Alexandra Shulman CBE

About

Alexandra Shulman CBE

Alexandra Shulman CBE started her career in the music industry, which is where she thought she wanted to work.  After two jobs in different record companies – fired from both – she realised this may not have been her calling. Alexandra was hired for a temporary job as secretary to the Editor of a Over21 magazine, moved to become a features writer on Tatler later became Women’s Page editor at The Sunday telegraph which had newly moved to Canary Wharf. She was 27, the youngest women’s page editor of the time.  It was a time when young women were in high demand in the media, and she felt lucky to be riding that wave. Alexandra left to return to magazines as features editor of Vogue, then she was made the first women editor of a man’s glossy when she took over newly launched GQ. Two years later in 1992 Alexandra was appointed Editor in Chief of British Vogue.  Her tenure there was known for celebrating women who were not only fashion models and movie stars but professionals and working in different spheres. She published the first High Street issue and her tenure was known for not featuring diets or cosmetic surgery and for insightful and well written journalism, to accompany amazing fashion photography. In 2005, Alexandra was awarded an OBE for services to fashion journalism. In 2017, Alexandra was awarded an CBE for services to fashion journalism.

During those 25 years she joined the board of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity where she created a partnership between the hospital and Ralph Lauren, and was also for 8 year a Trustee of The National Portrait Gallery. Alexandra left Vogue after 25 in the job to have a different life in 2017.  25 years at the same desk was enough.  She jumped without a plan and she has spoken and written on what it is like to do this. Currently Alexandra is a contracted writer for The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday and frequently writes for a variety of other publications. She is Vice President of The London Library, Trustee of The Wallace Collection and a speaker. Alexandra has written four books – 2 novels, a diary of Vogue’s Centenary year and her memoir Clothes… and other things that matter.