, if it's not that many calories, it all is the same, right?
- [32:31]
Molly Sims
Yeah. And then, then you kind of figure out that you're not that. And I don't know, I think my success was definitely not the prettiest, if we're not the tallest. But I was a good client. Like I would show up, I would do my job, I would, you know, I, I had cystic acne at the time, so it was always a little tricky with my skin. And you know, I have to tell you, you know, you're retouching, you're not. I mean with a pencil and a like hand, you're not like, let's fucking face. Tune it. But, yeah, I mean, I think, listen, it was really difficult. There's no way I don't have body dysmorphia to this day. You know, I always buy four times larger than my body type because I'm just so paranoid of. I remember my first when I kind of went over to hosting and acting. I remember a stylist came to me and she was like, okay, I've got, you know, I've got some looks for you. I have 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. And I was like, come again? I could not believe that because for me, getting into a size 0 or 10, I always had to be really disciplined. And like I said, I wasn't lifting the two pound weight and soul cycle. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, I mean, listen, I'm super resilient. I think for whatever it's worth. I got to travel. I got to figure out my. The world. I always say. I got to learn fashion. I got to live in London and be British and punky and learn about Vivienne Westwood and wear studs. Then I got to live in, you know, Paris and smoke and wear great jeans and no makeup, but make it look effortless with a lip. And then I got to be in Italy. And I mean, I don't know if I could live in Italy, but I mean, you know, dressed in a sexy slip dress. I don't know, I just, I. I grew in a different way and I got to. The best thing about it is my passport became bigger and I got to understand different cultures. I got to understand how different people are, but we're also the same, right? Like, it was a really good education while Vanderbilt. I didn't end up graduating. I got to be such a, like, more of a whole person in terms of, like, looking at the world. I just had my 50th birthday, and I cannot tell you how many people, they kept me alive, right? Like, I met my roommate and on the floor of a casting, and she was like Jessica Rabbit and I was dressed like a tree stump. And, you know, we've been best friends for 30 years, right? So I've made such incredible relationships in just that time. Even though it was fraught and difficult, it was good.
- [35:32]
Lauren Sherman
Do you think that because you started when you were in your early twenties and you a. Have obviously had a really solid family background, but also had that experience of going to college because I feel like 18 to 19 is really hard for a lot of people. And it's that separation from family and that for. And the gap year thing is so important for so many people. Do you think that going into it and being in these like really challenging situations that I'm sure still happen today, but the world has changed so much. It's probably morphed a bit. Do you think it gave, you said, the resilience? Do you think a lot of that came from the fact that you, you didn't start when you were 13 or 14 and you sort of.
- [36:19]
Molly Sims
I mean, Giselle and I always talked about that. You know, it's. I just. I graduated from call from high school, I went to my prom. I had two years, an hour, 45 minutes away in Braskin dorm having to be with, you know, women and figuring out the dynamics and the relationships and what works and what didn't and just figuring out life. How the do you do, you know? My mom was a great ironer. She was just like excellent with laundry. I'm really good at laundry. Just so, you know, shout I love you. But yes, I think it's super important. Like my son who just turned 13, I was on, I was on speakerphone and I don't know, we were talking about like, what I thought about college and what I thought about, you know, and I'm like, yeah, I don't. I don't know that they'll go to college. I don't know when they'll go, how they'll go. I don't know what that will look like. I literally thought Brooks was like, are you talking about me? Are you. Are you saying, like, you don't know? And anyway, I finished my call and I looked at him, I go, we're gonna figure it out. There's no. Everybody think, oh my God, I gotta get my kid into this. Oh my God, I gotta do. There are so many pieces. There's so many ways to cut that pie. And there is a recipe that looks so different, but could be just as delicious and amazing. And I think we get into this habit of like, oh my God, I gotta do this and then I've gotta do that and then I've gotta do this. And that's the one thing I mentor a lot of girls. And I'm like, girl, get ready with change. Say yes. Lean fucking in. There's not enough of that. I think it's incredibly for growth as a child. You need it. You need it. And it can look a lot of different ways, but I think it can be a slippery slope. I mean, I cannot imagine. You know, I was thinking someone was talking about Justin Bieber the other day, and I was thinking, I'm like brooks just turned 13, he's going into seventh grade. I'm like, I can't imagine fame hitting my 13 year old now. It was weird to put into perspective. I mean, I've known Justin Bieland, you know, we love him and his music and we've grown up with him. But now that I have that 13 year old, yeah, it's mind blowing how young some of these children started.
