Condé Nast

History

The company traces its roots to 1909, when Condé Montrose Nast, a New York City-born publisher, purchased Vogue, a printed magazine launched in 1892 as a New York weekly journal of society and fashion news.

Nast initially published the magazine under the corporate name Vogue Company. In 1922, he incorporated Condé Nast Publications as the holding company for his interests. Nast had a flair for nurturing elite readers as well as advertisers and upgraded Vogue, sending the magazine on its path of becoming a top haute couture fashion authority. Eventually, Nast's portfolio expanded to include House & Garden, Vanity Fair (briefly known as Dress and Vanity Fair), Glamour, and American Golfer, published from 1908 to 1920. The company also introduced British Vogue in 1916, and Condé Nast became the first publisher of an overseas edition of an existing magazine.

Condé Nast is largely considered to be the originator of the "class publication", a type of magazine focused on a particular social group or interest instead of targeting the largest possible readership. Its magazines focus on a wide range of subjects, including travel, food, home, and culture, with fashion the larger portion of the company's focus. This company also opened a printing facility in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1924 but closed in 1964 to make way for more centrally located sites capable of producing higher volumes. During the Great Depression, Condé Nast introduced innovative typography, design, and color. Vogue's first full color photograph by Edward Steichen was featured on the cover in 1932, marking the year when Condé Nast began replacing fashion drawings on covers with photo illustrations―an innovative move at the time. Glamour, launched in 1939, was the last magazine personally introduced to the company by Nast, who died in 1942. The Nast family connection to the publishing business remained, with Nast's son Charles Coudert Nast serving as the company's longtime general counsel.

In 1959, Samuel I. Newhouse bought Condé Nast for US$5 million as an anniversary gift for his wife Mitzi, who loved Vogue. He merged it with the privately held holding company Advance Publications. His son, S. I. Newhouse, Jr., known as "Si", became chairman of Condé Nast in 1975. Under Newhouse, Condé Nast acquired Brides in 1959, revived Vanity Fair in 1983 after it was shuttered in 1936, and launched the new publication Self in 1979.

2000–2009

At the outset of the new millennium in January 2000, Condé Nast moved from 350 Madison Avenue to 4 Times Square. The move was viewed as a significant catalyst for the redevelopment of Times Square. In the same year, Condé Nast purchased Fairchild Publications (now known as Fairchild Fashion Media), home to W and WWD, from the Walt Disney Company. In 2001, Condé Nast bought Golf Digest and Golf World from The New York Times Company for US$435 million. On October 31, 2006, Condé Nast acquired the content aggregation site Reddit, later on spun off as a wholly owned subsidiary of Condé Nast's parent company in September 2011. The company folded the women's magazine Jane with its August issue in 2007, and later shut down its website. One of Condé Nast's oldest titles, the American edition of House and Garden, ceased publication after the December 2007 issue. Portfolio, Mademoiselle and Domino were folded as well. On May 20, 2008, the company announced its acquisition of a popular technology-oriented website, Ars Technica.

On October 5, 2009, Condé Nast announced the closure of three of its publications: Cookie, Modern Bride, and Elegant Bride. Gourmet ceased monthly publication with its November 2009 issue; the Gourmet brand was later resurrected as "Gourmet Live", an iPad app that delivers new editorial content in the form of recipes, interviews, stories, and videos. In print, Gourmet continues in the form of special editions on newsstands and cookbooks. That same year, Condé Nast announced the launch of Love magazine, a bi-annual British style magazine founded by fashion journalist Katie Grand. In 2020, Grand announced her departure and was replaced by Whembley Sewell.

2010–present

In July 2010, Robert Sauerberg became Condé Nast's president. In May 2011, the company was the first major publisher to deliver subscriptions for the iPad, starting with The New Yorker; the company has since rolled out iPad subscriptions for nine of its titles. In the same month, Next Issue Media, a joint venture formed by five U.S. publishers including Condé Nast, announced subscriptions for Android devices, initially available for the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

In September 2011, Condé Nast said it would offer 17 of its brands to the Kindle Fire. The company launched Conde Nast Entertainment in 2011 to develop movies, television series, and digital video programming. In May 2013, CNÉ's Digital Video Network debuted, featuring web series for such publications as Glamour and GQ. Wired joined the Digital Video Network with the announcement of five original web series including the National Security Agency satire Codefellas and the animated advice series Mister Know-It-All.

