Since becoming Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire over two years ago, Nikki Ogunnaike has joined a new generation of fashion media leaders. Like many of her peers who entered the industry around the time of the Great Recession, when fashion magazines were just beginning to invest in their dot-com presence, she possesses a unique vantage point: someone who understands the media “old guard” but is also keenly focused on the future. And this quite nicely complements her vision for Marie Claire. Key to it? Women who write their own rules on personal style, work, money, and power.
Ogunnaike came to her career in a more roundabout way. First, she considered law—“When your parents are Nigerian, it's usually one of the things that you say you want to be,” she shares—but fashion was always of interest. Then, inspired by a millennial cultural touchstone—The Hills and The City—she contemplated a career in public relations. But soon, she realized she would rather be the one writing the stories than sending the press releases. And in the following decade or so, she filled her resume with stints at some of the most esteemed places to do it, including Glamour, InStyle, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar.
Now at Marie Claire, Ogunnaike is living out a career that was simply never seen on any early ‘00s reality shows. She spearheads a publication that has its pulse on capital-F Fashion, as well as on culture, politics, and trailblazing women who shape our world. This includes also expanding the brand’s annual IRL summit, Power Trip, into new territory—this past spring in Atlanta, for instance—launching its inaugural Power Moms List to celebrate women across their mothering journey, and kicking off her own podcast, Nice Talk, to discuss it all.
“Joining [Marie Claire] two years ago, it really dawned on me that we're not the type of brand that is just now having these conversations,” she says about the publication’s continued focus on discussing power and what it means to women. “We've been having them for 30 years.” With Ogunnaike at the helm, this legacy is certainly in good hands.
“Personal style is something that comes to you through lived experience.”
ON BEING A MILLENNIAL FASHION EDITOR
Coming up in the fashion industry during the 2010s was a really exciting time. There was this old guard that was very much used to doing things in one way, and this new guard who were willing to roll up their sleeves, get a little messy, and not have to go through the usual channels. You don't know when you're in it that you're this new guard of people who are changing the way that fashion exists. But reflecting on it, we were just young 20-somethings who wanted to be silly on the internet, and we were allowed to do that. It felt like we weren't beholden to the same status quo because we weren't going to be let in anyway. There wasn't necessarily space for us, and so we just did our own thing.
“Hungry” is a really good term for what we were back then. It shapes the way that I run my team now and the people that I want to hire. It's been two years that I've been in this leadership position…but you don't lose your fire, you don't lose that hunger. I think that's just innate to how I operate.
ON HER MOST MEMORABLE NO
When I first moved to New York, I didn't have a job, and so I faced a series of nos. I applied everywhere. I thought I was really, really close to getting a job as a fashion assistant at Teen Vogue, and that would've actually completely changed the trajectory of my career. So that's actually a no that I'm quite thankful for because I am not sure that I would be in the position where I am now if I had gotten that job.
And then I’ve heard no to all sorts of Fashion Week shows: “No, you're not accommodated.” “No seats for you.” It's just those sorts of nos that remind you that, at the end of the day, this is a business and much of it is not personal. Sometimes you are just a name on a check-in iPad.
ON POWER
Talking about power right now is specifically important as our rights are being stripped away. Women's rights are being stripped away. People of color's rights are being stripped away. So, it feels like it’s an incredible opportunity to work at a brand that is not shy about having those conversations, and, for me, at a time when I feel ready to continue to have them publicly and loudly.
There are small moments of power in my life. When I hit 20 push-ups at the gym, I feel super powerful. But then there are also moments at work. We just published this story about two women who met on TikTok and have created essentially a tracker for ICE raids across the country. Knowing that I work at a place like Marie Claire, which can tell these types of stories, is a form of power.