- [38:52]
Lauren Sherman
It really is. And now especially because everything is so instant and up close of the relationships you have with people and just the dynamics of celebrity now are so much even more complex. Used to be able to like get away and now he, he goes to Starbucks and it's, it's national news and.
- [39:13]
Molly Sims
That is, it's a heavy burden. Whether you're 13, 15, 60. It is a glass castle that I think people don't realize the pressure. I mean I'm, you know, I get insecure and I'm in like I'm not, not that I'm a nobody, I'm not saying that, but like I'm not. I can't imagine. Because it can be crippling.
- [39:39]
Lauren Sherman
It's almost like the kind of fame that Michael Jackson had. A lot of people have it now, whereas it was like a few. Elizabeth Taylor, Michael, Michael Jackson and I don't. Princess Diana and Carol, Carolyn Bessette, like they had a certain kind of insane fame that was scary that even for people watching. And now there are hundreds of people that have or thousands of people that have that level of fame and that is that it is, it's shocking commenting.
- [40:11]
Molly Sims
You know, just the, the freedom of a comment and it's, you know, look, I'm not able to read all of my comments, but sometimes you're like really kind of hurt my feelings. But again, resilience. I learned it quite young. By the time I got into hosting and acting, I don't think there was. Your calves are fat, you're too tall, you're too fat, you're too blonde, you're not dark enough. I was saying this to a little girl. I was, she was the only one and it was with us and she was from a neighboring state and she got cut and she was devastated. Yeah, listen to me. I go, I'm gonna tell you a couple stories and you're never gonna believe me. I go, you're gonna get cut and you're gonna get cut again and it's gonna make you better and it's gonna make you stronger and you're gonna cut again and you're gonna get told no. And here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna keep working and you're gonna keep opening that door. And I'm telling you, I sometimes think no is not always bad.
- [41:17]
Lauren Sherman
Right.
- [41:17]
Molly Sims
You learn from no.
- [41:19]
Lauren Sherman
Right.
- [41:19]
Molly Sims
You learn from things. Things not always working out. You know, you learn from rejection. Again, I'm, I'm, I'm not Mel Robbins. But I do believe that things sometimes happen. That is a red flag. I had something the other day and I'm like, I don't think I'm going to be able to work with this company. Like that's a huge red flag. And it was something so minor. But again you start to clock these things. Right. Like I have really strong boundaries now, Lauren that I, I'm from the south so I, I don't really have any. And so that is one thing that I've worked on and worked on and really kept precious with Stuber and my family. Like you know, having those boundaries and being very public but also like there's boundaries. Right?
- [42:09]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [42:10]
Molly Sims
Which is not easy in our business. Yeah.
- [42:16]
Lauren Sherman
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- [43:40]
Molly Sims
What was but sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't pay off in the way you think it's gonna pay off. But it might pay off in a different way. I think timing is everything. I'm sorry, I interrupted your question.
- [43:53]
Lauren Sherman
No, no, no. I was gonna. Maybe we can frame it that way. I wanna talk about the transition from modeling to acting and presenting cause because so many models try and don't do it. And you have had big acting career. It probably top five of famous models. When you look down and, and you're. You're a working actress who's been extremely successful at it. But I'm curious like, because thinking of your career as a business like Molly Sims Inc. What was the sort of turning point in mo modeling when you realized, oh, I'm not going to just make like a little money. I'm gonna make. I'm gonna be able to like build a life and a business around this. And was that turning point, like was it a failure or was it, you know, a big break or.
