On June 1, SEW welcomes journalist and former editor-in-chief of Nylon (Nylon Media’s lifestyle magazine), Gabrielle Korn, to discuss her new book, Everybody (Else) is Perfect: How I Survived Hypocrisy, Beauty, Clicks, and Likes.
The book is a provocative and intimate collection of personal and cultural essays featuring eye-opening explorations of hot button topics for modern women, including internet feminism, impossible beauty standards in social media, shifting ideas about sexuality, and much more.
At the start of her professional life, Korn seemingly had it all — a prestigious college degree, a loving, accepting family, Instagram-worthy offices, and a tight-knit group of friends. Named the youngest editor-in-chief in the history of an influential fashion publication, she found herself receiving invitations to glamorous parties, complimentary clothing and shoes from trendy designers, and requests to weigh in on everything from gay rights to lip gloss on high-profile digital platforms.
But behind the scenes, things were far from perfect. In this collection of inspirational and searing essays, Korn reveals what it was truly like for her in the fashion world, trying to find love as a young lesbian in New York City, battling anorexia, and trying not to lose herself in a mirage of women’s empowerment and Instagram perfection.
Through deeply personal essays, Korn recounts her struggles to reconcile long-held insecurities about her body while coming out in the era of The L Word, where lesbians are portrayed as skinny, fashion-perfect, and power-hungry. She takes her readers with her everywhere from New York Fashion Week to the doctor’s office, revealing the pervasive forces that work to keep women small, especially in a world that has been newly branded as “woke.”
Korn graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2011 with a concentration in feminist/queer theory and writing. She lives in Brooklyn and currently works at Netflix.
Praise for Everybody (Else) is Perfect
“In this biting, clever, personal narrative, Korn takes us through the exploitative-as-ever underbelly of the newly ‘woke’ world of women’s media.”—Harper’s Bazaar
“A confident, confessional modern account of breaking free from image obsession.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A candid glimpse at the fashion media industry in the era of diversity and inclusion.”―Booklist
“In her first-ever essay collection, a mix of The Devil Wears Prada and Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror, she tells her story of navigating New York media…Korn doesn't shy away from exposing the physical and emotional costs of being a lesbian in an industry that has traditionally discounted women like her. These pieces comprise a vital guide to surviving and thriving.”—Oprah Magazine
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