Cathy Horyn
USABiography of Cathy Horyn
Cathy Horyn, an American fashion journalist and critic, is widely known for her highly provocative blog 'On The Runway' and her work at 'The New York Times'. She holds the distinction of being the second fashion critic in the history of the publication, with the first being Amy Spindler, who retired in November 2003.
Growing up in Coshocton, Ohio, Cathy began her career in journalism in 1986 in Detroit. She initially worked for 'The Detroit News' before relocating to Washington, DC. During this time, Horyn took on various freelance jobs, successfully getting her work published in renowned magazines such as 'Vanity Fair', 'Vogue', 'Harper's Bazaar', and the 'International Herald Tribune'. In 1998, she joined the team at 'The New York Times'.
Horyn gained fame primarily for her uncompromisingly scathing reviews. In fact, her articles were so harsh that she was permanently banned from attending several designer shows, including those of Giorgio Armani. In 2002, she was honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with the 'Eugenia Sheppard Award' for her outstanding contributions to fashion journalism. Horyn drew the attention of the Council through her investigative work on legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
In January 2010, Horyn published another scandalous article that caused a stir even by her standards. The main controversy revolved around her statement that actress Christina Hendricks had become incredibly overweight. This claim was supported by a photograph that, upon closer inspection, was revealed to be digitally manipulated. Some speculated that Horyn intentionally altered the photo to make it more convincing, but the newspaper later explained that it was an accidental result of normal pre-print processing.
Horyn herself often became the target of criticism. She was frequently reproached for her excessively sharp approach to writing reviews, although she also faced more elegant accusations. In 2011, Lady Gaga wrote an article for 'V' magazine about critics and the disproportionate importance given to their opinions. In this piece, Horyn was mentioned among a list of critics who were considered banal and predictably critical.
Horyn spent some time at Barnard College and obtained a Master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