- [44:47]
Molly Sims
It wasn't a failure. I just knew that I couldn't stand there and just have people critique me all day long. Again, they weren't really critiquing me. They're critiquing the clothes and the photo and the thing. But I knew that I, I had a voice. I've always loved art. I've always loved, you know, again, I was not prolific in fashion, but I've always had a great appreciation for nice things and looking at things and how did they happen and how did that end up trending? You know, I've always kind of been curious naturally about that. I knew that I could not stand there day after day. And I don't, I don't know, it wasn't a one day thing. It was just. I just knew that I couldn't. And I listen, I was getting, I had gotten a turning point. You know, I'd stopped doing the shows. I had gotten on the COVID of French Vogue of September, which is, if anybody doesn't know, It's a pretty gain 2000. I'm living in Europe, I'm dating a Frenchman. I was taking the Concorde in Paris and then doing a, you know, doing a shoot in New York in the afternoon. But I knew something in me just kind of knew. And then, I don't know. And then I started working a little bit more back in New York and I was really tired one August and Europe shuts down. And I don't know, I had started doing a commercial and there was a very famous photographer, director named Matthew Ralston. And he was very video, he was very music. And then he started doing film. And I got this Old Navy commercial. And I only said three words, only, no, four words only at Old Navy. And I crushed it. I don't know. But I kind of got up there, I kind of did my thing and I really enjoyed it. And I ended up getting a CoverGirl contract. And within those kind of situations, I got to show my personality, right. But I was really tired one August and I was like, I think I'm gonna go to. I read about this class, this Sanford Meisner Isaacing intensive, whatever in the Valley. I don't even know how I found this thing. So I moved to LA for the month of August and like 2002, I don't even know. And I took this class and I didn't have any makeup on. No one really knew who I was. It was always at night. I'd go in, I'd drive on fucking Lankershim Boulevard. And I don't know, at the end of that class that month, I like, kind of like this start to know, kind of like what I'm doing. And then from that August, I took 77 red eyes and I did almost a two year acting course. During this whole time I was still modeling and trying to live in Paris and New York and you know, getting my part work done with my partner. My scenes and monologues and I don't know. And at that time, during that time I got mtv and you know, I remember I was. Chad was my producer, was like, I ended up getting it. It was after Shalom and Amber, Cindy had retired. They took over House of Style is what we're talking about.
- [48:24]
Lauren Sherman
Yes. And then I remember when you got it.
- [48:27]
Molly Sims
Yeah.
- [48:27]
Lauren Sherman
You know, and they were like relaunching it, right?
- [48:30]
Molly Sims
And I would stand there and he's like, okay, say your name. I'd be like, hi, guys, I'm Molly Sims. Welcome to House of Style. The only problem is I was so nervous and I didn't know what I was doing. And you know, I'd never done a cue car. I'd never. I'm like, how do I learn all this on a Cute, cute. I'm like, what the is happening? Right? And then I'm like, oh, you have to interview Elia. I was like, I'm not. And I've never interviewed anybody in my life. And I would sway. So people watching me would be drunk watching me because I would be like, hey guys, I'm Molly. And then I would sway back and forth on the screen. They made me watch myself 150 times. I ended up doing this show called Mission Makeover that Adam Share, who was the only friend in my business, he was at wme. I only knew him. And I ended up doing haccp styles, finishing my course, trying to model. And then they said, hey, there's this reoccurring three episode part to play Jimmy Khan's daughter. And I'm like, well, a. I'm not from New York and I don't have a bra. I don't have like, like a New York accent. Like, I can't pull that off. And they're like, I know, but whatever. Like, don't, don't worry, you're never gonna get it. Anyway. I remember because at the time, you have to remember, Lauren, you didn't want to come off as a model. And so I went to the audition. Jeans, a camo T shirt. Gary Scott Thompson called. They were like, does she not want to be, like, pretty or. I looked terrible. But then I did kind of lean into my modeling. I did kind of lean into it because I was so. I wouldn't have gotten to be where I was without it. And a lot of girls didn't do that. A lot of girls just gave up their modeling and I didn't. Anyway, I got the show. Then they made me a series regular. Like two, I don't know, three weeks later for a thing called upfronts, I'm like, I can't be a series regular and you're paying me no money. I'm making this and I'm making this in 10 minutes. And they're like, don't worry, nothing ever goes. It's only going to be like nine months, 24 episodes. I'm like, okay. But that seems like a lot. I don't even know. Anyway, five years later, we did it. I got the best acting experience of my life working with Jimmy Khan.
- [50:59]
Lauren Sherman
That's awesome.
- [51:00]
Molly Sims
I got to play tennis every day with him for four years. I got to.
