Cathy Horyn Is Back in Fashion, Joins 'The Cut'

[HeatherAnne]

Great news, happy to have her back!

CATHY HORYN IS BACK IN FASHION:

Cathy Horyn, the former lead fashion critic for The New York Times, is picking up her pen, but for a different publication. Horyn will serve as critic-at-large for The Cut for 2015. Although financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, Horyn will cover both spring- summer and fall-winter collections in New York and Paris for The New York Magazine-owned site. Her contract may also be extended after this year.

Horyn, who resigned from The Times last February to care for her partner, the late Art Ortenberg, did not at that time indicate she planned to return to fashion criticism, following her 15-year career at the newspaper. Since then, she has penned occasional stories for The Times, and is currently in the process of writing a book, which will be published by Rizzoli, about how the Times has covered fashion from the 1850s to the present. Under the New York contract, Horyn cannot write for another publication about fashion; however, she may continue to work on her book, which is deemed a long-term project.

Horyn’s departure from The Times was part of a departmental shake-up in which the Styles section lost two other critics — Suzy Menkes, who left to become a critic for Vogue’s international Web sites, and Eric Wilson, who decamped for InStyle.

“Cathy was always on our dream list for her unique authority and style,” said The Cut’s editorial director Stella Bugbee, who explained that Horyn “was not looking” to return to the fashion circuit. “We approached her,” Bugbee said. “It wasn’t a very long convincing process.”

Through executive editor Laura Kearn, who had worked at The New York Times Magazine where she became close to Horyn, The Cut was able to lure the high-profile critic. According to Bugbee, while Horyn will write reviews and commentary, her role will be expanded at The Cut to potentially include other mediums. “I think she’s going to be doing a mix of things for us — traditional reviews and exploring what a site like ours has to offer,” the editor said. “She’s not limited strictly to reviews. I’m hoping she’ll have a lot of fun with it.”

Prior to Horyn, The Cut had contracted Robin Givhan as its fashion critic for the September 2013 and February 2014 shows, before she returned to The Washington Post as its fashion critic. The Cut’s fashion news editor Véronique Hyland handled reviews for Paris and New York shows last fall. She will now just review emerging designers in New York, while Horyn covers the bigger players in Manhattan and reviews shows in Paris.

Editor in chief of New York Magazine Adam Moss added: “I loved working with Cathy at The Times, and I love even more the opportunity to work with her at the Cut. She’s as good as they get.”

Horyn could not be reached by phone Friday, but said via e-mail of her new gig: “It’s a new platform for me, a nice change, and I look forward to writing about the shows.”

wwd

 

[Luxx]

amen.
Hallelujah.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Interesting how the NYT went from having the two most prominent fashion critics in the world to having neither. I wonder if that concerns them ...

 

[Koibito]

Finally! Can't wait to read her words again and wonder if she's gonna review Couture spring 2015 week.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

Wow Cathy and Robyn now at TheCut?! this is a force to be reckoned with

 

[Wolkfolk]

Incredible news !! Can't wait to read her reviews again.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Wow Cathy and Robyn now at TheCut?! this is a force to be reckoned with

Robyn is previous ... it's Cathy and Veronique, right? (Veronique may be less than thrilled at this news ...)

 

[mepps]

Now I can read The Cut again. xo

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

Robyn is previous ... it's Cathy and Veronique, right? (Veronique may be less than thrilled at this news ...)

oh yes! she went back to the Washington Post

 

[GivenchyHomme]

I can't wait to read what she has to say about Balenciaga.

 

[tatouejeremie]

couldn't be happier about this, her voice is much needed!

i've been quite disappointed with vanessa friedman at the new york times, i used to always read her articles in the financial times but now i don't bother anymore.. it always seems like she's trying to convince people why they should care about fashion.

 

[Littleathquakes]

Cathy's reviews are the only ones I really read in verbatim. Everyone else's I just skim, if I even bother to do that. I'm happy she's back. Let's see if she'll be allowed into the YSL shows again LOL.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

good to hear.

 

[Jacque Marcel]

I like Cathy but she has her favorites, so her reviews can be a bit biased.

 

[VogueDisciple93]

Being my favorite fashion critic I was saddened to see her retire, but fashion is now this hollow witless specter of its former self so there wasn't much to miss her her point of view on. Happy to see her back incase something interesting, good or bad, happens.