In October 2013, the company ended its internship program after being sued by two former interns claiming they had been paid less than minimum wage for summer internships there. In November 2014, the company moved into One World Trade Center in Manhattan, where its headquarters are now located. On September 14, 2015, the company announced Sauerberg as its new CEO, with former CEO Charles H. Townsend taking the role of Chairman, and S.I. Newhouse Jr. taking the role of Chairman Emeritus in January 2016. On October 13, 2015, Condé Nast announced that it had acquired Pitchfork.

In July 2016, the company announced the launch of Condé Nast Spire, a new division of the company focusing on consumer purchasing data and content consumption through the company's own first-party behavioral data. The chairman of the company, Charles Townsend, retired at the end of 2016, and the Chairman Emeritus Newhouse died the following October.

In March 2018, Condé Nast announced the launch of the influencer-based platform Next Gen. The company's chief revenue and marketing officer, Pamela Drucker Mann, stated that the platform would feature both "in-house and external talent with significant and meaningful social followings". In April 2019, Condé Nast appointed the former CEO of Pandora Media, Roger Lynch, as the company's first global CEO. It also sold the magazine Brides to the digital media company Dotdash, and in May of the same year, announced the sale of Golf Digest to Discovery, Inc. In June of the same year, Condé Nast sold W to a new holding company, Future Media Group. W editor Stefano Tonchi later sued the company for wrongful termination, with Condé Nast suing Tonchi in response, seeking the return of "all monies paid to [Tonchi] during his period of disloyalty," claiming that he had acted as a "faithless servant" during the sale of W, and had interfered with the sale to benefit himself.

Roger Lynch was appointed CEO in April 2019, and in October 2019, announced plans to increase Condé Nast's revenue from readers.

In June 2020, following the global outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19, it was reported that Condé Nast had experienced a drop in advertising revenues of 45% as a result of the pandemic. It was also reported that the company had, in previous years, sublet six of the company's 23 floors in the One World Trade Center, following the cancellation of a number of its publishing titles.

In November 2023, Condé Nast announced it would be cutting about 5 percent of its workforce which would impact approximately 270 employees. Some of the reasons given for this were pressures from digital advertising, decreasing social media traffic, and shifting audience preferences towards short-form video content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

In January 2024, union members from the company's publications set a strike for 24 hours aligned with the announcement of 96th Academy Awards nominees claiming that the company was "engaging in regressive bargaining and breaking the law in bargaining by rescinding an offer that they had previously made around layoffs". Anne Hathaway walked out of a Vanity Fair photo shoot the same day, January 23, in solidarity with the union.

In December 2024, Condé Nast announced additional layoffs specifically targeting top executives at the company.

In October 2025, the company announced that it would no longer feature new animal fur in its editorial content or advertising. The decision followed a nine-month campaign against Condé Nast and its business partners by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade and years of protests by PETA.

In November 2025, the NewsGuild of New York filed an unfair labor practice charge against Condé Nast with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of Condé United, the union that represents most Condé Nast employees, accusing the company of wrongfully terminating four employees who were engaging in "protected concerted activity" when they confronted the company's head of human resources over layoffs at Teen Vogue.

American digital assets and publications

Digital assets

• Allure
• Ars Technica
• Backchannel
• Epicurious
• Glamour
• Pitchfork
• them.
• Teen Vogue
• Self
• La Cucina Italiana

Printed magazines

• Architectural Digest
• Bon Appétit
• Condé Nast Traveler
• GQ
• The New Yorker
• Vanity Fair
• Vogue
• Wired

Defunct publications

• American Golfer
• Cargo
• Cookie
• Details
• Elegant Bride
• Golf for Women
• Golf Digest
• Gourmet
• House & Garden (US)
• Jane
• Love
• Lucky
• Mademoiselle
• Men's Vogue
• Modern Bride
• NowManifest (blog)
• Portfolio Magazine
• Style.com
• Swoon.com
• Vitals Men
• Vitals Women
• World of Hibernia
• WomenSports
• YM
• Teen Vogue