- [51:05]
Lauren Sherman
Did you keep doing things like Victoria's Secret, that kind of thing?
- [51:08]
Molly Sims
When I drove my product, I still drive production. It's crazy. I'm like, don't worry. I'm last seen out on a four. I'm on a red eye, I'm in Paris. I will be there at 4 o' clock in the morning on Monday morning. And I was. I mean, IBA gave them like bonding insurance, heart attacks, but I did it.
- [51:29]
Lauren Sherman
How much of this is you in your head being like, okay, I need to be strategic here because doing this helps this other thing? Or is is it about more just like instinctual that you like to do the work and so you kept doing all the. As much as you could because that's.
- [51:49]
Psalmsation Representative
The way you are.
- [51:51]
Molly Sims
I mean, I didn't have money.
- [51:53]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [51:54]
Molly Sims
So I didn't grow. I mean, yes, we grew up upper middle class, but. But wasn't like, you know, my parents were not support. I mean, yes, they had the crazy phone bill from Europe, from Germany, that was like, this cannot happen again, but they did it. I'm a Gemini. I don't know. I don't know if it was just strategic or it was just, like, survival. I was always worried. I always have, like, a plan. Like, if something doesn't go through, I'm like, okay, I'm really good at pivoting. I'm really good at problem solving. I'm really good at. All right. I don't think this is gonna go my way. Right. Like, I don't. I think my timing has come to an end. Not in a bad way. I didn't feel like, oh, 30. I had an expiration date. But you also have to be realistic with the industry that you're in and how can you still stay relevant? Same thing that happened to me, you know, when I decided I wanted to have kids. Right. I had to stop being a fucking gypsy.
- [52:55]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, right.
- [52:56]
Molly Sims
Like, I walked by. I went to try to freeze my eggs when I was 35, and I walked by this cover of Heidi Klum, and I'm like, fuck her. I was like, fuck her. And it wasn't because she was on the COVID because she was married. She had four kids. She had this life that, like. I mean, I was one day here, four days there, you know, dating loser actor hipsters, like, who didn't have jobs, who could travel. Like, I. Yeah, it was. Yeah. You wake up one day and you're like, wait a second. And so, you know, I've had to sacrifice my acting career. I can't be a. In a trailer in Durango, Mexico, or I want to do something. There's this new John Hamm thing that's coming out that looks so good, and it's six months, and outside, it's. I don't even know. Canada mantra. What? Winnipeg. I mean, I mean, yeah, I would be divorced, but that would be fine, but, you know, you always have to try to figure it out.
- [54:00]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, but it is.
- [54:02]
Molly Sims
It is innate. It is innate that I. I do work hard.
- [54:07]
Lauren Sherman
Obviously, I love it. It's interesting. I moved to LA five years ago on. Not on a whim, but not for any particular reason. And now I have a lot of friends who work in the industry and a lot of female friends, directors, producers. I never really considered how difficult it is. And they all have young kids like me. And it really is not conducive to having children. Like, and for men, too. But obviously, a lot of pressure is put on women. I travel a lot for work, and so many people say to me, how do you leave? I mean, it's for at most two weeks and only a couple times a year. And I'm lucky. My husband has a flexible job, and we have amazing support, so we can. We can make it work. And my kid travels with us sometimes. But the point being that, like, if you're gonna go for six months to a set and your kid is seven, you're gonna take the kid, the kids out. Like, it's. And, yeah, and listen, I travel with.
- [55:14]
Molly Sims
Him is, you know, as much as we could. And he would work and then I would work. And we lived in Boston for Ted. We lived in, you know, we were. He did safe house. And so that, like, we did. But at one point, like, I'm there with three babies, and they're not social. They're not. This isn't conducive to, like, them being gypsies and them. And so then you start to feel. Not relevant. Then you start to feel like you're losing because you. You know, I never felt like I was losing. To be really truthful, you know, I don't really have fomo. I kind of check those boxes, which was really good about having kids late. I don't ever think, like, oh, my God, coulda, shoulda, woulda on that one. Like, I feel. And that's why I always say, like, if you can wait, if you can try to figure it out, you'll be a better mom. You know what I mean? Because trying to figure it out. You're always trying to figure it out. But if you can have more of a sense of who you are and be really solid, it's like the pilot of the plane put your seatbelt on your oxygen mask and get ready for that ride. Because it's a ride and you are the mom and you have to kind of navigate, but it's not really inclusive. It's not really. In Hollywood, aging is very hard. It's very much pressure. Maybe because I had such a pressure at an early young age, I don't feel it as much, but I feel it. I did a shoot the other day for a cover that's coming out, and I'm like, first time in a really long time. I felt 52. I was like, I need better lighting. Let's, let's that thing up. I was like, I'm a little like, you know, I'm like, got tape ins. And I'm like, maybe I'm gonna put some tape behind my neck. And like. But it was, you know, you start to become aware.
