Stacy London on Her Mission to Demystify Menopause in New PinterestTV Series

Adriana Lee
·4 min read

As long-running cohost and stylist on the beloved series “What Not to Wear” (2003-2013), transformation was always Stacy London’s thing. But more recently, the fashion expert set her sights on making women over in a new way — by blasting the taboo off of the topic of menopause — and the latest vehicle to spread her message is coming to a Pinterest board near you.

This week marks the start of London’s new exclusive PinterestTV chat show, “Midlife Magic,” a series of fireside chats focused on key areas that affect the lives of women, from wellness and menstruation to, of course, menopause.

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Frankly, it’s her favorite topic. After building a high-profile career teaching people about fashion, London cofounded the State of Menopause women’s health brand in 2021 to cater to female shoppers in this age range and stage of life. In an October event hosted by the company in Brooklyn, New York, she explained her motivation: When she reached perimenopause, she said, the experience made her feel lonely, confused and afraid, “and I really didn’t know when I was going through it that there was any help to be had anywhere.”

It was an overwhelming experience because she didn’t understand what was happening to her, she recounted.

One month later, when London shuttered the company, it was clear that the business was more of a path than a destination. So her words, about the need to connect and learn more about menopause, were akin to breadcrumbs pointing to her next stop.

“Having spent years in the styling industry, I recognized the need for a culture that openly discusses midlife topics without taboo,” London told WWD. “Through my PinterestTV show, ‘Midlife Magic,’ I will speak to female founders and highlight the products revolutionizing the discourse surrounding menopause and health.”

In terms of plans, it doesn’t get more straightforward than that — which, when it comes to menopause, just might be a radical approach. The guests delivering all that straight talk on this and other topics include female founders in wellness and consumer products such as Omisade Burney-Scott, founder of Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause; Gwen Floyd, chief executive officer of Wile; Alicia Jackson, CEO of Evernow, and Barb Dehn of Peppy Health.

As for connection, the show’s social bookmarking platform can help with that.

“Pinterest is a playground for inspiration and fosters unparalleled community on other social platforms, [and] it’s the perfect place to connect people and spark creativity,” continued London. She’s perhaps the best example of that herself, since she was also the first featured guest for Pinterest’s “board drop” for International Women’s Day. She curated inspiring quotes for the occasion and shared messages, as a special Pinterest board that’s separate from her own. The latter one that she maintains features shopable products ranging from skin care to workout gear.

Beyond shopping and social networking features, however, she seems to find a deeper kinship with the tech partner, describing it as an “inclusive” place that offers education for people of any age.

According to Pinterest data, she’s well positioned to build women up, as eight in 10 people use the platform to “feel positive.” Based on research through a partnership with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, the tech company also said that just 10 minutes a day on its boards can “buffer against burnout, stress and social disconnectedness among Gen Z.”

If that’s true, it would certainly stand out against waves of other research and reports that depict the detrimental effects of other social media platforms — which, in Instagram’s case, was reportedly its own finding.

Of course, Pinterest wants to keep the good vibes flowing, both for its partner and what she can bring to pinners everywhere.

“I’ve been following Stacy’s career for as long as I can remember, and I was thrilled at the opportunity to come together on something exciting,” Nadine Zylstra, Pinterest’s head of programming and originals, told WWD. “Our data shows that women across all generations are challenging stereotypes and societal norms, making Stacy an ideal partner to raise awareness on topics such as menstrual cycles and menopause.”

To celebrate women and “their power to create a life they love,” she added, “who better than Stacy to help us achieve our mission?”

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