Brooke DeVard To Lead Refinery29's New Era: 'Everything Has Led To This Moment'

Refinery29

3 days ago

If you've followed my work—whether through Naked Beauty, my content or conversations we've had online—you know how much I care about beauty, identity, and storytelling. I've always believed that the way we express ourselves through hair, makeup, style, and scent is powerful. It's culture. It's communication. It's personal.
So I'm thrilled to share that I've joined Refinery29 as Chief Content Officer.
This is a full-circle moment. Refinery29 was one of the first platforms I saw doing beauty and fashion, and lifestyle content that actually spoke to me—intelligent, culturally aware, and creatively fearless. For 20 years, it has led with storytelling that centers identity, emotion, and self-expression. I'm deeply honored to help lead its next chapter.
Now, a bit about how I got here.
I've loved fashion and beauty for as long as I can remember. What began as a dress-up drawer in my childhood bedroom evolved into a fashion blog I started in high school called The Glamorous Eccentric. But it wasn't just about getting dressed—it was about building a world. As a kid, I directed elaborate Spice Girls music videos in my bedroom, playing every role: director, stylist, hair and makeup artist, location scout, and star. That was my first taste of media-making—long before I knew what 'content creation' even meant.
From an early age, I understood that beauty and style were a language. My grandmother, an educator with a PhD, carried herself with elegance and intention. My mother, a trailblazing executive, could command a room in a perfectly tailored blazer. The message was clear: how you show up matters—and style is both armor and art.
Growing up in New York City, I was immersed in creativity. As a teen model with Ford, I was fascinated by what happened behind the camera: Who's telling this story? Why? I began documenting my outfits and writing about fashion shows I'd sneak into after school. No one was calling it 'creator culture' yet, but that's exactly what it was. And I loved it.
I went on to study English at Stanford and interned at Ogilvy and Vogue. Each step shaped me. At Vogue, I learned what excellence looked like. Ogilvy taught me that advertising, at its best, is art. At Ralph Lauren, I saw what it meant to create a brand people could feel. Nokia gave me a global lens for marketing and the importance of region-specific storytelling. At Viacom, I deepened my understanding of how talent, content, and strategy come together to drive cultural impact. And at Instagram, I saw firsthand how creators were going to transform everything we knew about media.
In 2016, I launched Naked Beauty because I couldn't find the beauty podcast I wanted to hear. I bought two mics off Amazon and recorded them in my dining room. Nine years and more than 350 episodes later, Naked Beauty, is one of the top beauty podcasts globally. In 2025, we won the iHeart Podcast Award for Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast. What I'm proudest of, though, is the community we've built—curious, thoughtful, deeply engaged listeners who care about self-expression, ritual, and reflection.
Most recently, I've worked as a content creator and entrepreneur—partnering with global beauty brands, launching the award-winning Naked Beauty fragrance in 2024, and continuing to grow Naked Beauty across formats. It's been a masterclass in blending storytelling with commerce and pushing creative boundaries. And I'm thrilled to bring the Naked Beauty brand into the Refinery29 family.
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As Chief Content Officer, I'm excited to build on Refinery29's legacy with storytelling that's expansive, emotionally intelligent, and deeply rooted in culture.
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My lens has always been global. I've lived in Paris and London, created the #NakedBeautyGlobal series to explore rituals around the world, and seen firsthand how trends travel—how hair braiding in Ethiopia inspires runways in New York, or how ancient Chinese beauty practices go viral on TikTok.
Refinery29 is a global platform. And now, as Chief Content Officer, I'm excited to build on its legacy with storytelling that's expansive, emotionally intelligent, and deeply rooted in culture. I want to collaborate with emerging creators, reimagine what audio can be, and develop new formats that reflect the world we live in today.
As a mother of two, I also bring a lived understanding of identity, time, and intention to everything I create and lead. I want people to come to Refinery29 and leave more inspired, more informed, and more connected to themselves.
We're in a pivotal moment for media—audiences are craving more meaning, more depth, more connection. This new chapter at Refinery29 marks a turning point in how we rise to that challenge.
We're stepping into this bold new era with vision, creativity, and heart. I hope you'll join us.