- [57:15]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [57:16]
Molly Sims
Yeah.
- [57:17]
Lauren Sherman
I don't have to tell you, you look amazing.
- [57:20]
Molly Sims
I, you know, I do have a skincare company, Lauren. But listen, I think it's always, I don't think I. And I, I can speak for women. And I, I know men have different. But I think sometimes women just think you have one chapter.
- [57:37]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [57:37]
Molly Sims
And you don't. You can have a lot of different chapters and you can live a lot of lives and it doesn't mean one's better than the next. You know, like, we were talking about this on the podcast. It's like, oh my God. I'm like, oh my God. I had so many incredible loves. Right? Like, it was so many incredible experiences and where I lived and what I did. And I just think that sometimes women get stuck. They're like their kids are gone or they're little and they're like feeling that all they're talking about is, oh my God, how did he sleep? And did you put the sleep sack on and what are you feeding him? And did he make the club soccer team that you hate? You know what I mean? I don't know.
- [58:17]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [58:21]
Molly Sims
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- [59:24]
Lauren Sherman
So you that sort of desire to keep your life moving, it sounds like. Let's talk about Beauty did the brand kind of come from? Because it's only two years old, which.
- [59:41]
Molly Sims
Is amazing because brand came from my manager. I wanted to. I was with the manager for a very, very long time in Hollywood, who I love, and I kind of wanted to. You have to understand, when I'm the girl who's always hawking the fucking product or I'm the girl at the end, that's the pretty picture. Somewhat retouched. Whatever. I'm the end game. I'm. I show up, I do my job, I leave. I'm really proud of it. But you have to understand, never being in the inception of something, be in the beginning of something. Creating something. No, I did not know that would be a skincare company. But it started naturally. I wrote a first book. My kids were my little ones. I only had one, I think, at the time. Then I had two. And the second one, the second book, I was trying to stay relevant. The third one, I was kind of writing this book called Unstuck. It's about kind of another chapter getting stuck, getting out of your comfort zone. Da da da da. But I'd started. I'd always read for my husband. Because you can make something doesn't mean you should try. You know, I. I feel like I have good taste. On. It might be not everybody's taste, but on what. What I like, what I don't like, how I see it, whatever. And it kind of started with Clea and Joanna. I was writing my second book, and it was called Everyday Chic. And I needed these women to help me. I was nesting and showing people how to get organized before they have a baby and what you do and how to do it. And. Anyway, they came into my house. We did the pantry. I'm in overalls. I'm seven months pregnant, and I don't know. I hear them in my. I hear them in my. My pantry. They're laughing, they're yelling at each other. I look at. I was like, Scar came in. I was like, what the fuck is happening in the house? Like, everything was pulled out. And. And I was like. I'm like, I really think these girls, like, I don't know, they kind of got something. And long story short, got him an agent. We did a AT&T, like, digital show, whatever. Sold it to Reese Witherspoon's company. Then we all got together, revamped it, sold it to Netflix. I don't. I don't do reality, but it was the first time, like, I felt like I was a part of something from the beginning. Yeah, right again, reality is not my thing. But just that feeling.
