Jane Larkworthy, Influential Beauty Editor, Dies at 62

NEW YORK, NY — Jane Larkworthy, a renowned beauty editor best known for her work at W Magazine, died on June 4, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. She was 62 years old.

Larkworthy’s family shared the news with Women’s Wear Daily. Her career in beauty journalism spanned several prestigious publications, including a significant tenure at W Magazine from 2000 to 2016, where she shaped the magazine’s beauty coverage.

After leaving W, Larkworthy continued to make her mark as a columnist for New York Magazine’s The Cut and contributed to Air Mail Look, a publication overseen by Linda Wells.

Remembered for her passion for beauty, Larkworthy was instrumental in popularizing many beauty trends. Notably, she is credited with encouraging the creators of Le Labo to promote their candle scent, Santal 33, as a wearable fragrance.

“She was one-of-a-kind. She was a great journalist,” said William Li, close friend and Town & Country’s special projects editor. “Her contributions to the beauty industry were significant, and she championed many talented individuals.”

Larkworthy’s expertise extended beyond writing; she also co-founded C Word Media with former Condé Nast editor Danielle Pergament, a consultancy dedicated to beauty communications.

In a tragic twist, Larkworthy was thrust into the public eye when her ex-boyfriend, Peter Braunstein, was implicated in a widely publicized manhunt in 2005. He later received a lengthy prison sentence for kidnapping and sexual abuse.

Linda Wells praised Larkworthy in an email: “She was an original, graceful writer. Her references were both witty and seamlessly woven into her work.”

Many in the beauty community expressed their sorrow at her passing. John Demsey, a beauty executive, reminisced about her vivaciousness, recalling how she filled her life with music and humor.

“Jane brought levity to even the heaviest of days,” he said. “Her absence leaves a void that words can’t fill.”

Larkworthy is survived by her husband, Bertrand Garbassi; sister, Kate; brother, Peter; and her stepchildren, Luke and Astrid Schanz-Garbassi. The family has not yet announced memorial arrangements.