The New York Times Names New Fashion Director and Chief Fashion Critic

Vanessa Friedman, currently the fashion editor of the Financial Times (FT), has been named fashion director and chief fashion critic for The New York Times. She will take up her position next month and lead global fashion coverage for both The New York Times and International New York Times on all platforms.

Ms. Friedman was the first fashion editor at the FT, a position she has held since 2003. Previously, she was the features/fashion director for the launch of UK InStyle and she contributed regularly to The Economist, The New Yorker, Vogue and Entertainment Weekly.

In making the announcement of Ms. Friedman's hire, Jill Abramson, the executive editor of The New York Times said, "I'm thrilled to welcome Vanessa to The Times. She is the perfect journalist to be our leading voice on global fashion."

Additionally, Alexandra Jacobs has been promoted to fashion critic and fashion features writer. Ms. Jacobs, currently an editor in the Styles section and a frequent contributor to The New York Times Book Review, was editor-at-large at The New York Observer before joining The Times in 2010. She has also been a contributing writer at The New Yorker and Elle, as well as a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly.

Ms. Friedman and Ms. Jacobs join an already strong team of fashion and style journalists. With Deborah Needleman, the editor of T Magazine, and Stuart Emmrich, the Styles editor of The Times, they will play key roles in the International New York Times's annual Luxury conference. The event, now in its fourteenth year, will take place this year at the Mandarin Oriental Miami Hotel from December 1-3. The two-day program, timed to coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach, will examine how the businesses of luxury and art are inextricably linked.

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