- [62:16]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [62:16]
Molly Sims
And then I kind of liked it. I don't know. And then my, My. My manager, I was like, I just, I want to kind of do something different. I was writing a second book and I was writing a third book, and I didn't want to go on a trail. I just didn't. I didn't want to go be in a trailer. I just. I didn't want to go and be gone for six months, three months. I'd just done the wrong missy. I had a script given to me from an elementary school teacher that I went to school with for my kids. Somehow I was like, I don't even know. Come back to me. I didn't really mean it because everybody in their mothers, brothers, sisters asked you to read a script. And then she came back to me and it was kind of like, kind of what I had gone through. One day you wake up and so those little seeds were all planted. And then I met this woman who was a really good friend of mine. She had incredible clients, but she was more in kind of the brand building part of our world, not just acting and tv. And she was like, listen, I think you're great. And I was like, bitch, it's not going to take me. I was like, what? And she was like, but I think you don't know what you want to do. And I was like, but I do. She's like, I don't really think you do. And so she was like, come back to me in a few months and give me kind of like a five year plan. I was like, what the fuck? I was like, I don't have a five year plan. But boy, did it get me focused. And boy did it get me strategic. And did it really make me think. And it really. And anyway, I ended up meeting a woman named Kim Kreuzberger who had just left a big company called. And I was Will Rogers standing there in the rain. Ayso. And she's like, oh my God, I haven't seen you in so long. And I was like, oh my God. How was everything? And she's like, good. I kind of went on off on my own now. I was like, really? She was like, yeah. I named it Pivot Projects. I was like, what are you pivoting? She goes, I'm kind of helping people figure out what they want to do. And I'm like, what? Anyway, it's awesome. She came to my house for two weeks. They went through my entire life. Fashion, interior, website, TikTok every, every part of my life. And they were like, there isn't anything that you like. I'm like, well, I like baking. I'm like, I don't want to be in fashion. I don't want to, like, I'm not a cook. I always burn. Like, I, I don't, I'm Southern. I can do, like, really amazing casseroles and things like that, but I can't do. And then, I don't know, on a whim, on the second to the last day, I was like, I've had this really bad problem with my skin. And I know this is going to sound weird, but I stopped everything. And she was like, okay. And so I went upstairs and I brought down like 15 products. And I was like, I start with this, then I do this, then I do, I do biologic research, P50. Then I do the sky tone, then I do wise clinical. And I was like, I don't know, whatever it's worth, but like, my hyperpigmentation is, like, crazy better. And I haven't done a laser, I haven't done a peel. I haven't done. And she was like, really? And about two weeks later, she was like, I want you to talk to someone. And that's how it started.
- [65:45]
Lauren Sherman
That's fascinating. Were you a PF50 1970 girl?
- [65:50]
Molly Sims
I was a biologique. P50 1970. We got it RIP about seven, seven months ago.
- [65:58]
Lauren Sherman
But now you have your own thing.
- [66:00]
Molly Sims
But now your favorite eggstads, that is the base of the biologic roughere without burning your face off.
- [66:07]
Lauren Sherman
That's good. And not smelling like a barbecue and.
- [66:10]
Molly Sims
Not feeling like you've been burned. Human barbecue and like, feeling like you've been burned. Yes. Listen, I crushed it. I sold, I sold millions of.
- [66:18]
Lauren Sherman
That's awesome.
- [66:19]
Molly Sims
That's why it took so long to develop that product because I had to get the ba. I mean, I would have one pad here with this strength, one pad. And what I realized that it was missing was all the things that I would do after. So ectoin humectants to make it not burn and rip and like, pull layers off of your skin. So that's what, that's why they're so successful.
- [66:47]
Lauren Sherman
So I know of Kim because of all the places she's worked. I've actually written about her before, and she's awesome. She has an amazing reputation. That's so interesting. I, I, I think I remember hearing that she was doing work with you at some point, but I didn't realize that is what she had had sort of developed. And there I have two more questions for you and maybe the. The la. We'll do the. The first one last. But so the big question for you is so you start this like how did you start the company? Did you raise money? Did you do it yourself? Did you. And also like go coming Into Beauty in 2023, which is only two years ago, which is crazy because I feel.
- [67:34]
Molly Sims
Like this brand, celebrity brands launching right before me and.
- [67:38]
Lauren Sherman
And it feels like it's been around for a long time. And I think you are a testament of having an amazing spokesperson and a person behind it who really believes in it, who happens to be famous is helpful and great. But the product has to be really good too. And you're this brand is. And what was it like coming in. What have you learned about the world of beauty that you didn't expect?
