Valerie Toranian (born 1962) is a French journalist and the

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of the fashion magazine ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'' in France. She is also the founder of ''Nouvelles d'Arménie'', a French-Armenian journal. She is the head of the Elle Foundation in France and the general manager of the ''

Revue des deux Mondes The ''Revue des deux Mondes'' (, ''Review of the Two Worlds'') is a monthly French-language literary, cultural and current affairs magazine that has been published in Paris since 1829. According to its website, "it is today the place for debates a ...

''.

Life and career

Toranian was born in

Suresnes Suresnes () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,145 as of 2016. The nearest communes are Nanterre, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud an ...

, Paris, to a French mother from

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and an Armenian father. Her father's family fled the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

and settled in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

. Valerie's mother was a teacher who taught Latin, French, and Greek. In 1983, Toranian started her career as a freelance writer and ultimately acquiring a position as a freelance writer for ''Elle'' beauty department. She officially began working for ''Elle'' in 1994 and was promoted to deputy editor of the fashion department in 1996. Toranian eventually became managing editor and then vice-president of ''Elle'' until 2002, when she became editor-in-chief. In 1991, Valerie Toranian, along with her husband Ara Toranian, co-founded an Armenian journal called ''Nouvelles d'Arménie''. In 2004, she became the vice-president of the Elle Foundation, which supports and sponsors women around the world. She was named president of the foundation in June 2010. In the same year, she released a novel titled ''Pour en Finir avec la Femme'' (English: To Do Away with the Woman), which explores issues concerning feminism. An advocate for women's rights, Toranian has hosted several conferences and events, including a Women's Forum held annually in

Deauville Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film Fes ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. In December 2014, Toranian became the general director of the

, a French-language monthly literary magazine. In 2015, she released a novel about the Armenian Genocide, titled ''L'Etrangère'' (English: The Stranger).

Personal life

Valerie Toranian met her first husband, Ara Toranian, at a local Armenian school. They have two sons. After their divorce, she married

Franz-Olivier Giesbert Franz-Olivier Giesbert (born January 18, 1949, in Wilmington, Delaware) is an American-born French journalist, author, and television presenter. Giesbert worked for ''Le Figaro'' from 1988 to 2000 and for '' Le Point'' starting in 2000. In 2013 ...

, a journalist and television host.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toranian, Valerie 1962 births People from Suresnes French people of Armenian descent French women writers French magazine editors Living people Women magazine editors