Vogue’s global entertainment director Sergio Kletnoy and The Daily go way back—in the early 2010s, we first met Kletnoy as a music industry vet who pivoted to become Joanna Coles’ assistant at Marie Claire, then Cosmopolitan, and he was such a hoot, we gave him a weekly column—“Sergio Says!”—to chronicle his antics. Now, Kletnoy wrangles Vogue cover stars and Met Gala talent, and it was about time for a tête-à-tête
Catch us up on your career, please!
I started as Joanna Coles’ assistant at Marie Claire, moved to Cosmo with her as her assistant for a few years, got promoted, stayed another three years as entertainment editor, then worked on Seventeen and Redbook, too. Then I became entertainment director for all three magazines, and worked on Women’s Health as well. Then, I became entertainment director at Harper’s Bazaar.
How was your time at Bazaar?
It was amazing, and a completely different world from Joanna Coles and Cosmo—all about luxury versus mass fashion. It was my first taste of working with megastars, and the fashion was as important as the cover star. When I sat down with [former Bazaar EIC] Glenda Bailey for the first time, she said, “My dream is to have Angelina Jolie on the cover. She’s never done Harper’s Bazaar. And Julia Roberts hasn’t done a cover in many years. I want both of them for my 150th anniversary year.” So I did it; I got both Angelina and Julia. When someone puts a dream in front of me, I have to make it happen.
What brought you to Vogue?
My friend Dana Matthews, GQ’s entertainment director, called me when [former Vogue entertainment director] Jill Demling was leaving and said, “You have to come work here. Send me your résumé.” I said, “There’s no way I’ll ever be hired by Anna Wintour and Vogue.” Five days later, Anna’s office called and asked for a meeting. My first interview was with Anna.
How did it go?
I’m fearless when it comes to talking to anyone about anything. I’d met Anna a few years earlier when I sat next to her at the final performance of The Color Purple [on Broadway] with Cynthia Erivo; I introduced myself and was in such awe. Three months before my interview with Anna, I broke a few toes so I’d been wearing a boot, daily, for months. But obviously, I’m not gonna go into the Condé Nast building wearing a boot for my broken toes! So I put on Valentino boots, crying in pain inside, plus a nice pair of slacks, a light pink Acne sweater, and a baseball cap.
What did Anna think of your hat?
I mean, she did not seem fazed by it! Afterward, her assistants told me they couldn’t believe someone walked into an interview with Anna wearing a baseball cap and that they knew right away it was either going to happen, or I were never going to work here.
Sergio Kletnoy (Courtesy)
What did you talk about?
It was a 20-minute interview, and I didn’t pretend I was anything I didn’t need to be. We talked about my passions—my love for music, theater, movies, and about a few shows playing at the time on Broadway. I didn’t go in there talking about tennis; I don’t know anything about tennis. I was only supposed to see Anna, but she asked me if I had additional time, so I met with fashion director Virginia Smith, followed by creative director Raúl Martinez. There were no HR meetings or meetings with anyone who worked under Anna beforehand; my first interview was with Anna. I was waiting on the subway platform after I left and my phone rang. It was the Condé Nast HR department asking if I’d like to accept the job.
Who was your first cover star pitch at Vogue?
It was Taylor Swift, and it was her fourth or fifth cover, so it didn’t take much convincing; it’s not like she wasn’t on brand, but she’d never had a September cover, and I’d heard rumblings about a potential album. My second pitch was Ariana Grande. I was obsessed with Ari from the beginning. I worked with her on her first cover at Cosmo, then another Cosmo cover, convinced Nina Garcia at Elle that Ariana deserved a cover, and before leaving Bazaar, I was working on an Ariana cover. So I really wanted an Ariana Grande Vogue cover! It was seven or eight years into her career, and I felt like out of so many pop stars, she deserved this moment in the most iconic fashion publication. It took a little convincing; it took some time.
Who else have you championed hard throughout your career?
I’ve known Sabrina Carpenter since she was 16 years old. I remember her coming in to see me at Seventeen, and I had such love for her. Also, Cardi B—I first became obsessed with her on Love & Hip Hop. The day I heard she’d signed a record contract, I was still at Cosmo, I called her publicist at Atlantic Records and said, “I need to meet her. Please bring her to the office.” She had a cover for Cosmo, then Harper’s Bazaar—and she ended up being the first female hip-hop star on the cover of Vogue.
Getting a Vogue cover is such a career-defining moment. Does your role in that process weigh on you?
