Frankel studied English at Goldsmiths, University of London,[1] She then joined an art and architecture publishers, Academy Editions, where she was assistant to the editorial director.
[3] When Alexandra Shulman announced in 2017 that she was stepping down as editor of British Vogue, it was speculated that Frankel might be a contender to succeed her due to her experience and the inclusivity of her vision.
[6] Alongside her journalistic work, Frankel has contributed to a number of publications on various designers such as Hussein Chalayan, Peter Jensen, Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, Dries van Noten, Viktor & Rolf, and Yohji Yamamoto.
She wrote a lengthy introduction-cum-biography for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's publication for their McQueen retrospective, Savage Beauty.
[8] She also collaborated with the photographer Nick Waplington on a book charting the development of McQueen's Autumn/Winter 2010 collection, The Horn Of Plenty.