"Teen Vogue will save us all"
Elaine Welteroth, the only black woman and youngest-ever editor in chief of a Condé Nast publication, has revolutionized Teen Vogue. This “curly-haired” fashionista has bridged the gap between writing about fashion and politics, not only appealing to the teen population, but also capturing the attention of the adults. This 29-year-old editor in chief, led with the notion of broadening Teen Vogue’s scope beyond just beauty and fashion. In a time where politics and social issues were at its peak, she saw an open door to have this “teen magazine” stop avoiding and start acknowledging topics that their readers cared about; topics that included politics, social activism, and sexual identity. Apart from the lively, airy, and fun teen articles that focus on acne or trendy fashions, it has given a platform to these issues, reimagining the image of the magazine completely.
From the onset of the text, Hughes’s writing rung a clear resemblance to that of Roxanne Gay’s in “I Once Was Miss America.” Hughes begins by implementing her personal experiences to relate to the text used in her piece. Her form in writing this mentor text is extremely open and personal, focusing on real-time events that she is recording based on her interview with Vogue’s editor in chief, Elain Welteroth. Hughes maintains her writing in present tense when she highlights her personal anecdotes which she uses to build a relationship with the reader to later then switch to past tense when talking about her interview. A critical part to her writing is that she is extremely descriptive of her interview, starting from how she felt about the interview to the last words that Elaine spoke when expressing her role in Vogue. Hughes also keeps her writing structure in chronological order, making as if the reader were a part of the interview process as well. These techniques allow for the reader to understand the Interviewee a little better, especially since this article highlights the significance of her role in this teen magazine. Using quotes, Hughes accentuates, Elaine’s most important remarks while also dictating or narrating Elaine’s past experiences to describe her full journey in not only becoming edit in chief but revolutionizing the magazine’s image.
Through this piece it has become clear that thanks to the inspiring Elaine Welteroth, Teen Vogue is not just a “who wore it better” magazine rather than a “woke” piece of literature that everyone should divulge in.