Glamour gets a glow-up: Inside Kemi Alemoru’s bold new vision
When Kemi Alemoru was announced as the new head of content for Glamour UK, there was a real buzz around it. And for good reason. If you’ve been following Alemoru’s career – whether it’s her trailblazing work at gal-dem, her fresh perspective at Dazed, or her passion for giving underrepresented voices a stage – you know this isn’t just another corporate hire. Alemoru is here to shake things up, to reimagine what legacy media can be in a world where diversity isn’t just a box to tick, it’s a box to break free from.
From magazine obsession to media disruption
Aged 31, Alemoru is young enough to possess the energy and edge that drives real change, but old enough to remember when print magazines were a vital force in shaping culture. She was obsessed with them as a child. “I’d make my mum drive me to the corner shop, and I’d pick up as many magazines as I could,” she laughs. Glamour was one of her favourites growing up, along with Cosmopolitan and Company – even though, in hindsight, they weren’t speaking to women of colour like her.
“When you grow up Black in a predominantly white society, you’re used to not being the standard,” Alemoru says. She didn’t feel the absence of representation right away. “I could read the articles, enjoy the celebrity stuff, take the relationship advice, and do all of that. But it wasn’t until I hit my mid-teens that I realised something was missing. I couldn’t get the same advice about my hair or my skin tone – it wasn’t catered to me,” she reflects.
It was when Alemoru began working in media in 2015 that the gap really hit her. It was one thing to see the lack of representation in magazines, but another entirely to experience it firsthand in the newsroom.
“When I was at the BBC, I realised that nobody was listening to me. My ideas were brushed aside, and it felt like my voice didn’t matter,” Alemoru recalls. For a young, Black, female journalist, trying to make your mark in an environment that’s predominantly white, male and middle-aged is no easy feat.
But instead of backing down, Alemoru took her talents to independent media, where she was able to push against conventional boundaries and reimagine what traditional media could be. She worked as a Staff Writer at Dazed and played a pivotal role in launching gal-dem, a platform born from the need to amplify the voices of women and non-binary people of colour. Alemoru was there from the very beginning, ensuring these voices weren’t just heard – they were valued.
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Building something different
“Gal-dem was a revolution,” Alemoru says, with the kind of passion you feel when talking about something more than just a job – it’s a mission. Back when only 0.2% of the industry was represented by people of colour, gal-dem was born to address the glaring lack of representation.
“We noticed that our ideas were being sidelined, or we were only given certain types of stories to write, often about our pain or oppression,” Alemoru explains. “But I was good at writing about fashion and culture, too.”
The publication quickly became a go-to for unapologetic, real conversations about race, identity, and culture. Alemoru wasn’t just writing stories – she was rewriting the narrative.
“We gave ourselves the space to talk about whatever we wanted – it was afros one day, our sex lives the next, then skin bleaching. We even had a whole series about self-pleasure, which is a taboo topic, especially in certain cultures. It wasn’t just about sharing our struggles; it was about exploring every area of our lives freely and unapologetically. gal-dem was a platform where our voices could finally be heard, no matter what we chose to say.”
But as much as gal-dem allowed her to flex her editorial muscles, something was still missing. “When there are so few voices like yours, it almost feels like you have to be a spokesperson for everyone. But I wanted to explore other topics – write profiles, dive into nuanced pieces. Black journalists deserve the same freedom to experiment and spread their wings as anyone else.”
And spread her wings, she did. A call from Glamour was hard to resist – after all, it was a magazine she’d read and loved all her life. “This feels like a rich opportunity to reboot a brand that everyone knows,” says Alemoru.
A new vision for a legacy title
For all the excitement surrounding Alemoru’s appointment as head of content at Glamour, there’s an inherent challenge: how does someone known for shaping the future of independent media maintain their edge when stepping into one of the most iconic brands in women’s publishing?
“Glamour is a brand with a long legacy, and I have deep respect for that,” says Alemoru. “But I’ve always been open about my passion for independent spaces too – places like Dazed, The Face and i-D. They took a real chance on me when I was younger, giving me a platform and responsibility. Those publications have always been ahead of the curve, and I don’t want to lose that sense of agility. I don’t want to lose that muscle memory of staying five steps ahead, because it’s invaluable.”
