Dear Readers,
It’s hard to put into words what it means to helm this magazine as we celebrate 60 years since Helen Gurley Brown’s debut as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan in July 1965. Helen was a legend I never got to personally meet, but her vision for these pages shaped how I and so many others still think about relationships, sex, and power today.
Helen always—always—put her readers first (her inaugural editor’s letter, shown here, begins with, “The stories and articles in this issue were picked for one reason only. I thought they’d interest you”). And more than any other topic, she focused on love as an integral part of people’s lives—not just romantic love but self-love, chosen love, unrequited love. The kind that challenges us. The kind that distracts us. The kind that, these days, sets our group chats on fire.
Our 60th anniversary issue carries Helen’s legacy forward as it dives into all the modern nuances of love: attraction, joy, satisfaction but also fear, loneliness, rejection, obsession. It’s a celebration of connection in all its beautiful and complicated forms.
I’m thrilled to have one of the hardest-working women in Hollywood, Margaret Qualley, on our cover. This year, she stars in four major films: Happy Gilmore 2, Honey Don’t!, Blue Moon, and Huntington. I spent a day with her in New Jersey, and what struck me most is how effortlessly she embodies the spirit of Cosmopolitan: She’s complex, curious, and sexy on her own terms. (Speaking of icons: We shot Margaret’s cover image in the over-the-top Manhattan apartment once owned by Joan Rivers.)
Ultimately, this issue, like all issues of Cosmopolitan, is both a time capsule and a launchpad. It pays tribute to the artists who came before...and makes space for the next generation of voices. It’s for anyone who’s ever found a piece of themselves in this magazine. Thank you for reading. I can’t wait for the next 60 years.
