Show Notes
Leigh Batnick Plessner is the chief creative officer of Catbird. Before landing at Catbird, Plessner graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in English literature and anthropology, and she worked at various DC coffee shops and as a cocktail waitress before landing a job in the children's room at renowned DC bookstore Politics and Prose. At the bookstore, she was eventually promoted to sidelines buyer, selecting everything for the store other than books. While in this position, she had the opportunity to go to various stationery shows, which prompted her to start a stationery brand of her own called Jezebel. In 2005, she met the founder of jewelry brand Catbird, Rony Vardi, at a stationery trade show. Soon after, she started working at the brand's storefront in New York. Eventually she transitioned out of running her stationery brand and into working full-time for Catbird. She grew with the company and now holds the role of chief creative officer, where she's responsible for the visual identity of the brand, including Catbird's partnerships with talent like Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers.
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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.
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.
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.
Danielle Pheloung is a content creator and cofounder of the fashion brand Phe Phe. Before amassing a following on social media and starting her own clothing company, Pheloung worked in finance. She started her career as an analyst at Morgan Stanley and later transitioned to working for Goldman Sachs as a private wealth management associate. Meanwhile, her sister Brigette McHale, otherwise known as Acquired Style online, was experiencing immense success on social media. Encouraged by her sister's success, Pheloung decided to start posting on TikTok. She showcased her corporate style and daily life while working a demanding job. Eventually, Pheloung made the decision to pursue content creation full time, leaving her position at Goldman Sachs. She continued to grow on social media, and with her sister, she launched Phe Phe in 2025. Today, Pheloung continues to make content and run Phe Phe, which recently launched its workwear line, inspired in part by Pheloung's first life in the corporate world.
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.