Elaine Welteroth Leaves Conde Nast After 6 Years

Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth, is leaving Conde Nast and we are absolutely bummed.

Elaine, 31 became the youngest Editor-In-Chief at 29 and the second African American to hold that position in the 107 years of Vogue‘s history.

During her time as Editor, she pushed Teen Vogue to become a platform where the teenage voice can be heard, in turn making the publication more politically engaging and buzz-driven for the younger generation.

She was also instrumental in the creation of the Teen Vogue Summit which featured speakers like Ava DuVernay, Sophia Amoruso, Maxine Waters, Rupi Kaur and a long list of other phenomenal women. In her era, she also published thought-provoking content like the “For girls by girls” issue which included an essay by Hilary Clinton.

The journalist announced her exit after 6 phenomenal years of working at the media company on Instagram with a photo of herself in a matching set of white blazer and pants. She captioned the photo:

When I moved to New York City at 21 as an editorial intern, my greatest dream was to become Editor-in-Chief. It was a goal too intimidating to even say aloud. I was convinced it was totally out of reach for someone with no connections, no trust fund, and no fancy clothes. I pursued the path anyway. Eventually, I started believing the vision placed inside of me. I learned to shrug off the fear of failure, and how to refuse the urge to shrink—even when I was asked to.

Now, at 31, God has broken the glass ceiling on all of my wildest childhood dreams. My bucket list is all checked off and somewhere along the way I’ve managed to join the ranks of unstoppable women who’ve, throughout history, stared back into the face of the unknown and decided to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Now, it is time to dream even bigger.

After six life-changing years at Conde Nast, I’ve decided to leave the company. Leading @TeenVogue at a time such as this, alongside some of the most talented people in the industry has been the most rewarding experience of my editorial career. It has helped me discover how to use my voice to empower young people and girls. This will continue to be a major focus for me as I take my next step—because beyond the compelling covers, and groundbreaking conversations we started online, cultivating this incredible community is what I am most proud of.

You are a beautiful, inclusive tribe of thinkers, doers, and dreamers who challenge me to be better every day. Getting to know you, both online and in person, has been the absolute greatest joy of my job. And I’m excited to take you all along for the ride to my next chapter.
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What I know now that I didn’t know at 21 is that life is a series of dreams realized. There is no destination, but there will be breakthrough after breakthrough along the way. Our greatest obligation is to keep reaching, to continue growing, to push beyond what seems possible, to live outside the boxes created for us. That is exactly what 2018 is about for me, and for all of us. I’m beyond excited for what the future holds—if 2017 taught us anything, it’s to never underestimate the power of a black woman…✌?❤️✊? #TeenVogueForever#ontothenext

When I moved to New York City at 21 as an editorial intern, my greatest dream was to become Editor-in-Chief. It was a goal too intimidating to even say aloud. I was convinced it was totally out of reach for someone with no connections, no trust fund, and no fancy clothes. I pursued the path anyway. Eventually, I started believing the vision placed inside of me. I learned to shrug off the fear of failure, and how to refuse the urge to shrink—even when I was asked to. . Now, at 31, God has broken the glass ceiling on all of my wildest childhood dreams. My bucket list is all checked off and somewhere along the way I’ve managed to join the ranks of unstoppable women who’ve, throughout history, stared back into the face of the unknown and decided to MAKE IT HAPPEN. . Now, it is time to dream even bigger. . After six life-changing years at Conde Nast, I’ve decided to leave the company. Leading @TeenVogue at a time such as this, alongside some of the most talented people in the industry has been the most rewarding experience of my editorial career. It has helped me discover how to use my voice to empower young people and girls. This will continue to be a major focus for me as I take my next step—because beyond the compelling covers, and groundbreaking conversations we started online, cultivating this incredible community is what I am most proud of. . You are a beautiful, inclusive tribe of thinkers, doers, and dreamers who challenge me to be better every day. Getting to know you, both online and in person, has been the absolute greatest joy of my job. And I’m excited to take you all along for the ride into my next chapter. . What I know now that I didn’t know at 21 is that life is a series of dreams realized. There is no destination, but there will be breakthrough after breakthrough along the way. Our greatest obligation is to keep reaching, to continue growing, to push beyond what seems possible, to live outside the boxes created for us. That is exactly what 2018 is about for me, and for all of us. I’m beyond excited for what the future holds—if 2017 taught us anything, it’s to never underestimate the power of a black woman…✌?❤️✊? #TeenVogueForever #ontothenext

A post shared by Elaine Welteroth (@elainewelteroth) on Jan 14, 2018 at 8:11am PST

The fashion editor has also proven herself to be a style maven with some really exceptional looks she donned while holding the fort at Teen Vogue.

Click on out some of our fave looks of her during the period:

Photo Credit: @elainewelteroth