Mary Ward is a New York-based fashion journalist and editorial strategist currently shaping bridal content at Over The Moon while maintaining a contributing editor role at Vogue. With 14+ years spanning archival research, experiential reporting, and luxury brand direction, she brings empirical rigor to trend analysis.
Recent recognitions include the 2021 CFDA Media Award for pandemic-era reporting and development of the industry-standard "Bridal ROI Calculator." Ward holds a journalism degree from UNC Chapel Hill and serves on the Fashion Institute of Technology's Digital Media Advisory Board.
Mary Ward's journey in fashion journalism began as a summer intern at Vogue, where she pioneered the magazine's digital archives. Her early work cataloging unnamed models in historical issues (2009-2012) laid the foundation for today's metadata-driven fashion historiography. This archival rigor informs her current approach to trend analysis.
As Vogue Fashion News Writer (2014-2018), Ward developed her signature "test-wear" methodology, physically engaging with avant-garde designs to critique their wearability. Her 2016 latex experiment article became the publication's most-viewed piece that year, demonstrating her ability to bridge conceptual fashion with reader accessibility.
Transitioning to brand strategy roles at Macy's (2018-2020) and White + Warren (2020-2021), Ward honed her understanding of luxury marketing narratives. This commercial acumen now informs her editorial direction at Over The Moon, where she curates bridal content that balances aspirational aesthetics with practical consumer insights.
This 2016 personal essay revolutionized first-person fashion reporting. Ward wore a head-to-toe latex ensemble during a weekend of social engagements, documenting both the material's sensory impact and strangers' reactions. Her methodology combined:
"45 temperature readings taken hourly, 22 documented interactions with confused bartenders, and 3 emergency talcum powder applications"
The article's success (4.2M views in 72 hours) proved that technical fashion writing could achieve viral engagement when grounded in experiential storytelling.
Ward's 2019 profile of the 80-year-old designer deconstructed the myth of "ageless style." Through 14 hours of interviews and analysis of 37 runway shows, she identified Herrera's use of architectural pleating as a throughline connecting 1980s power dressing to 2020s gender-fluid silhouettes. The piece became required reading at Parsons' Fashion History program.
This 2022 market analysis correlated Lhuillier's use of convertible separates with shifting marriage demographics. Ward interviewed 63 recently engaged couples, mapping their design preferences against cultural factors like the rise of micro-weddings. The article's "Bridal ROI Calculator" sidebar became a viral tool for budget-conscious brides.
Ward's coverage of White + Warren's temperature-responsive cashmere (2020) demonstrates her interest in textile science. Successful pitches should include technical specs from material engineers paired with wearer testimonials. Avoid generic "eco-friendly" claims—she prefers LCA reports over marketing buzzwords.
Her CFDA piece on Dapper Dan's Harlem atelier influencing Gucci's 2018 cruise collection shows her knack for tracing streetwear to high fashion. Effective pitches might explore how TikTok dance trends inform hemline lengths or how K-pop styling impacts luxury accessory sales.
The "Bridal ROI Calculator" exemplifies Ward's data-driven approach. Pitch supplements like "Cost Per Wear Index for Statement Jewelry" or "Fabric Breathability vs. Instagram Likes Correlation Studies" to align with her analytical framework.
Leverage her archival expertise with pitches like "How 1940s Rationing Patterns Predict 2025 Minimalism" or "The Untold Influence of NASA’s Female Mathematicians on 1960s Mod Aesthetics." Include primary source references from museum collections.
Ward’s viral latex experiment proves her readers crave challenging styles made accessible. Pitch stories like "3D-Printed Shoes You Can Actually Walk In" or "Bioresponsive Makeup for Office Environments," ensuring prototypes are consumer-testable.
Ward received this honor for her series documenting pandemic-era design pivots, including a 15,000-word study on face mask couture. The CFDA particularly noted her integration of CDC guidelines analysis with runway aesthetics, setting a new standard for crisis reporting in fashion media.
Her interactive feature "Decade Drag" allowed users to mix historical silhouettes with modern fabrics, using machine learning to predict future trends. The tool's predictive model accurately forecasted 2022's puff sleeve resurgence six months before major designers' collections debuted.
This recognized Ward's critique of gender-neutral sizing systems, which combined 3D body scanning data from 10,000 subjects with interviews from nonbinary models. The methodology has since been adopted by major retailers revising their sizing standards.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Fashion, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
