Who Is Will Welch?

Will Welch is an American journalist who specializes in lifestyle and fashion coverage. His expertise in journalism allowed him to climb the corporate ladder and grant him the title of GQ’s global editorial editor. In addition, Welch is the standing editor-in-chief of GQ’s U.S. sector, which makes him responsible for all coverage, production, and consumer outlook surrounding the GQ business. As of today, Welch is the fifth official editor-in-chief since GQ’s discovery in 1957. Welch’s current direction is to lead the business into an era of what outside sources refer to as “New Masculinity” (Garcia, Sandra E. New York Times)

Early Life

Originally born in Atlanta. GA, Will Welch moved with his family to Buckhead. His father worked as a lawyer and his mother a clerk for the Georgia State Supreme Court, which brought Will into a life full of academia and scholarly papers. Growing up, Will attended The Westminster School in Atlanta where he spent much of his adolescence learning Christian values and the importance of presenting himself as a proper gentleman.

After graduating Welch left his home state of Georgia and attended Colombia University in New York. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in English and worked as an intern for WCKR-FM. The radio station, owned and ran by Colombia University, was Welch’s introduction into the music industry. Most importantly, the internship had sparked his interest in coverage over pop culture and writing about what was new and trending.

The Fader

To follow his passions in writing and music, Welch worked for the New York based magazine The Fader. The start to Welch’s writing career started strong, covering different a wide arrange of headlines. His work ranged from artist spotlights, to show reviews, and even interviews with some of music’s highest trending figureheads. Along with his work at The Fader, Welch also worked as a bartender to make ends meet. This created the opportunity for the young writer to create connections with both local visitors and outside business. Welch’s outside work, as tiresome as it seemed, informed him on what was new and coming for future projects. Welch’s articles included interviews with The White Stripes and Jerry Garcia, which led him to what journalists claim as his defining story.

In 2004 Welch had created his first cover story that focused on the rise of the trailblazing rapper, Kanye West. The musician had just released his debut album High School Dropout and had caught the attention of the masses. Within the article, Welch elaborated on West’s creative come up and how he went from a simple feature into a fully blown musician and producer. The style and direction of the story is true to the times when reading the language and formality. Keeping a professional tone, as it is Welch’s first cover story, all while presenting an engaging angle of the budding musician. Personally, I think Will Welch created a strong piece that encapsulates both his flow of writing and taste in what was new and exciting. I would think that former GQ Style Editor Adam Rapaport would agree, as he approached Welch to work for GQ shortly after the story’s release.

GQ Magazine

To start as an associate editor in GQ was a huge success in Welch’s eyes. He worked alongside senior editors and writers to create monthly pieces and began to work up his portfolio. Right from his beginning at GQ in 2007, Welch had constantly improved his work and quickly moved higher within the company. His first promotion was to a senior 2012 but quickly turned towards style editing in 2014. In the blink of an eye Welch was promoted to editor-chief for GQ Style in 2015.

Working in GQ Style connected Welch with several celebrities ranging from Robert Pattinson to Andre 3000. He had also created the Corporate Lunch Podcast where he would bring in different employees from the GQ office to discuss behind the scenes work on upcoming releases. Being a longtime fan of the podcast, it was inspirational to hear not only Welch’s story but the different guests he would have on to explain the process of creating a successful magazine.

Welch’s earliest work in GQ was “MOTY: Smooth Operators” which covered the rising success of musicians including Rihanna and Robin Thicke. The actual copy was comical and went through multiple comparisons of the two artists. A quick read, but full of personality as Welch describes the flow and style that each artist carried. What made the story compelling was Welch’s use of syntax and voice to convey an almost conversational style. It had the familiarity of a close friend trying to recommend a new artist that you have to give a listen to. Reflecting off his past work made me appreciate Welch’s journey as a writer and how easy it could be to make a profession out of something you enjoy.

New Masculinity

In 2018 Will Welch was appointed as the editor-in-chief for GQ and officially took this position leading into 2019. His inaugural letter addressed his intentions with leading the company and striving for new ways to develop the GQ story. His current direction in running GQ has grown not only the magazine’s physical status, but also enhanced the creative direction as a whole in other channels including social media.

Welch was in a bit of a troublesome situation when appointed the new position. It was the rise of the #MeToo movement and men everywhere were cowering in fear of what their name might be on a headline. In addition, Conde Nast was also in the midst of a financial crisis despite recent success in sales. The direction Welch took GQ revolutionized how the male presence was to be marketed and arguably saved the company.

His direction in editorial focused on not only the headlining male, but also more introspection into the fashion and identity that coincided within. He worked to display newer and bold shoots, presenting men in dresses and glamourous makeup to amplify how the controversy around men should be looked on through a fashion lens. A bold take when the same men staring on covers were also put in the spotlight for misconduct such as Brad Pitt.

Along with the endless list of tasks the editor-in-chief has, that does not stop Welch from writing. One of his most recent pieces was his announcement for GQ Style’s Sports Hall of Fame. Much like his past writings, Welch includes a lot of personality within his writing. Especially because this article focuses on his selection for the hall of fame and including reasoning behind his choices. His selection of casual language, despite making a large scaled formal announcement, is endearing. To captivate the reader and welcome them into the world of fashion and GQ is what makes Will Welch an icon in the editorial world.