- [68:03]
Molly Sims
All of that ignorance is a blessing. I worked initially with a contract manufacturer and they were like, we've never done a deal like this. We'll help you. We'll take a certain percentage. And they helped me. And then I'm like, I think I can do this. And so they. I still work with them. I got them out and I'm like back to my old modeling money. All the things that I'd done. I'm like, I'm pulling my bonds, I'm pulling it. We were self funded for. Oh my God. It's going on five years. So the first four years. We raised money a little bit last summer and I needed it strategically. I needed. Let me tell you, I had no idea. I never knew that you could white label. You could just slap a label on, which I would never do. I never knew. I knew I. But I knew my shit. I'm not a chemist, but I've been in. There's never a French pharmacy that I haven't loved. I have getting shots in my ass of caffeine is mesotherapy. 30 years later, it's. It's called micro needling. I was definitely educated. I was definitely educated, but I was also educated in actives. I knew beta gluconolactone, I knew ectoin, I knew glycolic. I knew salicylic. I might knew not knew how to put them together and I didn't know like why. And I'm also hero driven. I don't believe that you need 17 lines of one product, right? Find your holy grail and make it great and make it do a lot of different things. I now have a master's at Harvard in business school. Kidding I can do ops. I can do supply chain. I can do social marketing. I am genius at hr. I can build really good teams of unicorns with no money. But it is the single hardest thing. Like, I was in the shower today, and I was like. And then you have this thing called the forecast, right? So you forecast that. Heck, you make the forecast. You're like, you go a couple hundred thousand over the forecast, then they. They double down on the forecast and make it foreign. And then, I don't know, you never kind of feel. But, yeah, we're crushing it. We're hoping. And then, I mean, Bull must be doing 10 million. It's insane and hard, awesome, expensive. And you have to buy all of this years in advance. But I love my team at Sephora. I got in last. They said yes. June 19th, my son's birthday last year. We launched this June 13th.
- [70:46]
Lauren Sherman
It's amazing.
- [70:47]
Molly Sims
So again, I mean, we're like a toddler walking. We just did. We just pulled up, and now we're taking steps. I have learned to appreciate every modeling job that I ever got. That at the end of it, I stood there and I'm like, man, you made a great product. But I think, you know, I always used to ask my husband, like, how is it that you can make a bad movie? How is it that you can make a bad product? How is it that you can. You work so hard. You again, the recipe, the pieces of the puzzle, the pie, however you cut it. And it's really hard. It's really, really, really hard.
- [71:28]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, it really is hard to make something good. Even if everyone involved, it's still unlikely. So when it happens, it feels like, wow, this amazing. But the thing. And this is my last question for you, throughout this conversation, what I have seen is that you have very good judgment. It might also be like high eq. But you're talking about the home edit ladies. And I had to. I was like, who is she talking about that organized her pantry? It was the home edit people who are. The fact that you saw that that could be something bigger than just them having this very lucrative but kind of private business, that they could be stars. You have very good judgment. You look at your career. You. And I know some of it is luck, but a lot of it is.
- [72:16]
Molly Sims
Obviously, I'm very picky, but I'm. I. When people ask me, I'm very easy to work for because I know exactly what I don't like. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but I'm like, no packaging is like that. I know if I like It. I know. If I don't like it, I know I don't take on a lot. Like, even my production company. Like, I was pitching on something in the other day, and this. My partner was like, tell them. I'm like, okay, but they could probably look it up on IMDb but, okay, I'll give the pitch. But I was like, damn, I do have a good slate. But I only have a slate because I don't take that much. Think about it. We look at 25 projects a week. Everybody. Oh, my God, everybody wants it. Everybody's. I mean, as you know, in Hollywood. Yeah, everybody wants everything. And I'm like, no, that. That's not what I want to make that I don't think I can get it made. If I have an inkling that I don't think I can get it made, I do not take it. It's too hard.
