Guest Editor: Marcia Kilgore

The genius behind Bliss, FitFlop, Beauty Pie, and more

The background: We met a gazillion years ago in my Sassy days when Marcia (pronounced “Mar-see-ah”) was the owner and operator of Let’s Face It, a cool-girl skincare destination in Soho where I believe she was the sole facialist. Everyone went there, including Kim Gordon, all the Sassy People, and Oprah! I feel like I blinked and all of a sudden Marcia was a badass business mogul who transformed her small one-woman business into a major skin-care empire called Bliss (maybe you’ve heard of it— ha!). She even graced the cover of Time in 1997, at the age of 29, as one of the new generation of entrepreneurs. Since then she’s gone on to create a bunch of highly successful brands like Soap & Glory which was acquired by Walgreens/Boots, FitFlop, and most recently Beauty Pie, where the skincare/makeup obsessed can get the same quality as luxury brand-name products for way less. And I’m sure she’s got something new and fun for us under her chic sleeve as I write this. Just want to say that not only is Marcia wildly successful, she’s also genuinely nice and refreshingly down to earth. She really has been such an inspiration to me for so many years, and I’ve been hounding her to do this forever. Even though she’s never not swamped, she finally said yes (and even wrote some of this in the car!). Thank you, Marcia!!!

Hometown: Canadian-born (a literal prairie girl), but entrepreneurial obsession led me to a long stint in NYC (where I opened the first Bliss).

Self-described style: Clean lines, loud opinions? Baggy Japanese anything? Understated but with one exceptional accessory (like Ron Arad’s felt hat, or a Yohji knit hat, or some extreme FitFlop hiking boots). It’s all about functional chic with a touch of ‘who gave her a creative budget?’

Style icons and why: Currently Greta Lee: A walking thesis on how to do fashion-forward without trying too hard. Razor-sharp roles, razor-sharper bob. Zoë Kravitz - Effortlessly undone but surgically chic. She somehow makes a white tank top feel like a full look. Tracee Ellis Ross - because she is joy in textile form. Fearless with color, bold with shape, and always laughing in couture. She wears confidence better than most wear tailoring. And always Fran Lebowitz, because she’s proof that style can also be intellectual.

Best thing about what I do: At Beauty Pie, inspiring women to get more out of life starting with a luxe Italian lipstick, or a seriously active Swiss moisturizer. Watching them get the glow and afford the groceries? That’s the high. At FitFlop, making killer shoes that not only look cool, but deliver hours of high energy to whoever’s wearing them. (Really, our platforms feel like sneakers.)

Worst thing about what I do: Having to explain to skeptical people who have been sucked in by the price-value equation (and L’Oréal’s brilliant brainwashing that ‘you’re worth it’, therefore why not spend a lot) that high-performance skincare doesn’t have to cost a bomb. (The myth of the $300 moisturizer should die, but it still has an excellent PR team, and that’s why I started Beauty Pie.)

Motto: Change the rules, or build a better game.

Caraa Sling in Medium (Black, obviously) Not quite a backpack, not quite a crossbody—basically, the Goldilocks of bags. It fits snugly, carries everything, and leaves you hands-free for the important stuff, like espresso or existential scrolling. Also: wipeable. Which is a trait I now require in both handbags and people.

Nili Lotan Shon Pant I’m not saying these trousers are a religion, but I am saying I’ve had existential dilemmas over how many colors I should own. The answer is: more. They’re flattering, just structured enough, and always up for a meeting/lunch/panic sprint to catch a train. Whenever I’m in her store, record-industry people are buying multiples.

Weighted Training Vest You haven’t truly rage-paced through a podcast until you’ve done it with an extra 10 pounds strapped to your torso. This is resistance training masquerading as a casual stroll, and it’s wildly addictive. Just avoid the camo prints, unless you’re auditioning for a Netflix survival show.

FitFlop Slip-On RTG Sneaker Cool like a Scandinavian architect. Cushy like a five-star hotel mattress. And shockingly fast— I swear these have some sort of propulsion system hidden in the sole. You’ll look sporty even when the only thing you’re running from is a group chat.

Jasper Conran for Wedgewood Giant Tea Cup
This is not a cup. It’s a chalice for life. It turns any tea— green, black, herbal, into a moment of quiet grandeur. The shape? Elegant. The handle? Perfect. You’ll feel five IQ points smarter just holding it.

10-Minute LED Mask While Meditating (Yes, Really) The future is here, and it involves lying flat with red lights beaming into your pores, over your neck, across the backs of your hands while a voice named “Kaitlyn” whispers mindfulness prompts. I look mildly robotic and slightly haunted during this ritual, but the results? Glowy skin, tighter collagen, better jawline. (Beauty Pie's LED masks are top-of-the-line, and 1/3 of the price of what's on the market, if you're a member.)

My Away Luggage Collection You haven’t truly travelled until you’ve glided through Heathrow with two fully-loaded coordinated Away cases in tow and one smug little hand still free for your oat flat white. Durable, glossy, and unnervingly obedient.

Japanese Paper Hats from Mature-Ha Ignore the name, treasure the hats. These paper-weave beauties are light, packable, breathable, and inexplicably chic. You can fold them up and put them in your pocket. I wear one every day pretty much all summer long, and people always ask me where it’s from, which I have to take as envy.

Sam Cooke’s Music Catalogue If Sam Cooke isn’t on your Spotify, please cancel your day and fix that. It’s the sound of love, heartbreak, hope, and a perfectly made Negroni. “A Change Is Gonna Come” should be a UN anthem. “Cupid” makes traffic bearable. And “You Send Me”? reminds me of what you sometimes forget to appreciate.

My Beauty Pie Membership My most-recent launch, and the beauty industry’s best-kept secret, but if you know, you know. You get luxe formulations (think: liquid ceramides, microencapsulated retinol, serious Swiss peptides) without the retailer markups. Shopping Italian lipstick direct from the warehouse? Yes, please. Screaming deal? Also yes. Monthly beauty hauls? Obviously!