The Nigerian-born Nikki Ogunnaike will take up her new role on August 8, after serving as Senior Digital Director at the renowned American women’s fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar since November 2020.
As Senior Digital Director of “Harper’s Bazaar”. Nikki Ogunnaike oversaw a team of editors covering style culture across website, video and social media.
In her new position, Nikki Ogunnaike will lead Marie-Claire’s editorial strategy for print, digital, experiential and social. She will also be responsible for overseeing Marie Claire’s editorial direction to expand across all platforms, continue to attract a diverse audience and enhance content strategy.
Nikki Ogunnaike will report to Hillary Kerr, Chief Content Officer of Who What Wear and Marie Claire. She said: “Nikki is an absolute visionary, with a distinct point of view, unrivalled taste and unparalleled experience. Watching her lead this historic brand into a new era and continue to develop Future’s Women’s Network is undeniably exciting”.
Nikki Ogunnaike commented: “For nearly 30 years, Marie Claire has been the go-to source for women seeking to live a life of purpose and power. As a long-time fan, I’m thrilled to be joining the Marie Claire team and taking this brand into a new era. Women who are passionate about their careers, their personal style and the world around them will find a new destination that speaks to their whole identity. I can’t wait to start this new chapter!”
Style expert
With a BA in Media Studies from the University of Virginia in 2007, style expert Nikki Ogunnaike has worked for prestigious publications such as Vanity Fair, InStyle, Glamour, ELLE and GQ. Prior to her role as Senior Digital Director at Harper’s Bazaar, Nikki Ogunnaike was Deputy Fashion Director at GQ from October 2019 to November 2020. Long before that, she was style director at ELLE magazine. In this position, she managed a team of three (senior beauty editor, market editor, editor/producer) creating content in the fashion and beauty verticals. In addition, she produced, styled and hosted ELLE’s Snapchat series “Online IRL”. She has also represented the brand in TV spots (Good Morning America), video content (YouTube) and conferences on women’s empowerment, diversity and style (Soho House, Create and Cultivate).
Nikki Ogunnaike began her career in fashion with a brief stint at Vanity Fair, before moving on to a more editorial role at InStyle, an American monthly women’s fashion magazine. She then took the digital plunge, joining Glamour.com. “I thought if I could convince a website to give a chance to someone who only had print experience, but had connections and was really good at writing and reporting, then I’d be set,” Nikki Ogunnaike told fashionista.com. After gaining experience with Glamour.com, Nikki Ogunnaike joined Elle.com in 2015. She started there as fashion editor, before becoming the website’s style director, producing original video content on YouTube and Snapchat.
GQ recruited her in October 2019 and appointed her deputy fashion director under Mobolaji Dawodu. The men’s magazine’s fashion department was thus, at the time, headed by two Americans of Nigerian origin, which, as Nikki Ogunnaike proudly pointed out, is “very important for a company like Condé Nast in today’s media”. Nikki Ogunnaike hosted GQ’s Instagram TV show, The Run Through.