I do want to get the best possible cover, but I always have to remember it’s not my brand, I work there. Whatever I pitch has to fit in the vision of the person running the magazine. They’re in that role for a reason. So how do I add to what they do? Sometimes I have to sell something my boss might not know anything about. Though anytime I pitch Anna, she already knows about it. I can go in with a new pop star and she’s like, “Yes, I know about them. I don’t know if we’re there yet.” It may not be time now, but two months later, when all the stars align, there’s a hit single or a series that takes off, maybe it is the right moment. Sometimes you’re ahead of the curve, sometimes you’re right there when it’s exploding, sometimes you come in later in the cycle.
Which Vogue covers are you most proud of?
I’ve been obsessed with Frances McDormand for so long, since Fargo. I bugged Frances’s publicist constantly when I was at Harper’s Bazaar. When I got to Vogue, he set up a screening of Nomadland for me and said, “We’re not screening for any press, but I know how much you love her. I don’t think anything’s gonna come out of it. Frances is notoriously known for not wanting to do press.” I saw the film and wrote a paragraph to the publicist; Frances saw it and asked, “Is there a chance I could potentially get on the cover of Vogue? Because if so…” The stars aligned, I arranged for Anna to see the film, too, and it was a no-brainer. Annie Leibovitz shot Frances, styled by Jorden Bickham, wearing Fear of God. It’s just the most perfect image. Getting that Frances cover was not easy, or expected. She’s the actor’s actress. She doesn’t want to push product. She’s not a fashion girl. She’s an incredible actress, and that’s all she needs to be.
You work on the Met Gala, too. How was your first time?
Surreal. The theme was “Camp.” I remember standing there during rehearsals, Cher came offstage and literally asked me, “How was that?” I think I said something like, “It doesn’t matter what you do up there, it’s going to be iconic, no matter what.” Such a corny line, but it didn’t matter! I had no idea Lady Gaga was gonna open the carpet with a 16-minute performance and four outfit changes. That was all Anna. There’s a photo of Anna smiling at the top of the stairs with me behind her, open-mouthed. It was insane. I’ve felt such a sense of accomplishment every year. Even though it’s a party, we’re not saving lives, but it’s fun, and we all need a little bit of that.
Indeed! What do people want to know about working at Vogue, and with Anna?
I think most people see the documentary [The September Issue] and assume that’s who we all work with. I think Anna is funny. She gets all the jokes. She listens to everything I bring into the room, then makes a decision on what’s right for the brand. She’s always open to hearing someone’s music, watching an episode of a TV series, setting up a screening, meeting with someone I believe in. It may take time to understand why that person belongs in the magazine or on the cover; why they should come to or perform at the Met Gala. But I’m grateful to work with someone who actually hears me. I was lucky to have that in my record company days, too. Maybe it’s because of my personality. I don’t like taking no for an answer.
Cher and Sergio Kletnoy (Courtesy)
How is it working with Chloe Malle in her bigger role?
l’m in Chloe’s office all day long, throwing crazy ideas at her. We’ve worked together for the past seven years; she’s been a part of the brand for so long, and she’s written many cover stories. This is just a natural progression of us working much closer. Yesterday, I pitched someone to Chloe for 20 minutes, and her response was, “Let me go home and think about it over the weekend, and we’ll talk about it on Monday.” That’s not a no. It’s all about starting a conversation. If I believe in something, how do I make everyone else believe?
So how do you do that?
I remember bringing Billie Eilish into the office for the first time when she turned 18, and putting her in with Anna one-on-one to talk about fashion, pop culture, music. Seven months later, Billie is on our cover, a few days after winning four Grammys. Sometimes, we’re putting a spotlight on somebody brand-new; sometimes, it’s an icon, or someone having a major breakout moment, but it’s important to cover a whole range. Every single day I walk in and I don’t know what’s going to happen, in the best possible way, because I love a challenge. I came to this country when I was 12, not speaking a word of English; it was my mom and me, my mom’s parents, and two pieces of luggage. My entire life, I wanted to work in music. There were no connections; I didn’t know anyone who worked at a record company, radio station, or magazine. I had to find a way to infiltrate the system. Same thing here—and I’m now at the most powerful brand in the world.
Would you ever want to be an EIC?
I don’t want that big of a job. I like this world. I like overseeing what I’m passionate about. Do I want to oversee a 3,000-word essay? Not really. Do I want to oversee finances and budgets? I can, but not necessarily. Do I want to go through racks of clothes and pick my favorites? Not really my world. But editing pop culture? I’m a sponge. I don’t know everything, but I’m always open. If someone suggests something, I will always listen.
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