Laura Jacobs is an American novelist, journalist, and cultural critic whose work spans fashion, design, dance, and the performing arts. Raised in Chicago, she earned a degree in English literature from Northwestern University and began her career as a dance critic before moving into national arts journalism. From 1995 to 2018, she was a staff writer at Vanity Fair, where she produced widely praised essays and profiles on iconic designers, performers, and American cultural figures. She is also a longtime contributor to The Wall Street Journal, reviewing museum fashion exhibitions, and writes regularly for other leading publications. In 2019, she became Arts Intel Report editor at AIR MAIL, the international digital newsletter co-edited by Graydon Carter. Jacobs is the author of several books, including the novels Women About Town and The Bird Catcher, and the acclaimed nonfiction work Celestial Bodies: How to Look at Ballet.