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How Will Welch & GQ Are Redefining Masculinity

Last Updated: April 26, 2023
GQ’s Global Editorial Director and Editor in Chief of GQ US sat down with Rich Kleiman for the most recent episode of “Out of Office” to discuss the iconic magazine’s global brand, the evolution of masculinity, and much more.

This week, newsstands across the globe are flooded with the collection of GQ’s iconic Men of the Year covers. In the United States, this year’s selection includes Formula 1 sensation Max Verstappen, comeback actor of the year Brendan Fraser, and Zoë Kravitz. Collectively, the three covers demonstrate the range of GQ’s reach and holistically echo the vision that the magazine’s Global Editorial Director and Editor in Chief of GQ U.S. Will Welch has for the legacy brand.

Click here to listen to the full episode

Since Welch took over his current position in 2021, he has sought to intertwine the global brand. However, at the center of it all — and he would argue at the center of “culture,” more generally — lies fashion.

“Everyone wants to be seen as creative, and fashion is where all that can come together,” Welch told Rich Kleiman on the most recent episode of Out of Office.

The two long-time friends discuss a wide range of topics including:

  • The creation of a global vision for GQ
  • The evolution of men’s fashion
  • The process of selecting GQ’s “Men of the Year”
  • The ever-changing standards for masculinity and its evolution in the post-Me Too era
  • The need for re-imagined leadership
  • The future of GQ Sports

Click here to listen and subscribe to “The ETCs” with KD and Eddie and “Out of Office” with Rich Kleiman.

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About The Author
Bernadette Doykos
Bernadette Doykos
Bernadette Doykos is the Senior Director of Editorial Strategy at Boardroom. Before joining the team, her work appeared in ELLE. She previously served as the head of evaluation for a nonprofit where she became obsessed with systems and strategy and served as the curator of vibes and extinguisher of fires for the design thinking firm Stoked. She is constantly plotting a perfect tunnel ‘fit and a playlist for all occasions.