Leigh Belz Ray is the features and news director at US InStyle magazine. Not only is she responsible for managing the high caliber talent both writing and contributing to the magazine, she’s all the force overseeing everything from the table of contents to the big celebrity cover story. A fellow journalist, Leigh is a role model for me. She’s worked at every key title you can imagine – starting off at Time Out New York, before roles at ELLE, People StyleWatch, Teen Vogue and Lucky magazine – and has managed to stay true to the kind of smart, witty, of-this-moment-style pieces that has had so many of us following her over the past several years. Her appreciation of the power of words is a product of growing up with teachers as parents and reading being something she was always surrounded by.
She’s also a woman after my own heart sartorially too. Her wardrobe is almost exclusively navy, black and grey (despite attempts to branch out) and her style is very much her own. “In my 20s, I think I was trying to figure out what my style was and what pieces best spoke to that. Now, in my 30s, am more interested in the styling tricks that allow me to reinvent basic pieces or create combinations that feel fresh… I’ve gotten more realistic about what works on my body type. I experiment within a more successful range now — going for what has a better chance of looking right on my frame instead of trying to force something that just isn’t meant to be.”
From her office at Time Inc. HQ we chatted to her about getting her break interview REM’s Michael Stripe, on the importance of having a distinct point of difference in publishing and what she learned interview Gloria Steinem.
ON EARLY JOURNALISM AMBITIONS: When I was little, I loved to read. Everything from Beatrix Potter to Beverly Cleary to Roald Dahl—and would even write up my own shoddily-illustrated stories. My parents were both teachers and reading was such an important thing in our house. Magazines always had a place in my life too, from an early age. I had subscriptions to Cricket magazine and The Electric Company magazine and then, as I got older, Teen and Seventeen. My favorite magazine when I was around 10 was actually Us when it was a monthly because it had the most excellent photography of all of the TV and movie stars I was obsessed with—full-bleed images of Christian Slater and Chris O’Donnell and Ethan Hawke. I used to stalk the mailman because getting new magazines in the mail was such a special thing. I knew that I wanted writing to be a part of what I did as my career, so when I was looking at colleges, I was only targeting schools with journalism programs. I was pretty set on what I wanted to do and I haven’t ever wavered. I love the creativity and the decisions that go into telling a story.
ON GETTING HER START: Throughout college, I was a stringer at my local newspaper in New Jersey, The Home News. I wrote essentially anything they’d let me write—community pieces, profiles, event coverage. One summer, I was the obituary writer during the day and at night, once the obituaries had gone to press, I listened to the police scanners and covered any late-breaking police news from chemical spills to major accidents. That same summer, I interned at Time Out New York. This led to my first major magazine story, a piece on an R.E.M. exhibit (my favourite band at the time) at the Museum of Television and Radio, for which I managed to score an impromptu in-person interview with Michael Stipe. My first big story and it was an interview with a guy whose face was on a poster hanging in my dorm room. I essentially combusted. I was only 19 and I didn’t know if it would get any better.
HER NO-SO-AVERAGE CV: At the end of college, I sent clips and cover letters to my 50 favorite magazines and got… a slew of form letters back saying they were all ‘keeping my resume on file.’ But I did get called for one interview at ELLE magazine and thankfully it turned into my first job, assisting Editor in Chief Robbie Myers. I started two weeks after I graduated college and was at ELLE for a little over four years—working my way up in the features department, covering music, TV, art and their inspiring women column. In 2005, I moved to Teen Vogue as Senior Features Editor and stayed there until 2011, overseeing their news, issues, real girl profiles and doing some pop culture content—I even wrote a monthly music column. I loved the ability to both focus on pop culture, which I’ve always been so invested in, and also real-world, real issue pieces. Eventually, I was interested in moving to a bigger, more overall role, so I went to People StyleWatch in 2011 to be the Deputy Editor and after a few years was asked to join Lucky as the Executive Editor. At the end of the road with Lucky, once there wasn’t a print product, I moved to the digital team and ended my time there as Editorial Director of the site and brand. I consulted and freelanced for a few months at the end of last year and then started up at InStyle in February.
ON JOINING THE INSTYLE TEAM & WHAT HER ROLE ACTUALLY INVOLVES: The magazine has been such a force in the industry since it launched. I’m impressed by any title that’s been able to maintain that kind of momentum and is run by a smart team that understands the need to constantly evolve. The caliber of talent featured in the magazine is so high and I’ve been just as impressed with everyone who I work with behind the scenes. My role is managing the features team and overseeing and top editing that content—from the table of contents to the cover story. I also get to write the front of book section of covetables called The Get. It allows me to channel my years at Lucky — finding the point of intrigue of everything from skin luminizers to chic home goods to designer bags. Coming up with the headlines for each item has become one of my absolute favorite parts of my job. Finding the perfect, surprising (and funny!) headline is totally adrenalizing to a word nerd like me. The team at InStyle is totally integrated, so the features team also produces at least five online posts per day. Working with everyone to put together content plans for digital coverage of everything from film festivals to TV show premieres and expanding on in-book content is such a great way to optimize the access we have, and to get everyone writing on a regular basis.
