Representing the creative future

Willa Bennett is rooting for all magazines

The newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen wants every editor to succeed.

“I’m definitely naturally curious,” Willa Bennett tells me over a Zoom call from Hearst Tower. Recently installed at the publishing conglomerate as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen, Bennett’s ascent can be measured through a number of accomplishments: the first woman to head up socials and strategy at GQ at 27, she transformed the title’s online presence, before joining Highsnobiety as editor-in-chief in 2022. Prior to this, she launched Seventeen‘s queer vertical.

A fierce consumer of magazines throughout high school and college, Bennett recalls how a late-00s issue of GQ, fronted by Megan Fox, proved pivotal in her journey to becoming an editor. “At the time, it felt crazy that a woman was on the cover of GQ,” she says. “It stopped me in my tracks. There just wasn’t anything like it, and it wasn’t about any one thing; it was the story together saying something in culture.”

These days, Bennett’s own bylines include cover stories with Rosalía, Billie Eilish and Pamela Anderson. The latter, fronting Highsnobiety’s Spring 2024 issue, arrived as part of an epic trio of covers with André 3000 and Dries Van Noten (three legends she wrote in her editor’s letter at the time, representing longevity, impact, and relevance).

Ahead of the first drop of her new era of Cosmopolitan – a return to the title’s heritage with couple Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song on the cover – Bennett discusses her introduction to publishing, the foresight of her college thesis and her advice for new writers.

What was your entry point for magazines as a teen?

I was obsessed with Seventeen, truly, absolutely obsessed. Teen Vogue I loved, GQ, Esquire, Dazed, i-D. I really read everything; I was hungry for magazines. There was this moment in college, reading Seventeen, that I was like, ‘there’s so much that this can do for young people’. It was really pivotal for me; I did my college thesis on the way teenagers were reading magazines, and basically wrote a love letter to magazines being like, ‘you need to adapt to social’ and how a magazine is only one part of the ecosystem. That led me to my first job at Seventeen.

Where you interned initially. What was that experience like, and how did it become a job? 

I cold emailed editors, and one of them responded. She got a coffee with me and I rememberwhat do you know about Snapchat?’ was the question she asked. I talked about Snapchat, but I just wanted to work there so badly I would have done anything, and I was so grateful to just write Instagram copy. 

Was there anything that especially surprised you about the industry when you landed that job or wish you’d been better prepared for? 

That’s interesting. I think just to pitch the story – genuinely, I tell this to writers all the time – pitch the stories you actually want to write, not just ones you think the editor wants to hear. Early on, I found myself trying to figure out what the perfect story was for a publication, versus writing what I actually wanted. That was a big moment in my career at GQ, where I had this moment of, ‘I bring my own POV, and that is a strength’. That really helped me find my voice.  

“At Cosmo, I’ve been really intentional with all the photographers and stylists, the way the captions on social come out, and I think you can tell we’re creating a universe, versus publishing blindly.”

You mentioned sharing this with writers today, how does it play out with your teams?

It’s just all part of the story – the writer’s part of the story, the interview, the styling, the visuals, the photographer, the designers you bring into the world. At Cosmo, I’ve been really intentional with all the photographers and stylists, the way the captions on social come out, and I think you can tell we’re creating a universe, versus publishing blindly.

Were there – or are there – editors or others in the industry you especially look up to? 

I honestly am inspired by all the editors right now, because it’s just a specific time to lead a team, and everyone is really trying their best. It is really a moment of innovation, of understanding your audience. It’s not a moment of large scale without thought. We’re really understanding what it is to be a brand, and innovating within that. So I’m rooting for all magazines, truly. 

What excited you the most about joining Seventeen and Cosmopolitan too

It feels like such an amazing moment to be at Cosmo; the zeitgeist is so hungry for this authoritative legacy brand that means so much to people. It’s about re-contextualising and refocusing it to be timeless again. This issue that’s coming out [with Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song] is so exciting; a lot of the inspiration is drawn from the legacy and what came before while also pushing it in this fresh, new direction. They’re just two iconic brands truly, which everyone has a story about. People have stopped me on the street and cried because Cosmo helped and empowered them in their lives, which I don’t take lightly. I don’t think there’s anything else out there that can do what this is going to do.

In terms of legacy, you’ve shared some pictures of both magazines’ archives on Instagram. What does your research look like coming into these new roles? 

With all brands, I think it’s important to understand the past. To learn from it, draw from it, to push it forward. With something like Cosmo, this iteration’s been around for 60 years [since Helen Gurley Brown transformed it from a literary magazine], and there has been a lot of change, amazing covers, some missteps, and I think it’s okay to acknowledge and build upon that. It’s only a strength. Legacy brands, additionally, are becoming more important in the age of social media because there’s so much out there. Audiences respect Cosmo, they know we’re not going anywhere.

“We don’t know what the industry is going to look like in 10 years, and that’s okay – that’s exciting. We can use that as motivation.”

In terms of women’s interest and teen magazines more generally, what do you think their role is in 2025 – have expectations changed?

First off, Gen Z and Gen Alpha definitely read magazines. That is a rumour we can debunk. However, I don’t think it’s the only thing your brand can be: you have to be so much more now, and talk to your audience in a unique way on social. You need to understand video, memberships, newsletters, commerce. A magazine is one part of the picture, almost like a business card for everything we care about. The importance cannot be understated. As editors, we have a new responsibility to use the pages wisely and be more intentional. 

Previously, you held key roles at GQ and Highsnobiety, heading up social media and as Editor-in-chief respectively. Can you share any highlights, or obstacles you had to navigate?

Working under Will [Welch, Global Editorial Director] at GQ was life changing. There are a couple pieces I wrote there, stories I fought for and believed in, that were the beginnings of me really finding my voice, and understanding the 360 of writing and storytelling. I love the way I was able to assert my voice on this older legacy brand. And then Highsnobiety was so special to me. I feel like I really got to make the magazine I wanted to read; it wasn’t more complicated than that. In the early days, Highsnobiety was this sneaker blog, and it was really interesting, as a writer, to bring in these new perspectives and just push the brand forward. It was amazing to see how the public perception changed. So I learned that it’s important to harness what you think, and challenge things that don’t feel right and stories that aren’t being accepted. 

With this in mind, can I ask about advice for aspiring editors? 

Be open to change. I could have never dreamed this job, because it looked so different. So be open to the world, and curious. We don’t know what the industry is going to look like in 10 years, and that’s okay – that’s exciting. We can use that as motivation.

And returning to your thesis, do you stand by it?

I stand by the power of magazines, the power of social media, and the power of talent curation and intentionality. So, yeah, definitely. I actually reread it before my first day as EIC; it’s so special. And it talks about Seventeen literally on the first page.