The Glossy 50 honors the year’s biggest changemakers across fashion and beauty. More from the series →
The year in media was marked by layoffs, but on Substack — the newsletter platform that bills itself as “building a new economic engine for culture” — there was a renaissance, particularly in fashion. Creators, some of whom once had careers in traditional journalism, have flocked to the platform where they can write and create independently, free of the demands of advertisers, or a boss.
Examples include Becky Malinsky, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, whose newsletter “Five Things You Should Buy” counts over 65,000 subscribers. Leandra Medine Cohen, once the founder of Man Repeller, writes “The Cereal Aisle,” with over 144,000 subscribers. And Kim France, the founding editor of Lucky Magazine, writes “Girls of a Certain Age,” with 17,000 subscribers. Fashion and lifestyle influencers have migrated to the platform, too: Katie Sturino’s “Lobby Coffee” has over 9,000 subscribers, Grace Atwood’s “Scratch Pad” has over 51,000, and Joanna Goddard’s “Big Salad” has surpassed 160,000.
“The thing that’s appealing about Substack for people in fashion is the same thing that’s appealing to writers, journalists or podcasters [in any other sector]: It’s the sense of independence, of ownership, of creative freedom and of having your own space with your own connection to your audience, and it’s a way to make money that’s not dependent on the whim of the advertising market or a particular brand deal,” said Chris Best, the company’s co-founder and CEO.
Collectively, Substackers in the fashion and beauty categories earn more than $10 million a year in paid subscriptions to their Substacks, and that’s not to mention the partnerships their newsletters have helped them earn. Malinsky, for example, launched a collaboration with Alex Mill in early December.
In 2024, the number of publications and subscriptions in this category more than doubled compared to last year. And Substack has dedicated staff to growing the vertical. Christina Loff, head of lifestyle and writer partnerships at Substack, focuses on bringing new writers, such as Goddard, onto the platform. It’s working: Fashion and beauty is “maybe one of the most vibrant scenes on the platform right now,” Best said.
As the platform continues to grow, across all verticals, Substack is encouraging its creators to use its new features, such as video. “We want to keep investing in and learning from the people who are using the tools,” Best said.
In addition to the newsletters, Substack allows writers to manage their own chats, some of which become thriving communities. As Best said, “I meet who are like, ‘Oh, yeah, I know Substack. I’m in this really cool chat with my favorite fashion person. It’s the coolest place on the internet right now.’ And that’s very interesting. It’s like there’s a new thing happening.”
