Michelle Lee, Allure’s top editor for the last five and a half years, is joining the Netflix marketing team in a newly created editorial and publishing role.
Lee announced her jump to Netflix, where she will be global VP of editorial and publishing, in an Instagram post Monday; Netflix confirmed her hire. She will lead and oversee Netflix’s team focused on social media channels, podcasts and other initiatives, including the streamer’s Queue magazine.
Lee in late July will join the Netflix marketing group, reporting to chief marketing officer Bozoma Saint John, the market veteran who previously worked at companies including Apple and Endeavor. Also joining Saint John’s team in July is Marian Lee Dicus, most recently Spotify’s VP and global co-head of music, who will lead Netflix marketing for the U.S. and Canada.
“This is an exciting but bittersweet moment because I’ll miss everyone at Allure so much,” Lee, who joined the Condé Nast beauty publication in November 2015, wrote. “I’m so proud of my brilliant, creative colleagues and everything we’ve accomplished together. I think we’ve truly shifted the way people look at and talk about beauty. We sparked change on topics like race and aging and sustainability and equality. We helped to move culture — and that’s no small feat.”
Reps for Condé Nast didn’t respond to a request for more information about Lee’s exit from Allure.
Lee said her role leading Allure as EIC “has been a dream job, one I thought I’d stay at forever. But I’m beyond thrilled to join @netflix, working with the incredible @badassboz. I’ve long admired the game-changing work the team there has produced and I’m so excited about what we’ll create together.” Lee also said she will be relocating from New York to L.A.
Lee is credited with transforming Allure during her tenure. In 2017, Adweek named the publication magazine of the year and honored Lee as editor of the year for its groundbreaking covers. Those included the July 2017 “This Is American Beauty” Allure cover featuring model Halima Aden in a hijab. In addition, Lee led the magazine’s decision in September 2017 to ban usage of the term “anti-aging.” Allure also was a 2019 National Magazine Award finalist for its March 2018 issue “The Culture of Beauty,” featuring Lupita Nyong’o.
Before joining Allure, Lee was EIC of fashion and beauty magazine Nylon and prior to that was co-founder and chief content and strategy officer at branded content agency Magnified Media. She also held senior roles at Glamour and Mademoiselle.
According to her linkedIn profile, Lee is a board member at Gold House and ColorComm and she sits on the advisory council at Act to Change.
