Will Welch (editor)

Will Welch (born April 27, 1981) is an American magazine editor and writer, known for his tenure as global editorial director at GQ, as well as editor-in-chief of GQ and GQ Style.
At GQ, Welch oversees content strategy and vision across global markets and platforms. Prior to becoming global editorial director in January of 2021, Welch served as editor in chief of GQ U.S., a position he held starting in January 2019.https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/business/media/jim-nelson-gq-editor.html, succeeding Jim Nelson. Welch is the fifth editor-in-chief of GQ.
== Professional Life ==
Welch began his journalism career at The Faderhttps://bwog.com/2007/05/so-you-want-to-be-a-music-journalist-fader-editor-will-welch/, where he was promoted to deputy editor. Welch co-wrote the first-ever cover story on Kanye West for The Fader in 2003https://www.thefader.com/2011/06/08/feature-kanye-wests-time-has-come, followed by cover stories on Rick Rubin https://www.thefader.com/2007/09/04/we-got-issues-rick-rubin-saves-the-world, Miles Davishttps://www.thefader.com/2016/05/26/miles-davis-influence-john-legend-dj-premier<nowiki>, and Jerry Garciahttps://www.thefader.com/2011/08/01/jerry-garcia-american-beauty. 
=== GQ ===
Welch joined GQ in May 2007 as an associate editor covering fashion, pop culture, and music. He was promoted to senior editor in 2012, style editor in 2014, and named editor-in-chief of biannual GQ offshoot, GQ Stylehttps://www.gq.com/story/gq-style-new-editor-in-chief-will-welch-interview. https://fashionista.com/2015/12/will-welch-gqstyle, which he launched in December 2015. In 2018, while serving as editor-in-chief of GQ Style, Welch also became creative director of GQ.
Frank Ocean starred on the cover of Welch’s first issue as editor-in-chief of GQ, with a photo shoot by Alasdair McLellan. Also in his first year as editor, Welch launched GQ’s New Masculinity issue, an exploration of how conventional notions of masculinity are being challenged, shifted, and overturnedhttps://www.gq.com/story/masculinity-is-changing-editors-letter-november-2019. 
Over the course of his career at GQ and GQ Style, Welch has overseen cover shoots with Brad Pitt, Kendrick Lamar, Keanu Reeves, and Tyler the Creator, interviewed culture-shapers like Kanye Westhttps://www.gq.com/story/inside-kanye-west-vision-for-the-future-cover-may-2020] Pharrell https://www.gq.com/story/pharrell-new-masculinity-cover-interview, and Ram Dass https://www.gq.com/story/the-unified-theory-of-ram-dass, and has been nominated for six National Magazine Awards, winning for service and lifestyle in 2019https://ellieawards.secure-platform.com/a/page/winners. 
In 2019, Welch was named to the Business of Fashion’s BoF500, an annual list of people shaping the global fashion industryhttps://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/will-welch.
In 2020, he spearheaded the launch of GQ Sports, a YouTube channel devoted to the nexus of sports and culture https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/gq-launches-new-sports-focused-youtube-channel/. He is also credited with deepening the brand’s commerce revenue business—through the brand’s shoppable platform GQ Recommends, its quarterly box program The Best Stuff Box, as well as the brand’s first-ever online store, The GQ Shop https://digiday.com/media/its-worth-testing-gq-is-moving-from-recommendations-products-to-selling-its-own/, which features branded t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and accessories, along with special collaboration items, made in partnership with designers and friends of the brand. 
In 2021, Warner Bros. announced that director John M. Chu would direct The Great Chinese Art Heist, a film based on the GQ article by Alex M. Palmer, with GQ Studios and Welch listed as producershttps://deadline.com/2021/02/crazy-rich-asians-filmmaker-jon-m-chu-to-direct-the-great-chinese-art-heist-for-warner-bros-1234700568/
== Personal Life ==
Welch graduated from Columbia University and now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife. He is originally from Georgia.
Category:American magazine editors
Category:American writers
Category:1981 births