Is Cosmopolitan set for an edgy rebrand? On Tuesday, Hearst Magazines announced that the publisher has poached Highsnobiety’s editor Willa Bennett to lead its youth-targeted titles Cosmopolitan and Seventeen. Bennett will succeed Jessica Giles.
At Highsnobiety, Bennett became the face of the once-upstart sneaker blog, now an established media company known for its events, sponsored content, and shopping recommendations. (And a mostly male audience, though that’s shifted in recent years, too.) Bennett previously led social media at GQ and is well connected in the New York media scene. And, like many people destined for success in fashion, she has a signature look: a tie, usually worn with a pleated skirt.
Giles was named the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan in 2018 during a major restructuring that combined the print and digital operations under one editor. Giles was previously on the digital side as the editor of Cosmopolitan.com and, before that, MarieClaire.com, a magazine that Hearst no longer owns.
Cosmopolitan magazine still has its longstanding reputation for provocative and creative sex advice. (For years, one of the more conservative Hearst family members, Victoria Hearst, petitioned that the magazine should only be sold to adults.) But in the last decade, it has focused more on politics and social issues and less on “what guys want during sex.” In 2022, for example, Giles interviewed Kamala Harris for the magazine’s mental-health issue. Recent cover stars include Ashley Park from Emily in Paris and Sabrina Carpenter.
Bennett’s recent covers at Highsnobiety include Pamela Anderson, A$AP Rocky, and Billie Eilish. She will start at Hearst in mid-September, but her first official issue for Cosmopolitan won’t arrive until 2025.
