Suzy Menkes is the world’s most famous fashion journalist. Frank, fearless and free from editorial constraints, she has built a reputation for having a strong and independent point of view. She brings to her worldwide audience a deep knowledge and love of fashion, and the benefit of decades of experience – she has known all the greats of couture, and charted the careers of fashion luminaries from their graduate shows to their current creative directorships.
As well as being a prolific journalist and the author of several books on fashion and jewellery design, Suzy is highly active on social media, with more than 700,000 followers on her Instagram account, @SuzyMenkes.
During the first lockdown of 2020, she launched her podcast, Creative Conversations with Suzy Menkes. Here she presents in-depth interviews with the fashion industry’s most influential designers, thinkers and executives, including Duro Olowu, Giancarlo Giammetti, Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior, Marine Serre, Michael Kors and Natalia Vodianova.
In her previous role as Editor, Vogue International (2014-2020), she reported for 26 print and digital editions of Vogue in 18 languages, reaching an audience of over 74 million.
Unique among fashion editors, Suzy trained as a historian at Cambridge University, where she became the first female editor of Varsity, the renowned student newspaper. Her academic training enables her to look beyond immediate trends to analyse changing styles in a social context.
She devised the luxury conference concept in 2001, while Fashion Editor of the International Herald Tribune, and has since successfully hosted conferences all over the world for the IHT, the International New York Times, and Condé Nast International. The conferences explored the most important issues and opportunities for leaders of the global luxury and fashion industry, and speakers included Karl Lagerfeld; Naomi Campbell; Maria Grazia Chiuri; Federico Marchetti; Jony Ive; Antoine Arnault; Alexandre Arnault; Huda Kattan; Alber Elbaz; Tory Burch; Elie Saab; Nadja Swarovski; Olivier Rousteing; Marc Newson; Anya Hindmarch; Jason Wu and many other fashion luminaries.
Suzy is a member of the French National Order of the Légion d’Honneur, which she was awarded in 2005, and holds the rank of Chevalier. She was also awarded the Order of the British Empire for Services to Fashion Journalism.
In 2013, she was awarded the Fiorino d’Oro — the highest honour of the City of Florence — in recognition of her contribution to Florentine culture and arts. Later that year, she received a Special Recognition Award at the British Fashion Awards.
In 2014, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by CEW — Cosmetic Executive Women.
In 2015 Suzy received the keys to the City of Florence from Mayor Dario Nardella, while hosting the first Condé Nast International Luxury Conference in the Palazzo Vecchio. Italy also honoured Suzy Menkes as Freeman of Milan in 1987.
In 2016, Suzy was awarded honorary citizenship of the City of Seoul from the late Mayor Park Won-Soon, while hosting the second edition of the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference.
Career
Creation of the “Creative Conversations With Suzy Menkes” podcast (2020)
Editor, Vogue International (2014 – 2020)
Fashion Editor, The International Herald Tribune (1988‑2014)
Fashion Editor, The Independent (1987‑88)
Fashion Editor, The Times (1980‑87)
Women’s Editor, The Daily Express (1977‑80)
Fashion Editor, The Evening Standard (1969‑77)
Junior Reporter, The Times (1966‑69)
Books (from a selection)
Queen and Country (1992)
The Windsor Style (1987)
The Royal Jewels (1985)
The Knitwear Revolution: Designer Patterns to Make (1983)