Nicole Phelps
Director of Vogue Runway and global director of Vogue Business
Nicole Phelps is a fashion journalist who has led Vogue Runway, Vogue's fashion show platform, since 2015 and has also served as global director of Vogue Business. Before Vogue she spent a decade reviewing collections for Style.com, making her one of the most experienced runway critics in digital media.
| Role | Director, Vogue Runway |
|---|---|
| Since | 2015 |
| Also | Global director, Vogue Business |
| Previously | Style.com runway critic for a decade; Elle fashion news editor |
| Digital | Vogue Runway app (2018 Webby People's Voice Award) |
Who is Nicole Phelps?
Nicole Phelps is a fashion editor and critic at Vogue. According to her Vogue Forces of Fashion biography from 2024, she has been director of Vogue Runway since 2015 and is also global director of Vogue Business. In 2020 she was appointed global director of Global Vogue Runway, reporting to Anna Wintour.
Career
Phelps started in public relations before joining Women's Wear Daily and W as an assistant editor, later becoming accessories editor. She spent five years as fashion news editor at Elle and then a decade at Style.com, reviewing runway shows across the major fashion capitals, before moving to Vogue's fashion show platform.
She has served on juries for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the ANDAM Award and the Festival d'Hyères, giving her a role in identifying and supporting emerging designers.
Nicole Phelps and technology
Much of Phelps's career has been about building digital products for fashion coverage. At Vogue Runway she launched the website's fashion show vertical and the Vogue Runway app, which won the 2018 Webby People's Voice Award. In September 2020 Vogue announced Global Vogue Runway, a single digital destination at Vogue.com/fashion-shows that brought together coverage previously spread across 12 regional fashion show sites, which had reached a combined 29 million users.
- Working with editors across Vogue's 26 markets on a shared editorial strategy
- Emphasising visual storytelling and live streaming
- Adding mood boarding and bookmarking features for users
- Serving both industry professionals and consumers on one platform
Influence on the fashion business
Vogue Runway has become a primary reference for collection imagery and reviews, used by designers, buyers, merchandisers, students and trend teams. Its archive of runway looks is effectively a public database of the industry's output, season by season. Under Phelps, the platform helped move runway coverage from a few days of press attention to an always available digital resource, which has changed how quickly collections are seen, copied and discussed.
Why it matters
For fashion businesses, Phelps's work illustrates how media platforms have become infrastructure for the industry. The speed and reach of digital runway coverage now influence wholesale buying, consumer demand and design cycles, and her combined responsibility for runway criticism and business journalism links creative judgement with industry analysis.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Nicole Phelps?
Nicole Phelps is a fashion journalist who has been director of Vogue Runway since 2015 and has also served as global director of Vogue Business. She previously reviewed collections for Style.com for a decade.
What is Global Vogue Runway?
Global Vogue Runway, announced in September 2020, combined Vogue's 12 regional fashion show sites into one digital destination at Vogue.com/fashion-shows. Nicole Phelps was appointed its global director.