Vanessa Friedman

I have been the fashion director and chief fashion critic of The New York Times since 2014.

What I Cover

I focus on fashion as an expression of political, social and cultural identity at a specific moment in time, especially how it is used by those in the public eye to communicate values and influence opinion. I look at how designers translate that into products for all of us on the runway, as well as the evolution of fashion into a part of pop culture. And I examine the way all of that influences the larger business of fashion, one of the world’s biggest industries.

My Background

I joined The Times in 2014 after 11 years at the Financial Times, five of them in London. I was the FT’s first fashion editor, and the FT was my first all-fashion job. Before that I focused on culture coverage at magazines such as InStyle, The Economist and The New Yorker. I have won the Fashion Group International’s Media Award, the Front Page award for fashion writing, and the Fashion/Beauty Monitor award for fashion journalist of the year. I graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in history, and live in Brooklyn with my family.

Journalistic Ethics

The Times has an extensive ethics policy, which all Times journalists follow. I don’t accept press trips (flights and hotels) to cover faraway shows or presentations, nor gifts such as clothes or handbags, and I cannot directly hold stock in any companies I cover. Whenever I contact people for information, I identify myself as a reporter for The Times. If I grant anonymity to a source, I always abide by that agreement. I do not actively participate in political causes. I vote.

• Email: vanessa.friedman@nytimes.com

• X: @VVfriedman