Back Row refers to the place where I started my journalism career at New York magazine: the back row of a fashion show (which, in many cases, was the standing section). The seating chart represents a hierarchy. The closer you are to the front, the more you were deemed to “matter” by the industry.

Sitting in the back row, though, was freeing. I was an outsider looking in, able to report and write about what I observed without fear of upsetting the Establishment because I wasn’t part of the Establishment. And it’s this fearless, honest, outsider’s viewpoint that I bring to fashion and culture coverage in Back Row today. And it’s this kind of coverage that legacy media outlets are often wary to publish, which is why I decided to start this newsletter in late 2021. Back Row’s commentary has been highlighted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications.

Free subscribers get:

• Free stories, including commentary and Q&As, around once a week

Paid subscribers also get:

• At least two full issues per week, including original reporting, commentary, and Q&As

• Back Row’s juiciest articles, including the popular series “Retail Confessions,” which spotlights the surprising shopping habits of the world’s wealthiest people

• All regularly published Back Row stories, ad-free, plus all podcast episodes

• Access to the complete archive

• Access to comments

Founding subscribers also get:

• A $28 gift card to spend in the Back Row store

• A signed and inscribed copy of my book Anna: The Biography

About Me

I am the New York Times bestselling author of two books: ANNA: The Biography and Tales From the Back Row: An Outsider’s View from Inside the Fashion Industry. My third book, Gwyneth: The Biography, will be published July 29, 2025. My writing has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine, Time, and numerous other publications.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more fashion and culture coverage.