CNN treads regularly in the halls of government, but now it’s getting ready for a stroll on the catwalk.
Rachel Tashjian, most recently the fashion critic for The Washington Post, will join CNN as a senior style reporter. She will be part of a team under the supervision of Choire Sicha, who was hired in May to develop a group of journalists focused on features as the news outlet readies a new digital product that will amplify certain beats and topics that may not get as much attention during the primetime lineup of its flagship TV operation. Tashjian will report to Fiona Sinclair Scott, global editor of CNN Style.
“I am absolutely stoked that I finally get to work with Rachel,” said Sicha, in a statement. “She is a brilliant reporter who is also perfectly hilarious, insightful, curious and empathetic, whether she’s writing about thrifting or about Dior.”
CNN has already begun running ads for a new digital subscription service that promises to grant access to “unlimited streaming and articles, including 24/7 global news, award-winning shows and films and more.” Mark Thompson, CNN’s CEO, has articulated a strategy of moving the news company beyond its dependence on cable distribution into new arenas where it can attract a broader set of customers who will pay for its products in different ways.
Tashjian’s hire will have CNN jousting with other major news outlets such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that see fashion as a subject worth deeper coverage Tashjian is also the creator of Opulent Tips, an “invitation-only” newsletter that provides shopping and personal style advice.
She has also worked as the fashion news director at Harper’s Bazaar, and as the first fashion critic at GQ. She profiled leading designers including Miuccia Prada, Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior and Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton.
Tashjian attended the University of Pennsylvania and holds a B.A. in English and art history. She will be based out of CNN’s New York Bureau.