ON THE TRUTH ABOUT PERSONAL STYLE
I love talking about style, but I am tired of the discourse around having to find your personal style. It feels as though if you don't find your personal style, then you're a failure or that you've lost the plot. Personal style is something that comes to you through lived experience. There's no way that you can walk into a store and point out a mannequin and say, “That's my personal style.” I think that that's what a lot of TikTok and social media has created, and that's what I'm tired of. I don't like this idea that you can just go out and buy a personal style. That's not how it works.
I don't like fussy clothing. I don't like complicated clothing because I am in this position right now where I don't have a ton of time to worry about or fret over what my clothing is saying. I have things that are easy and feel true to who I am. I will touch on a trend every once in a while, but it feels nice to have hit an age or a time in my life where I don't feel like I have to chase trends off a cliff anymore.
ON HOW SHE’S CHANGING THE STATUS QUO
I'm one of a few Black editors of brands right now. Obviously, there's always room for improvement and for more people to have a seat at the table, but even just being in the room, I challenge the status quo as we know it. And then I do think that being a millennial boss is a very interesting position to hold because you want to take some of what you've learned from the people who've come before you, but you also want to get rid of what is toxic or doesn't make sense in the way that you lead right now.
ON THE WORK THAT FUELS HER
When I joined Marie Claire two years ago, one of the first things I said about Power Play was that I wanted to take it on the road. And so we got to take it to Atlanta, and we're taking it on the road again this fall. Then, we also get to have day-to-day conversations about what millennial women are going through during this transitional period for many: becoming mothers, figuring out their mothering journey, or maybe they don't want to become mothers at all. Being able to do something like Power Moms—creating all these really ambitious, in-real-life moments for women to come together, hang out, and talk—is really exciting.
"You don't know when you're in it that you're this new guard.”
She’s Worth a Follow
Find Nikki on Instagram.
More From Work Friends
Ava DuVernay
The acclaimed storyteller and history-making director is the visionary behind films, like Selma and Origin, that resonate profoundly on personal and societal levels.
Doris Burke
A true trailblazer, Doris is the first woman television analyst to call any major American men’s sports championship event. And she’s changing the profession for good.
Jessica Malaty Rivera
The COVID-19 pandemic put Jessica and her work on a global stage, and today—more than ever—her commitment to providing guidance and calling out misinformation persists.
Sarah Gibson Tuttle
A former equity sales trader, Sarah pivoted careers to launch nail care brand Olive & June, a company that fosters community and has democratized manicures.
Esther Perel
Her work was intended to exist behind closed doors, and yet by breaking with convention—through her bestselling books, "Where Should We Begin?" podcast, and card game by the same name—she's become one of the most prominent voices in mental health.
Chelsea Hirschhorn
She founded Frida to be the ultimate toolkit for meeting the most mundane, and unpleasant, moments of motherhood. And her success all began with a snotsucker.
Sally Grimes
Diageo North America may be her first foray into the spirits industry, but food and beverage has always been more of a lifelong passion.
Melissa Murray
Her journey from law school to legal scholar to co-host of the Crooked Media podcast "Strict Scrutiny" has been led by authenticity—even when she didn’t expect it.
Ali Krieger
The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and former NJ/NY Gotham FC defender/team captain has entered an entirely new chapter in the past year—one that could easily feel upending: retirement.
Jessica Yellin
The celebrated journalist building a community to empower people with information—not sensationalism.
Cari Champion
Inside a 25-year career of highlighting sports’ impact on culture and politics, and uplifting marginalized voices in the process.
Mara Roszak
How one of Hollywood's biggest hairstylists is living her dream as an entrepreneur.
Keri Powers
As SNL prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, this power producer celebrates 10 years working behind the scenes at the iconic TV show.
Elaine Welteroth
The former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue tells us how parenthood is the inspiration for her newest venture that combines her skills of storytelling and advocacy.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
In her debut book, Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau provides an intimate look at the events that have shaped her life—for better or worse.
Anjali Sud
From an early age, Anjali Sud understood that good business was more than a title, paycheck, or prestige—it was about impact.