It’s a delicate balancing act. Glamour is a mainstream publication, one that reaches millions and carries a different weight of influence than her previous outlets. The question arises: will she be able to stay true to the bold, unapologetic, experimental spirit she cultivated at gal-dem and Dazed, or will she be forced to compromise her voice in favour of more conventional editorial decisions?
“For me, it’s about making sure Glamour continues to be a space where real women’s stories are told,” Alemoru explains. “We’ll be focusing on underrepresented voices and communities. Marginalised genders-trans and non-binary content – it’s all important. I want to make sure Glamour is a platform where everyone feels seen, whether it’s in beauty, fashion, or entertainment. And I want to ensure we’re not just pushing a political agenda, but reflecting the conversations that matter to people.”
It’s clear: Alemoru isn’t interested in making just another glossy title. She wants to make Glamour a living, breathing representation of what today’s women care about – politically, socially, and culturally. And about time, too. Legacy media has been slow to catch up with the fast-paced world around it.
Time to wake up
For far too long, many mainstream publications have been just that – mainstream. But Alemoru is shaking things up. “Social media has created a new generation of media consumers. People want content that speaks to them directly, in their own language,” Alemoru notes. “We need to engage with our audience and give them something they can’t find anywhere else.”
The rise of digital-first platforms, social media influencers and new media consumption habits means publications can no longer rely on their brand name and history. Glamour has always been one step ahead, with its revolutionary handbag size when it launched in the UK in 2002, followed by its leap to digital-first in 2017. So, what plans does Alemoru have to ensure it stays relevant?
“I think Glamour has always taken bold risks over the years, but it’s been a while since we’ve pushed the envelope – apart from last year’s groundbreaking cover with a pregnant trans man, which was a major splash,” Alemoru says. “For the last seven years, it’s been under the same editor. With a new editor comes fresh energy and a willingness to take new risks. It’s about breaking old rules and bringing a new perspective to the brand.”
Alemoru knows the importance of keeping Glamour’s legacy while embracing the future. “We’re not going to tear everything up and start fresh, but we’re definitely adding a new layer to what we do. There’s room for both tradition and evolution.”
“We’re currently working on Women of the Year. It was reintroduced not long ago, but this year, we’re deconstructing it. I’m looking forward to the event looking completely different,” Alemoru adds.
“We’re tapping into TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The goal is to meet readers where they are and connect with them in a meaningful way,” she explains.
Facing the future, staying creative
Alemoru is also thinking about the future of media and the role that AI will play in it. While she acknowledges that AI is a “deeply scary” force, she sees it as a challenge for journalists to stay creative.
“There’s a real possibility that AI could make us obsolete, but only if we’re not creative enough to outdo a machine,” she states. “AI can’t create – it can only pull from what already exists. What sets us apart as creators is our ability to bring something new into the world, something that’s not yet on the internet and can’t be scraped. The biggest challenge AI presents is its dominance in search results, especially in Google’s AI overviews. But the key is to ensure our storytelling transcends that, offering something deeper and more original.”
Alemoru is certainly original. Her real strength lies in telling real stories – stories that matter, stories that connect, stories that make people feel something. “Storytelling is power. It’s how we shape culture, it’s how we shape the world,” she says. “That’s why tech giants buy up publications like The Washington Post. Because of that power. So at Glamour we need to make sure we’re using our platform for good.”
As Alemoru steps into her new role, she’s not just looking to make a mark – she’s looking to build something that lasts. “The responsibility is huge, but it’s also an amazing opportunity for me to be at the helm of a publication and shape a new generation of consumers,” she says.
The responsibility is huge, as Glamour is poised for a new chapter under her leadership. So, what scares Alemoru most about the role?
“What am I most scared about? That’s a big question,” she laughs. “In a role like this, failure is always a thought. But even the things I fear are opportunities to grow–moments to evolve as a person. We all make mistakes, and I’m still learning. I’m 31, still growing as a storyteller. Being open about that messiness is what makes it real and relatable.“
“That’s what Glamour is about to me – embracing the messiness and letting people see the unfinished journey. The most glamorous women aren’t polished – they’re like books still being written.”
