Beyond Runway: Lindsay Peoples And The Power Of Fashion Diversity

By: Ema Nova

Whenever I am asked about Lindsay Peoples's work in fashion I can only think of her numerous magazine covers and aspiring work as an editor and writer. Therefore, no other fashion icon of color deserves to be mentioned first in this project.

Born in Wisconsin, Peoples graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in journalism. Lindsay Peoples Wagner began her career in fashion journalism with internships at Teen Vogue and style.com. As she progressed in that role she quickly became a voice in the industry, and as a result in 2018, She was appointed as the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, making history as one of the youngest editors to lead a Condé Nast publication. In that position, she covered a wide range of issues from fashion to politics, beauty, and social justice.

The editor-in-chief is a lead writer at a newspaper or magazine. They are in charge of overseeing every work done by each area of the magazine and what essentially goes to the final print.

As we view Lindsay Peoples's work as editor-in-chief of "The CUT", where she became the editor-in-chief in 2021, there is no denying that her work has been critical, touching topics that rarely talk in the fashion industry by people that occupied her position. Topics such as racism, climate change, mental health, and parenting, go beyond just fashion. Peoples and her team keep presenting some of the most significant fashion editorials and pushing boundaries with their covers but most importantly, they know how to use the culture strategically to their favor by inviting some of the most powerful and influential voices of our generation. A great example is how they used all the events or drama happening in Keke palmers life in their favor and strategically made her a cover of their issue.

Besides that, they have created a community that helps fast-forward fashion by making sure everyone can feel represented by their cover and by promoting body positivity, racial diversity, and gender representation in fashion and media. As if that wasn't enough, to make us admire her talent Lindsay it's also one of the founders of the "Black in Fashion Council" a tool that she uses to promote and advance Black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry. Her work reminds me a lot of Edward Enninful's work for British Vogue, and how he revived the magazine and created a fresh perspective based on diversity.

For these matters, Peoples Wagner has received praise for her dedication to amplifying diverse voices and driving positive change within the fashion industry. Her efforts have had a significant impact on the way fashion media addresses and embraces inclusivity. Some individuals in the industry even believe she should be considered as a successor for the position of editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine occupied by Anna Wintour.

See you soon, with love... Milênia!