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A POINT OF DIFFERENCE: On my very first day working at InStyle, I was in a meeting with [former] editor in chief Ariel Foxman, and he talked about the importance of imbuing every story and every caption with extra details. Details that add value and service and humor to the piece. And he’s so right on—all of my favorite publications feel like they’ve got something interesting and fresh for you on every page, from inspiring visuals to smart service notes and intimate interviews. I’m proud to work at a publication that has its mission so explicitly stated, and that delivers on that promise.
ON THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM PAST INTERVIEW SUBJECTS: I’ve gotten to talk to a number of prominent women: doctors, musicians, teachers, and authors. I think the conversation that has affected me the most to this day was when I got to speak to Gloria Steinem for Teen Vogue’s website. I was a women and gender studies minor in college, so being able to get to know her a little over the course of a few meetings was such a meaningful thing. I respect her in so many ways. And something she talked about, which was a total surprise to me, was that she was initially quite fearful of public speaking. Gloria—a woman known for her public speaking and organizing! She described her nerves as causing her to feel like her mouth “was so dry she had little sweaters on each tooth”. The description was such a poetic one — I think about it all the time, especially before I’m about to speak publicly. She said: “You just keep doing, it and it gets just a little easier each time.” She was right.
ON THE OL’ PRINT VERSUS DIGITAL DEBATE: I think media brands are figuring out how to leverage both their print and digital properties in a smart way to match reader expectations. At this point, most breaking news lives online, and the ‘news’ of in-book features is all about access and exclusivity. Working on an integrated team is the best of both worlds because it gives me the opportunity to react to something very quickly for the site, and then put together something really special for magazine.
HER PERSONAL STYLE: It’s pretty minimalist and modern. I tend to stick with solid colors and A-line shapes. I used to wear almost exclusively navy blue, black, and grey, but in the past year I’ve been making an attempt to work more color into my look. Shirtdresses are my ultimate work uniform—preferably those with pockets. I generally wear some sort of heeled sandal or flat oxford to play up the masculine/feminine vibe. I tend to mix and match from Vince, Theory, Cos, Madewell and J. Crew for clothing, and for shoes I’ve recently been loving what Loeffler Randall’s been putting out. I just bought a pair of their perforated leather espadrille sneakers that I’ve been really excited to wear around the office. In terms of new brands, last year I picked up white shirtdress from Maud Heline that I never fail to get compliments on. The tailoring is spot-on. I almost held off on getting it because I didn’t trust myself with a white dress, but I’ve managed to (mostly) keep it pristine. The designer’s based in Brooklyn, where I live, so I’ve got some borough pride about the line. I can’t wait to get my next piece. I moved to Williamsburg in 2011 and I really enjoy shopping in the neighbourhood. Bird is a go-to, and I love Concrete + Water, and Meg.
ON GETTING REAL WITH TRENDS: I’ve gotten more realistic about what works on my body type. I experiment within a more successful range now — going for what has a better chance of looking right on my frame instead of trying to force something that just isn’t meant to be. In my 20s, I think I was trying to figure out what my style was and what pieces best spoke to that. Now, in my 30s, am more interested in the styling tricks that allow me to reinvent basic pieces or create combinations that feel fresh.
OFF-DUTY: There’s a decent chance that on the weekend, I’m wearing 100% James Perse. I love the brand’s tees and jersey dresses, and I have a few pairs of shorts that I live in on my days off. Everything about his collections– his color palette, fabrics– really works for me. I still love to read as much as I did growing up. When I’m off, I try and take long walks around my neighborhood as often as I can—it’s kind of meditative and I get some good thinking done. I listen to a lot of podcasts, either to learn something or to laugh. I have a three-year-old daughter and she’s at the point where she’s in the world and experiencing it and articulating it, so just hanging out with her and my husband is my greatest joy. Last weekend, she woke up and I said ‘what should we do today?’ and she said, with zero hesitation, ‘I’d like to get a donut with sprinkles on it.’ So we decided to have a late morning donut picnic. We packed up a blanket and some bubbles and got a couple donuts and went up to McCarren Park and just hung out and blew bubbles and ate donuts. It was pretty much the best Saturday of 2016.