Margaret Russell
Margaret Russell is a design journalist and a consultant specializing in media, architecture, interior design, and the cultural arts.
She was formerly the editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest, where she infused the nearly century-old magazine with new life and launched its digital platforms and social media. Prior to joining AD, Russell served as vice president/editor-in-chief of Elle Decor, a publication that she helped found in 1989. During her tenure, she created elledecor.com and produced the bestselling Elle Decor book series, including So Chic and Style and Substance, which she coauthored. Her first book, Designing Women: Interiors by Leading Style Makers, was published in 2001.
Russell is a member of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and she serves on the Design Advisory Team for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, as well the advisory council of the Philip Johnson Glass House, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She speaks regularly on design topics, has appeared on numerous TV shows, and was featured in Iris, the Iris Apfel documentary, and in Very Ralph, the recent HBO documentary on Ralph Lauren.
Russell earned a B.A. from Brown University, and SCAD honored her with an Étoile Award in 2008 for her important contributions to style, design, and architecture. She received an honorary doctorate from SCAD in 2014 and delivered the keynote address at commencement ceremonies in Savannah and Atlanta. She also served as the Honorary Dean of the School of Building Arts from 2017 to 2020.