A Day in the Life of Award-Winning Journalist Elaine Welteroth

The concept of paying it forward is nothing new in fashion. Several major designers and journalists credit their success to mentors who gave them advice and opportunities along the way, but there's one powerhouse who's turned mentorship into a career: Elaine Welteroth. The former Teen Vogue editor is now a judge on Bravo's "Project Runway," and most recently, she worked with McDonald's on their Black & Positively Golden Change of Fashion program.

For the latter, Welteroth is one of five industry experts who have been tasked with mentoring rising fashion designers to create their own capsule collections with $200,000 of financial support. The New York Times best-selling author, who was paired with designer Shareef Mosby, says participating in this mentorship program is an invaluable opportunity for designers. "I just love what the program stands for and it feels natural to me to stay tapped into the next generation," she tells PS, noting she's always felt an innate responsibility to pass down what she's learned in life. "We know that Black culture fuels fashion, but Black designers and talent are so sorely underrepresented, and only 7.3 percent of designers in our industry are Black, which is wild. To whom much is given, much is expected, and I have been given so much throughout my career by mentors, so I was proud to be a part and work with Shareef, who has so much potential and passion. He's really entering a new level."

Welteroth's first introduction to style was watching her mother, whom she describes as a glamour girl, get ready for Sunday service. She was raised in the Black church, where the process of putting oneself together is a cultural touchstone and rite of passage. "I loved sitting on the toilet seat in the bathroom, cross-legged and seeing my mom transform, wearing blouses with shoulder pads and high-waisted skirts and curling her hair," Welteroth says. "She would ask me my opinions about her looks, which helped refine my eye and taste level, knowing that style is inherent; it's in your DNA, the way you walk, talk, speak, and your identity."

This reverence for style has stayed with Welteroth well into adulthood, making her one of the industry's most prolific beauty and fashion icons, storytellers, and trailblazers. But the titles she's most proud of are wife and mother. She recently started the Birth Fund to raise awareness around Black maternal mortality rates in the US, and is also expecting her second child.

Keep reading for a glimpse of Welteroth's ever-changing daily schedule and to see what it was like collaborating with McDonald's on the Black & Positively Golden Change of Fashion program.