Versha Sharma Revisited: What Disappeared When Teen Vogue Was Folded
Note: This is a re-released episode from June 2025. When Jill sat down with Versha Sharma, she was Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue. Since then, Condé Nast has folded Teen Vogue into vogue.com, eliminating the masthead entirely. Sharma's job and the editorial identity she built were swept away in that restructuring, which is exactly why this conversation feels even more relevant now.
Jill sits down with Versha Sharma for the story of her climb to EIC at one of America's most influential youth publications. Drawing from her Louisiana upbringing as the daughter of Indian immigrants, Sharma opens up about the feelings of otherness that fueled her passion for amplifying marginalized voices. The conversation traces her path from Obama's 2008 campaign through her evolution into journalism and her leadership at Teen Vogue during COVID-19 and the social justice reckoning of 2020.
Sharma describes the strategic evolution she guided, from embracing digital-first publishing to prioritizing video content for Gen Z audiences. The episode highlights groundbreaking editorial choices under her guidance, including features on Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk's transgender daughter, and Representative Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress.
Listening back, this conversation is a reminder of what leadership actually looks like in media and how much is lost when the industry sidelines the voices who push it forward.
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Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer
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Steven Klein on Breaking Rules, Beauty, and His Vogue Legacy
Jill speaks with iconic artist and photographer Steven Klein for an intimate exploration of his groundbreaking career. Renowned for his transgressive, culturally resonant imagery, Klein discusses his new book 'Steven Klein Vogue,' which chronicles two decades of boundary-pushing work within mainstream fashion photography. The conversation traces his journey from his Rhode Island upbringing through his transformative collaborations with Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Phyllis Posnick, Garren, Kate Betts, and Liz Tilberis at Vogue. Klein reflects on working with legendary figures including Alexander McQueen, Madonna, Prince, Pat McGrath, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Gisele Bündchen, Brad Pitt, and countless other luminaries who have shaped contemporary fashion and culture.
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer Be sure to follow Going Rogue on your favorite podcast platform.
Going Rogue is part of the Radio Free Rhinecliff media network.
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From Bloomingdale's Windows to Vogue's Inner Circle with Candy Pratts Price
Jill chats with legendary fashion insider Candy Pratts Price, whose decades-long career has left an indelible mark on the industry. From revolutionizing Bloomingdale's windows to pioneering digital fashion journalism at style.com to serving as Anna Wintour's right hand at Vogue, Candy has been a transformative force behind fashion's biggest cultural moments. She shares her journey from Washington Heights to the industry's highest echelons, offering her unique philosophy on fashion as entertainment and reflecting on how the cultural landscape has evolved throughout her career. Through personal anecdotes and hard-won insights, Candy reveals what it takes to modernize an industry while remaining one of its most powerful yet unseen influencers. For visuals discussed in the episode, visit the Going Rogue podcast's Instagram.
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer Be sure to follow Going Rogue on your favorite podcast platform.
Going Rogue is part of the Radio Free Rhinecliff media network.
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Jawara Wauchope on Representation and Hair Artistry
Jill talks with Jawara Wauchope about his journey, whose passion for hairstyling began at age six, sweeping floors in a Kingston salon and eventually transforming his sister into a music video muse. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Jamaica until he was ten, Jawara returned to Queens and pursued an unconventional path through salon apprenticeships and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). After years assisting fashion legends like Guido Palau, Sam McKnight, Luigi Murenu, and Paul Hanlon, he mastered techniques for working with any hair type at the highest level. His breakthrough came in 2013 when he went solo. From Vogue covers to Beyoncé's Renaissance shoot for British Vogue and Rihanna's first pregnancy reveal for American Vogue, Jawara hasn't just broken barriers: he's championed representation and elevated Black hair artistry to the forefront of fashion.
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
Follow on Bluesky
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer Be sure to follow Going Rogue on your favorite podcast platform.
Going Rogue is part of the Radio Free Rhinecliff media network.
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Mickey Boardman: The Man Who Shaped Paper Magazine
Jill chats with Mickey Boardman, also known as Mr. Mickey, the cultural tastemaker and heart of Paper Magazine for the past three decades. From his beginnings as a kid in suburban Illinois obsessed with glamor to becoming New York's most beloved cultural tastemaker, Mickey shares his journey, including insights into the famous Kim Kardashian 'Break the Internet' cover, his unique editorial vision, and his passion for celebrating creativity and authenticity. Through stories of his early work, internships, and transformative moments at Paper, Mickey reveals how he embraced his uniqueness and helped shape the magazine industry.
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
Follow on Bluesky
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer Be sure to follow Going Rogue on your favorite podcast platform.
Going Rogue is part of the Radio Free Rhinecliff media network.
Welcome to the ultimate insider's guide to the world of fashion, celebrity, and media—straight from the heart of Vogue.
I’m Jill Demling and for nearly two decades I was the Entertainment Director of Vogue. I've booked over 200 American Vogue covers, 30 covers for British Vogue, and more than 50 covers worldwide. That's nearly 300 covers that shaped pop culture, defined fashion, and captured the zeitgeist. But those perfect images? They're just the tip of the iceberg.
"Going Rogue" is your backstage pass to the moments that never made it to print. The stories from the photographers who captured magic, the stylists who created iconic looks, and the writers who know every secret. You'll hear about the celebrities, the shoots that almost didn't happen, and the untold drama behind fashion's most memorable moments.
Remember "The Devil Wears Prada"? That fictional 11-month snapshot? I was there for the real story—I even hired the person the book was based on and appear on page 21 of the book. But this isn't about one story. It's about hundreds of stories, from someone who was on the inside. This podcast is not an exposé, it's a celebration of the brilliant people behind the scenes that made all the famous moments possible at Vogue.
It isn't just a podcast about fashion. It's about creativity, ambition, art, and the human stories behind the images that helped define a generation. We'll reveal how the talents behind these shoots got their start, and they'll share masterclass-level advice for a new generation of stylists, photographers, and creatives looking to make their mark. We're going behind the scenes of a world most people only glimpse through glossy pages and red carpet moments.
Are you ready to go rogue with me?
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