CONDE NAST
Vogue is getting ready to celebrate their 120th birthday! One-hundred-and-twenty years of style and glamour. What started out as a weekly magazine for high society New Yorkers in 1892, would eventually embark a whole new meaning on American fashion. When Conde Nast bought Vogue in 1909, the advertising and sales genius decided to turn Vogue into a women’s only fashion magazine. In turn, he reached a much wider market than just rich Manhattanites. Nast owned the Home Pattern Company, so being the brilliant business man he was, he expanded the pattern section of the magazine. This gave everyone an opportunity to recreate the designs seen in Vogue. Even wealthy women turned to Vogue for fashion ideas. As the years went on and the wars unfolded, the editors at Vogue were at a loss because they had always looked to the French for the latest designs and trends. Due to the Great Depression and the extremely high tariffs, the editors resorted to American designers instead. This was when American fashion really began coming into their own.
irreverent: Lacking proper respect or seriousness, also: satiric
(Definition courtesy of merriam-webster.com)
It has been said that those in the fashion tend to take the industry, and themselves for that matter, far too serious. Such images that come to mind would certainly include the iconic high-power, jet-setting editrix type. Fresh off her 10-year stint as Editor-In-Chief at Vogue Paris, one of the most prolific and influential fashion publications in existence, Carine Roitfeld, shows that she too has an irreverent side when it comes to fashion.
Speculation of what could possibly be occuring at W Magazine rose over the weekend after Gawker posted a photo of Karl Lagerfeld and the magazine's fashion director, Alex White, having a quick chat during the Chanel campaign shoot in Soho.
You see, here's the big deal:
- Alex White was the stylist the day of the Chanel campaign shoot.
- Stefano Tonchi, W Magazine's new EIC, was scheduled to meet with his new W staff that morning.
- Alex White asked the Kaiser to send a letter of recommendation to S.I. Newhouse Jr. for an EIC position.
It's amusing how Naomi Campbell can be a vicious attacker one week and a Vogue Russia Guest Editor the next, isn't it?
Campbell recently took over the publication, to her newly acquired residence, in a very strict-like fashion. Editor Aliona Doletskaya said of Naomi's vist [loosely translated]:
"I wanted to debunk a few myths surrounding Naomi. When I suggested the concept, she immediately came and for an hour and a half laid out stories, photography, interviews and other sections. Clearly, quickly and in a businesslike manner."
We'd like to congratulate Stefano Tonchi for what we felt he knew was going to happen all along - becoming the editor-in-chief of W Magazine. What started off as a race to the finish line with a handful of prominent heavy hitters contending for the title, has now come to an acceptable end, with Tonchi expected to start work as early as April 12th.
I recall when a reporter asked Andre Leon Talley why he didn't attend a season's Fashion Week in Paris and Milan - and only opted to attend New York and London Fashion weeks - he said it wasn't a wise decision to make within the recession. Yet, he still paraded around in furs.
I also recall the announcement of Talley appearing on America's Next Top Model and thinking, "God, what is Anna thinking?" Talley assured to press that Anna was okay with it, but his statement had an underlying message of doubt.
Changes At W Magazine: W Magazine - which doesn't have an editor-in-chief - will soon be searching for one after Conde Nast's plan to cut the magazine's ties to WWD. The two publications were known for sharing staff, Bridget Foley and Patrick McCarthy most notably, with the exception of W's publisher, Gina Sanders. Senior staff of W, including Foley and McCarthy, will now work exclusively for WWD. W Magazine, which was down 45.8% in ad sales for 2009, also was removed from Conde Nast subgroup Fairchild Fashion Group. Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend says, "This formally establishes a structure for W consistent with our other consumer magazine titles, and allows FFG the autonomy to focus on their core business-to-business publications and related businesses.”
Not too many people are fond of the April 2010 Vogue cover. Let's just say what's on everyone's mind, the styling sucks.
Gisele Bundchen is in her breeziest 'hey girl' pose ever, and let's face it, could she possibly fit more bracelets on those little wrists?
Not as thick - nor overloaded with advertisements - as the March edition, Vogue is prepared to whip readers into shape for spring in its annual Shape issue.
Condé Nast announced today that its venerable Gourmet magazine, which has been published for nearly 69 years, will be ceasing publication. A dramatic decline in ad pages was specuated to threaten either Gourmet or Bon Appétit, but due to Gourmet’s longevity and upstanding editor-in-chief (Ruth Reichl, recipient of four James Beard Awards) few suspected it to be the one to go. In 2008, Gourmet lost nearly 25% of its ad pages, and in 2009 conditions only worsened. Nevertheless, the cut comes as a huge blow to the print media industry and the culinary world alike, not to mention its now unemployed editorial staff.
All that talk of her exit had to have put a bee in fashion maven Anna Wintour’s always-perfect bob. Now she can get back to showing everyone at Condé Nast who’s boss. Industry sources told the NY Post that the fab rag "was the most profitable magazine in the company this year," a stat based on overall earnings. This is Vogue’s second year at the top spot. Now really, could Carine ever come close? Looks like Anna will be around for as long as her little heart desires.
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