“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.”
When you’re sitting in a never-ending magazine runlist meeting and the fashion editor busts out your favorite line from Devil Wears Prada, you know you’re gonna be friends.
Meet Becky Malinsky, my former colleague at LA Confidential (among other titles) and now Fashion Market Editor at Glamour. Her dry sense of humor and impeccable timing have always impacted her quirky sense of style — an overflowing fashion closet would often inspire Miranda Priestly impressions aided by gaudy jewels, mismatched designer prints and feathered boas: “Is it impossible to find a lovely, slender, female paratrooper? Am I reaching for the stars here?”
But don’t let that light-hearted spirit fool you, this girl is an encyclopedia of what’s hot in fashion right now (and a year from now and the year after that). I reconnected with Becky to hear how her new Conde digs are treating her:
Julie Bensman: Did you always want to be a fashion editor?
Becky Malinsky: The funny thing about New York is that you have to be here to find a job. Since my days as a journalism major, I knew I wanted to work at a fashion magazine, but putting out resumes in Madison, Wisconsin wasn’t cutting it. After graduation, I moved to NYC, took meetings with anyone who would see me and after a few odd PR jobs, landed at Lucky magazine as a Market Assistant. The best thing I’ve ever done for my career was bring a stack of current trend boards to my first interview there. I blew all my competition out of the water and was hired a few days later. From there, I moved into a Sittings Assistant role at GQ, a fashion editor role at Niche Media (styling covers and writing fashion news) and countless freelance styling and writing gigs…which eventually led me to Glamour.
JB: What’s the biggest challenge of being a market editor?
BM: Finding enough hours in the day! At Glamour, I cover all American ready-to-wear. In one day, I could have appointments with brands from Forever21 to Oscar de la Renta. I’m constantly on the go and have to seriously prioritize my time to research great new talent and find the best pieces for our constant shoot schedule.
JB: When was the last time you thought, “Now THIS is why I love my job…”
BM: It sounds cheesy, but I think that every day. I love trend forecasting and imagining new ways to shoot collections. I love being in the showrooms, dissecting the technical details that go into each garment. Today, at Alexander Wang, I got to experiment with a heat gun to change the color of their heat-tech leather Fall 2014 collection. Not many people get to say they did that at work!
JB: How does Glamour‘s style POV stand out in a sea of fashion mags?
BM: Glamour is such an important voice because it really represents the modern American woman. When creating our pages, we’re really conscious of her busy schedule: she works, and she wants to enjoy her time when she’s not working. We like to make her feel like she can be a part of the trends at any price point.
JB: Which new collections are you really excited about right now?
BM: Right now, I’m in love with a new label out of London called Studio Nicholson. I discovered them at a tradeshow this past winter and want everything from their most recent collection. Think super simple clean lines. Another up-and-comer to watch is Chadwick Bell. His pieces are so special — you have to see the detailing in person. He also does the best white poplin tops to layer under everything! Finally, the show at NYFW I would never miss is Altuzarra. He has only been around a few years, but in that time, has built an impressive fashion following and never fails to set the trends.
JB: If you could live in one outfit for the rest of time, what would it be?
BM: I haven’t changed this answer since I was 12 years old: Navy A-line skirt, crisp white shirt, black tights and Chelsea boots.
JB: Your spring shopping wish list?
BM: All I want this spring is the Dries Van Noten sheer, embellished dress to layer over everything.
JB: Best shopping gem in NYC?
BM: It’s pretty hard for me to leave Creatures of Comfort without buying anything.
