6 Things You Need to Know About Project Runway's New Judge, Elaine Welteroth

In case you haven't heard, Project Runway is back and it’s already shaping up to be quite an exciting season. The show won't be premiering until 2019, but by the looks of some of the behind-the-scenes footage we've already seen, you won't want to miss it. In case you need a refresher: Karlie Kloss is set to host, and Season 4's winner Christian Siriano will be returning to the show, this time as mentor. Joining the judging panel alongside designer Brandon Maxwell and veteran judge Nina Garcia is former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth.  

But who is this beauty writer-turned-public figure? You're going to want to know more about Elaine and just how impressive her career in the media industry has been so far. Keep reading to learn six things you need to know about one of Project Runway's newest judges.

At just 31 years old, Elaine’s career is not only impressive, it’s record-breaking. She began as the Beauty and Style Editor at Ebony Magazine before joining Condé Nast as Glamour's Beauty and Style Editor. She transferred to Teen Vogue as the Health and Beauty Director in 2012 and continued to climb the company's internal ladder. In May 2016, when she was 29, she was named the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, making her the youngest person in Condé Nast’s history to ever hold that position. This promotion also made her the second African-American to ever be an editor-in-chief at the company. While there, she broadened the horizon of content published by Teen Vogue, she helped launch its YouTube channel, and she oversaw its last print edition in December 2017 before leaving to pursue other projects in January 2018.

You may have seen buzz that Teen Vogue re-branded itself when the 2016 US presidential election began heating up — and that’s all thanks to Elaine. As the editor-in-chief, she helped spearhead the diversification of the magazine's content. While it continued to cover the teenage fashion and lifestyle topics that Teen Vogue is known for, it began to dive into covering more serious pieces about politics and social issues, too. While on an episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah in 2017, she said, “I would say that Teen Vogue has as much right to be at the table, talking about politics, as every young woman does in America right now.’’

Elaine’s new role as a Project Runway judge won't be her first time on the small screen. In 2016, she played herself on an episode of Black-ish when one of the main characters, Zoe, landed an internship at Teen Vogue. But that’s not all! She reprised her role again in 2018 on the Black-ish spinoff, Grown-ish.

Elaine’s interest in politics and social issues hasn’t just been reflected in her impact on Teen Vogue — it’s all over her social media, too. She’s shown her support for causes including the #MarchForOurLives initiative for stricter gun control, the Time’s Up Now movement, the Women’s March on Washington DC, and the #NeverAgain National School Walkout, to name just a few. She also frequently shares support for her fellow activist friends including Tracee Ellis Ross, Malala Yousafzai, and Jordan Peele.

Elaine met her fiancé, Jonathan Singletary, through their childhood church’s youth choir. Not only did she initially “friend zone” him, they also went their separate ways as they grew older. After they reconnected, their relationship eventually turned romantic, and they got engaged in December 2016. In that same year, Elaine also provided backup vocals for Jonathan's song “Don’t Fight Alone.” Can you say “relationship goals?”

Elaine gave us all a highly-anticipated behind-the-scenes sneak peek at Project Runway filming, and, unsurprisingly, it already looks amazing. Laughing alongside Karlie Kloss and Brandon Maxwell, it's clear they make quite the dynamic team.