Stella Bugbee, former Editor-in-Chief of The Cut, talks about her career in fashion journalism, her childhood fascination with magazines, her struggles with illness and ambition, and the importance of promoting inclusion for artists with disabilities. They also discuss the shifting perception of time and success due to the pandemic, and the differences between reporting and attending events like the Met Gala.
Fashion should be a personal form of self-expression that embraces individuality and inclusivity.
The Cut aimed to challenge traditional prescriptive and exclusionary fashion journalism, embracing complexity and contradictions.
Fashion coverage at The New York Times aims to provide insightful, thought-provoking, and inclusive content that goes beyond traditional fashion journalism.
Deep dives
Embracing Individuality and Inclusivity in Fashion and Style
Stella Bugbee, the Styles Editor at the New York Times, discusses her passion for fashion and style, emphasizing the importance of embracing individuality and inclusivity in the industry. She believes that fashion should not be prescriptive or exclusionary, but rather a personal form of self-expression that everyone can enjoy and participate in. Stella aims to create a space where people can freely express themselves and cultivate their own relationship with fashion, encouraging them to think beyond traditional hierarchies and embrace both high and low fashion. She also highlights the intersection between fashion and power, recognizing the impact that clothing and personal style can have on social currency and the way individuals are perceived and treated.
Building a Unique and Impactful Publication: The Cut
Stella Bugbee's role as the editor of The Cut allowed her to create a magazine and brand that blended a smart, funny, and clear-eyed look at fashion, beauty, and important issues for women. The publication aimed to challenge the traditional prescriptive and exclusionary nature of fashion journalism. Stella focused on creating a community where contributors could freely express themselves and discuss various topics in a tone and style that resonated with them. The Cut embraced complexity and contradictions, encouraging the exploration of high and low fashion, serious and silly topics, and merging fashion with politics. Stella's passion for fashion, combined with her editorial vision and clear sense of story, helped make The Cut a unique and impactful publication.
Approaching Fashion Coverage with Objectivity and Ambition
Stella Bugbee discusses her approach to fashion coverage at The New York Times. She explains that coverage decisions are based on a variety of factors, including news value, reader interest, and ambitious targets. Stella and her team aim to introduce readers to interesting figures in the fashion industry, provide new perspectives on fashion-related news, and create content that will engage and ignite conversations among readers. While covering events like the Met Gala may be exciting, Stella emphasizes the need to maintain objectivity and not become a participant in the events being covered. The goal is to provide readers with insightful, thought-provoking, and inclusive fashion coverage that goes beyond traditional fashion journalism.
Career transitions and unexpected opportunities
The podcast episode explores Stella Bugbee's career transitions, highlighting her move from working at Ogilvy to joining Domino magazine and eventually becoming the editorial director of The Cut. Bugbee discusses her unexpected pregnancies and the challenges she faced in balancing her career and family. Despite moments of uncertainty, she seized opportunities and embraced change, leading to significant achievements and personal growth.
Fashion industry, personal style, and body inclusivity
Bugbee reflects on her relationship with the fashion industry and the pressure to constantly change and keep up with trends. She emphasizes the importance of cultivating one's own personal style and finding confidence in individual preferences, rather than being swayed by external influences. Bugbee also discusses the issue of body inclusivity in fashion and the progress, as well as setbacks, she has observed within the industry.
Former Editor-in-Chief and President of New York Magazine’s The Cut and current Styles Editor of The New York Times—Stella Bugbee joins to discuss her remarkable career in the media industry, covering fashion, beauty, and culture as a journalist, editor, and creative director.