Errin Haines
As the Editor-at-Large of The 19th*, Errin Haines' work is essentially a first draft of modern history, specifically from the POV of those whose narratives have often been left out.
Katie Couric
Inside the incredible past, present, and future career of our—but kind of everyone’s—Work Friend, Katie Couric.
Malika Andrews
By 28 years old, Malika Andrews became the youngest-ever sideline broadcast reporter, the youngest person to host the NBA Finals Trophy ceremony, and the first woman to host the NBA Draft on ESPN. She's just getting started.
Ai-jen Poo
Her work is an ongoing legacy of championing those who are most vulnerable in society—older adults, children, people with disabilities—and those who care for them.
Betsy Beers
As the Executive Producer of Shondaland, Betsy Beers' work is the stuff of modern television history.
Michelle R. Cole
Meet the costume designer who's not only on the pulse of what’s current in fashion, but whose work has helped shape fashion and pop culture history.
Anu Duggal
Anu Duggal's Female Founders Fund has not only become one of the largest seed funds for women, but it’s fostered an ambitious community, too.
Kara Swisher
Kara Swisher is one of the world’s most prominent voices in journalism, covering the internet since the dial-up tone was still a ‘90s novelty.
Erica Chidi
As the co-founder and CEO of Loom, Erica Chidi raised $3 million for her sexual and reproductive health company, notably making her the 35th Black female founder to have ever raised over $1 million.
Allison Feaster
Following a 17-year career as a professional basketball player, Allison Feaster is Vice President for Celtics, supporting the iconic organization and its players in multiple ways.
Ana Pinczuk
Ana Pinczuk is fresh to her recently appointed role as COO of Dexterity, a robotics software company, but her 30+ year career track record speaks volumes.
Monica Padman
Armchair Expert co-host Monica Padman’s success is a testament to her ability to listen to and connect with anyone in her orbit and reciprocate by opening up—it's not unlike the qualities of a very good friend.
Lindsay Kagawa Colas
Lindsay Colas thrives in her behind-the-scenes role as the executive vice president for Talent and The Collective at Wasserman, but her work and impact deserves headlines all the same.
Rajni Jacques
As social media has democratized fashion, beauty, and culture, Rajni Jacques’s latest role as the Global Head of Fashion and Beauty at Snapchat is connecting those with shared interests across the globe.
Laura Brown
Laura Brown—a fashion media powerhouse with over 20 years of experience—is currently plotting the next chapter of her career, including a new media company with her at the helm.
Melissa Winter
As the 15-year Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama, Winter makes. things. run. And often on a profound scale.
Joanna Coles
For 12 years, Joanna Coles was at the top of the masthead of some of the most iconic magazines—Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, specifically—but since leaving Hearst as Global Chief Content Officer in 2018, she’s embarked on, arguably, her most exciting career chapter yet.
Stephanie Young
Like her schedule of meetings, memos, and appearances on MSNBC, Stephanie Young’s work to increase voter participation is seemingly never-ending.
Scout Bassett
Scout Bassett says some may try to write her off but she remains unfazed and proves them wrong.
Page Crahan
In many jobs “keeping the lights on” might suggest the kind of work that often goes unnoticed or uncelebrated. But for Page Crahan, it takes on a new meaning when the lights are quite literally those that flow from power grids the world over.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Activist, educator, writer, and podcaster, Brittany—BPC, if you’re friendly—is coincidentally also learning to practice the art of rest. She may be overcommitted, but she knows what she’s capable of and “leverages” (stop saying it, stop saying it) every ounce of it for good.
Michelle Jubelirer
Swap your career with anyone in the world? Michelle says thanks but no, this one is my dream. She spends her days helping artists achieve their artistic dreams, but is not here for your over-use of acronyms.
Huma Abedin
Michigan-born, Washington-educated, and world-travelled, Huma is a multi-lingual, many-faceted force to be reckoned with. Equally notable: she’s a self-identified lucky mom and devourer of french fries & ice cream.
