Listen, it's been a busy year. While each of Teen Vogue's features this year has been noteworthy, we understand that not every single reader can get to every single one of our stories all of the time. That's why we've collected some of our top features of the year, putting them together so that you, our loyal reader, can get the very best of our content all in one place. Think of it as your holiday reading list — or, if you've already read some of the below, a re-reading list.
From juicy profiles with your favorite celebrities to deeply reported stories on survival and strength, these are some of Teen Vogue's best features of 2023.
Who's Afraid of Liv Hewson
by Lex McMenamin
As anti-trans sentiment and outrage over any gender nonconformity grows, Liv Hewson has no interest in defending themself against it — and why should they? “This is who I am, and that's actually wonderful,” Hewson told Teen Vogue in an honest and intimate conversation with politics editor Lex McMenamin. “Not only is it not a problem, it's a good thing, and it deserves space.” This conversation doesn't waste time explaining why nonbinary identity is valid, or addressing the many misplaced concerns cisgender people might have about gender nonconforming people. Instead, it's a conversation by and for nonbinary people, commiserating over the wild misunderstanding of identity that many nonbinary people can relate to, and celebrating the inherent joy in living exactly how you are.
Leah Messer on the Impact of Teen Mom, 14 Years Later
by Fortesa Latifi
Leah Messer became famous for being a teen mother and documenting it on television. Now, both her children and her television career are teenaged — and Messer is experiencing a renewed youth of her own. In this profile by Teen Vogue contributor Fortesa Latifi, Messer's story speaks to a uniquely southern tale that many young women from the region can understand. After navigating young motherhood, divorce, her children's health issues, and opioid use, Messer feels she's found herself anew. As her children enter their teenage years, Messer is growing alongside them, ready to break out of old patterns and start something new.
Susana Matta Valdivieso on the Parkland Shooting, Abuse, and Anti-Immigrant Laws in Florida
by Yacob Reyes
Navigating trauma is complicated enough, but Susana Matta's story shows that surviving trauma as an undocumented immigrant can feel like every deck in the world is stacked against you. And, for many immigrants to the U.S., it just may be. Matta details surviving a school shooting and being repeatedly sexually abused, and feeling like she had nowhere to turn for help, thanks to anti-immigrant laws and fear of her and her family being separated or deported. Her story is one of survival and perseverance against all odds.
Teen Vogue's New Hollywood Class of 2023
Ok, this isn't so much one feature as it is a collection of, well, nine of them. Each year, Teen Vogue spotlights up and coming Hollywood stars, including those in front of and behind the camera. And, each year, this massive effort results in a thoughtful, beautiful, and robust collection of stories, photos, and videos that act as a roadmap for the who's who of what's next. This year's New Hollywood class features stars like Yasmin Finney, a breakout star from Heartstopper who reflects on the bounds of representation for trans people while their rights are under attack; and Myha’la Herrold, who explores how she found her niche by living in the uncomfortable in between. Together, this class paints a portrait of the many ways to be a woman today, even in a world where women are still expected to put on a certain kind of performance.
How Young Floridians Are Fighting “Florida-Grown Fascism” Under Ron DeSantis
by Lex McMenamin
There's a lot happening in the sunshine state. From anti-trans laws to limits on what teachers can say in school, young people are bearing the brunt of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's ultra-conservative policies — and they're not taking it lightly. In the central feature of Teen Vogue's Red Tide series on Florida politics, editor Lex McMenamin drove from city to city in August, talking to young people about how they're resisting harmful laws and practices like Florida's ban on gender affirming care, and its efforts to quell protests. This wide-ranging story spotlights the plight of groups of Florida youth, but it ultimately speaks to the political moment that marginalized young people across the country are contending with.
