Ella Rivera, the first Latin American editor-in-chief of Polished Magazine. Polished is Lasell University’s fashion magazine that promotes the diverse culture and fashion scene of Boston. Rivera has made large strides in her time at Polished as a leader and creative. During her time at the magazine, she has exemplified grace, creativity, and community.
The first semester spent making the magazine’s 2025 Fall/Winter issue, Rivera claims, has been like no other. She explains that there have been a lot of big changes this semester: new members, new positions, and herself becoming the editor-in-chief. The two new positions are the e-board position and the events manager, which Rivera notes were opened “with the goal of making Polished more engaged with [its] community.” She also noted the challenge that comes with delegating and teaching first-time members while “ensuring quality in our work.”
For the current issue Rivera and the Polished team are working on, Rivera’s creative process started with storytelling first. “I didn’t want to just put someone in an outfit and call it a day,” she said, “between our graphics, writing, and photography, I firmly believe we met that goal.” She also explained how the identity of Polished plays into the creative process of each issue. “Looking back to ensure concepts are different and unique helps narrow down ideas,” she explained. Rivera uses many inspirations and muses to create each issue. She uses her friends, family, and even strangers online. She says that she thinks “about what they wore, said, and were raised around. I also use nostalgia to my advantage.”
Rivera said that leading the Polished team is “exactly where [she wants] to be,” although it can be stressful at times. “I’m a full-time student involved with multiple other leadership roles on campus, finishing my last year at Lasell, and I have to be in multiple places at once,” she said. She also noted that without a doubt, time management is a necessary skill for her success. She stressed that she needs to provide “correct and relevant information” in a “timely manner.” Rivera also noted that collaboration is a huge part of her role as editor-in-chief. “Making sure that ‘my way or the highway’ isn’t the mindset I brought into this position was really important to me. Yes, I am Editor-In-Chief, but this issue isn’t just my work. I’m always open to feedback and want everyone to be proud of what they created,” she said.
Her goals for next semester’s issue are to “work more on our events section and open our club engagement to widen audiences.” She kept the teams’ ideas for the next issue’s editorial and trend concepts under wraps, and said that readers will “have to wait and see what’s next to come.”
–Dec. 8, 2025–
