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Allure Magazine Fires Editor-in-Chief After Two Decades

Linda Wells.
Linda Wells. Photo: Joe Schildhorn /BFAnyc.com/BFA NYC

In a statement released today, Condé Nast confirmed that Linda Wells will no longer serve as editor-in-chief of Allure, a position she’s held since founding the magazine in 1991.

Wells started her career as an editor at Vogue, where she wrote about beauty, health, and wellness; she served as a beauty editor at The New York Times Magazine before founding Allure. The job earned her the No. 5 spot on Forbes’s 2009 “The Most Powerful Fashion Magazine Editors” list, as well as a loyal following for her thoughtful editor’s letters, including her final one, here.

The statement also announces that Michelle Lee, former editor-in-chief of Nylon, will be assuming the role, “effective immediately.”

“When Linda Wells launched Allure, it broke new ground and redefined the beauty category, and she leaves us with that rich heritage to build upon. Today we begin a new phase of innovation for the brand, with Michelle paving the way for the next wave of consumers who crave interactive beauty content that’s both inspiring and approachable,” Condé Nast president Bob Sauerberg said in the statement.

Wells will remain on the masthead, however, as “founding editor.”

Allure Magazine Fires Editor-in-Chief