Will Welch (editor)
{{Short description|American magazine editor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Will Welch
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1981}}
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| education = Columbia University (BA)
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| known_for = Editor-in-chief of GQ
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| spouse = Heidi Smith
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}}
Will Welch (born 1981) is an American magazine editor and writer, who is currently the global editorial director at GQ and editor-in-chief of GQ U.S.{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Sandra E. |date=2022-09-17 |title=Will Welch Leads GQ to 'the New Masculinity' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/17/style/will-welch-leads-gq-to-the-new-masculinity.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |issn=0362-4331}}
Biography
Welch was born in Atlanta and grew up in Buckhead. His mother was a clerk for Georgia State Supreme Court, and his father was a lawyer. He attended Westminster School, graduating in 1999.{{Cite web |title=Alum Takes the Helm of GQ |url=https://www.westminster.net/about-us/news/news-details/~board/alumni-news/post/alum-takes-the-helm-of-gq |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.westminster.net |language=en-US}} For college, he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, where he majored in English and graduated in 2003.{{Cite news |last=Kloer |first=Phil |title=Jason Isbell and Will Welch will talk music, masculinity at Fox Theatre |language=English |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url=https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/jason-isbell-will-welch-in-atlanta/RCSIEPTPXZGQJEI6EHKEVK7IMI/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |issn=1539-7459}}{{Cite web |date=May 10, 2007 |title=So you want to be a music journalist: Fader editor Will Welch |url=https://bwog.com/2007/05/so-you-want-to-be-a-music-journalist-fader-editor-will-welch/ |access-date=December 24, 2022 |website=Bwog}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-10 |title=Alumni in the News: October 10, 2022 |url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/latest/alumni-news/alumni-news-october-10-2022 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Columbia College Today |language=en}} In college, he interned for WKCR-FM.
He began his journalism career at the New York-based music magazine The Fader, where he wrote Kanye West's first cover story and profiled musicians such as The White Stripes and Jerry Garcia.{{Cite web |title=This Is How Kanye West's Quintessential The FADER Cover Got Made |url=https://www.thefader.com/2015/10/21/kanye-west-fader-cover-making-of |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The FADER |language=en}} He was eventually promoted to deputy editor of the magazine.{{Cite web |last=Chew-Bose |first=Durga |title=THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF GQ STYLE AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF GQ TALKS FANDOM, MAGAZINE-MAKING, AND VIRGIL ABLOH |url=https://www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/culture/the-editor-in-chief-of-gq-style-and-creative-director-of-gq-talks-fandom-magazine-making-and-virgil-abloh |access-date=December 24, 2022 |website=Ssense}} He also worked one night a week as a bartender to make ends meet.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Noah |title=This Former Bartender Is The Best Editor You've Never Heard Of |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/will-welch-editor-gq-conde-nast-2011-8 |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}
Welch joined GQ magazine in May 2007 as an associate editor after he was approached by Adam Rapoport. He was promoted to senior editor in 2012, style editor in 2014, and named editor-in-chief of its spinoff, GQ Style in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Brooke |first=Eliza |date=December 16, 2015 |title='GQ Style,' Soon to Be Quarterly, Gets a New Editor-in-Chief |url=https://fashionista.com/2015/12/will-welch-gqstyle |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Fashionista |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Will Welch is part of the BoF 500 |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/will-welch |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The Business of Fashion |language=en-GB}} He is own profiles included André 3000,{{Cite web |date=2017-10-30 |title=Earth to André 3000: The OutKast Icon Talks Life After "Hey Ya!" |url=https://www.gq.com/story/andre-3000-outkast-gq-style-interview |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=GQ |language=en-US}} designer Christophe Lemaire,{{Cite web |date=2017-09-28 |title=Christophe Lemaire Thinks Trend-Driven Fashion Is a Disaster |url=https://www.gq.com/story/christophe-lemaire-paris-interview-exclusive |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=GQ |language=en-US}} and Ram Dass.{{Cite web |date=2018-11-27 |title=The New Resonance Of Ram Dass |url=https://www.gq.com/story/the-unified-theory-of-ram-dass |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=GQ |language=en-US}}
In 2018, Welch was named creative director of GQ, and in September 2018, was named editor-in-chief of GQ U.S., succeeding Jim Nelson.{{Cite web |last=Jerde |first=Sara |date=September 13, 2018 |title=GQ Names New Editor in Chief |url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/gq-names-new-editor-in-chief/ |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=AdWeek |language=en-US}} Under Welch's helm, the magazine underwent a stylistic overhaul by placing less emphasis on articles and increasing its online presence including website, social media accounts and video features. His first six months of editorship saw a significant increase in the magazine's site engagement, online-related revenue, and advertising.
As editor-in-chief, Welch also began to redefine the 88-year old magazine.{{Cite web |last=Flynn |first=Kerry |date=2019-10-14 |title=How GQ has redefined itself in an era of a new masculinity |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/media/gq-new-masculinity/index.html |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=CNN Business|language=en}} He championed the concept of "New Masculinity" and explored of how traditional notions of masculinity are being challenged, evolved, and overturned.{{Cite web |date=2019-10-14 |title=Introducing GQ's New Masculinity Issue, Starring Pharrell |url=https://www.gq.com/story/masculinity-is-changing-editors-letter-november-2019 |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=GQ |language=en-US}} GQ had since then featured a number of celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Pharrell Williams, and Robert Pattinson, in cover shoots that defy gender stereotypes. He also said that the magazine has been moving from giving general style advice to offering examples of self-expression.
In December 2020, Welch was promoted to global editorial director of GQ. He is also a producer for the upcoming Warner Bros. movie The Great Chinese Art Heist, directed by Jon M. Chu.{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2021-02-25 |title='Crazy Rich Asians' Filmmaker Jon M. Chu To Direct 'The Great Chinese Art Heist' For Warner Bros |url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/crazy-rich-asians-filmmaker-jon-m-chu-to-direct-the-great-chinese-art-heist-for-warner-bros-1234700568/ |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} In July 2023, GQ removed a previously published story critical of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav{{Cite news |last=Sommer |first=Will |date=2023-07-05 |title=GQ pulls article slamming Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav after complaint
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/07/05/gq-pulled-david-zaslav-article |access-date=2023-07-05 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US}} after representatives for the studio complained to Welch.{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=2023-07-05 |title=GQ Editor Who Pulled Critical David Zaslav Story Is Producing Movie for Warner Bros. |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/gq-editor-david-zaslav-story-producing-movie-warner-bros-1235662109/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}