- [73:23]
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
- [73:24]
Molly Sims
Last Mrs. Parish, I called Liza Chasen and Kira Goldberg on in October of 2020, and I'm like, listen, I was actually calling Dana Spector about another book that the Live Constantine sisters had sold it to. And I'm like, why do these always get those men to do it? And I casually asked, whatever happened in that book, that was such a good title, but a woman wanting another woman's life. Be careful what you wish for. And she goes, well, she goes, you're never going to believe it. She goes, it's coming out of option in two days. I go, what? I go, dana, I know you don't know me. I know you know Scott Greenberg and you know my husband, Scott Stewart. I go, but if you could just hold this for two days. I'm not a producer, but I think I can make this shit happen. And she was like, I'm sure. She was like, yeah, sure, girl, but called Liza. I'm like, I'm telling you, I will get you the coverage. I will get somebody from my husband's company to get you the coverage. No, he was at. He was at Netflix at the time. I could get coverage, but I don't really never ask to get any coverage from somebody, but I'm like, I will figure it out. Call Kira. I'm like, get someone to read it, I'm telling you. And we're making it with. We're starting in September with Bob Zemeckis and Jennifer Lopez, and I don't know. I'm just like. I'm just, like, an engine that doesn't quit. I just, like, keep trying to start it up.
- [74:57]
Lauren Sherman
It's amazing. I love it. What's your next book gonna be about being an entrepreneur or a life of entrepreneurship?
- [75:07]
Molly Sims
I still kind of wanna go back to my idea about the third book because I think so many women just get so quickly defeated. And I just wish I could say just keep going, you know? But there's caveats. You have to know your why. What is your why? What is your why? You have to believe in it so much that you can live and die off of it, right? Like, you have to believe and not say that again. You have to believe. I told him I'm still on a podcast. I texted him.
- [75:41]
Lauren Sherman
I'm like, my husband just came in. It's.
- [75:43]
Molly Sims
Do not come in. He goes, I could see you because it's 102. I'm like, don't come in before 1. And he came in. Sorry, don't repeat this. But I. Yeah, I know. You have to be more passionate about it than anyone else, right? You have to. Like, when I was launching before those five celebrities, of course, I always feel like everybody can play in the same sandbox, but, boy, it went back to my modeling days of, like, really? Do we really need another celebrity skincare brand? And it just. Again, it was kind of like that resilience in me. I'm like, well, this actually isn't one. This is a routine for hyperpigmentation. Anybody who's had a baby, and it works. It's all about really good actives being consistent, having them clinically tested. And I think, because I've always kind of had that chip on my shoulder isn't even as a model. Like, she's just pretty. She's just pretty. Like, I had it with a. With a fractional person the other day. I'm like, you're a fucking misogynist. And I. Before I went on my board meeting, I looked down. I was probably having a hot flash. I don't even know what the fuck was happening. I was so fucking hot. I looked down. I'm like, I will never. You are done in my mind. I don't care if you are the best piano. Like, you sucked, by the way, and turned on my zoom. And I'm like, let's fucking go out. 30 seconds cold. I didn't do LinkedIn. Cold. LinkedIn. This person who. I'm like, yes, it's really me. And yes, this is really weird that I'm writing on this platform. I don't even know it. And I. Two months later, I wrote, like, a passion letter to him. I'm like, I know this is gonna sound weird. I'm not trying to put down this. This huge star, but, like, I'm like, I'm the better bet. I'm like, I know it's fucking weird and you're gonna laugh when you read this sentence. I even said that. But I'm the better bet.
- [77:42]
Lauren Sherman
You are the. The better bet.
- [77:45]
Molly Sims
Molly L. Is gonna come in here.
- [77:47]
Lauren Sherman
No, you're. You're amazing. Thank you so much for spending so much time with us.
- [77:51]
Molly Sims
You're an incredible interviewer. We love your podcast. Have you on.
- [77:55]
Lauren Sherman
I would love to be on. That would be so fun. Have fun with your kids. And congrats on everything. Write the. Write the book.
- [78:02]
Molly Sims
I don't know. I mean, well, you'll help me, so.
- [78:05]
Lauren Sherman
Maybe you help me write it. Let's talk about it. We'll talk soon. Fashion People is a presentation of Odyssey in partnership with Puck. This show was produced and edited by Molly Nugent. Special thanks to our executive producers, Pull Puck co founder John Kelly, executive editor Ben Landy and director of editorial operations, Gabby Grossman. An additional thanks to the team at Odyssey, JD Crowley, Jenna Weiss Berman and Bob Tabador.
- [78:36]
Molly Sims
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