International publications

• 安邸 Architectural Digest China
• Architectural Digest España
• Architectural Digest France
• Architectural Digest Germany
• Architectural Digest India
• Architectural Digest Italia
• Architectural Digest Latinoamérica
• Architectural Digest México
• Architectural Digest Middle East
• Condé Nast Traveler China
• Condé Nast Traveler España
• Condé Nast Traveller Germany
• Condé Nast Traveller India
• Condé Nast Traveller Italia
• Condé Nast Traveller Middle East
• Condé Nast Traveller UK
• Glamour España
• Glamour Germany
• Glamour Latinoamérica
• Glamour México
• Glamour UK
• British GQ
• British GQ Style
• GQ China
• GQ Style China
• GQ España
• GQ France
• GQ Germany
• GQ Style Germany
• GQ India
• GQ Italia
• GQ Japan
• GQ Latinoamérica
• GQ México
• GQ Taiwan
• House & Garden (UK)
• La Cucina Italiana (Italy)
• Tatler (UK)
• The World of Interiors (UK)
• Vanity Fair España
• Vanity Fair France
• Vanity Fair Italia
• Vanity Fair London
• British Vogue
• Vogue Arabia
• Vogue China
• Vogue Film China
• Vogue Plus China
• Vogue Deutsch
• Vogue España
• Vogue France
• Vogue India
• Vogue Italia
• Vogue Japan
• Vogue Latinoamérica
• Vogue Hombre Latinoamérica
• Vogue México
• Vogue Hombre México
• Vogue Taiwan
• Wired Italia
• Wired Japan
• Wired Latinoamérica
• Wired México
• Wired UK

Acquisitions and mergers

Acquisitions

Stakes

Notes

References

References

1. "Advance Publications".
2. ''A Brief History of the Condé Nast Publications'', New York: CNP, 1993.
3. (20 June 2017). "Conde Nast −1040 Park Avenue Home, Work & Play".
4. "American Golfer Magazine 1908–1920".
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6. (14 December 2015). "Effort afoot to restore Condé Nast pillars in Old Greenwich". Hearts CT Media.
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8. (December 3, 2006). "IN VOGUE: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine". [[The New York Times.
9. Sumner, David E.. (2010). "The Magazine Century: American Magazines Since 1900". Peter Lang.
10. (January 11, 1981). "Charles C. Nast, 77, Dies; Ex-Chief of 42d Infantry". [[The New York Times]].
11. Mahon, Gigi. (1989-09-10). "S.I. Newhouse and Conde Nast; Taking Off The White Gloves". The New York Times.
12. (2017-10-01). "Si Newhouse of Advance Publications, Conde Nast dies at 89".
13. Hsu, Tiffany. (2019-05-15). "Condé Nast Sells Brides Magazine to Barry Diller's Dotdash". The New York Times.
14. Salmans, Sandra. (1983-02-06). "Courting the Elite at Conde Nast". The New York Times.
15. Journal, Wendy BoundsStaff Reporter of The Wall Street. (1999-06-23). "Conde Nast's Udell to Step Down As Self Magazine's Editor in Fall". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
16. (June 6, 1999). "Conde Nast's Stylish Clan Moves Into Times Sq.". [[The New York Times]].
17. (June 6, 1999). "Condé Nast deal at 1 WTC now official". Crain's New York.
18. (August 20, 1999). "Merger Planned for 2 Giants of Fashion Publishing". The New York Times.
19. [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/26/business/conde-nast-redesigns-its-future.html Condé Nast Redesigns Its Future] {{Webarchive. link. (2018-09-26 , The New York Times, 26 October 2003)
20. Arrington, Michael. "Breaking News: Condé Nast/Wired Acquires Reddit". TechCrunch.
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22. (2007-11-06). "Publication to Cease for House & Garden". The New York Times.
23. (2009-10-05). "Conde Nast Closing 'Gourmet', 3 Other Magazines". NPR.
24. Hopkins, Kathryn. (November 25, 2020). "Them's Whembley Sewell Takes Over Love Magazine". [[Women's Wear Daily]].
25. (June 29, 2011). "Next Issue Media Works To Build The Storefront Before The Audience Arrives.". PaidContent.
26. (September 29, 2011). "Magazines Join With New Tablet Challenger". The Wall Street Journal.
27. Tatiana Siegel. (May 12, 2013). "Conde Nast Launches Digital Video Network – The Hollywood Reporter". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
28. Erik Maza. (May 2, 2013). "Condé Entertainment Previews Video Channels for Vogue, Wired and Vanity Fair". [[Women's Wear Daily]].
29. Buckley, Cara. (Oct 23, 2013). "Sued Over Pay, Condé Nast Ends Internship Program". [[The New York Times]].
30. (October 24, 2013). "Why Condé Nast Felt It Had To Stop Using Interns". Forbes.
31. (2015-09-30). "Condé Nast Colonizes Lower Manhattan". The New York Times.
32. (September 14, 2015). "Condé Nast Names Robert Sauerberg New C.E.O.".
33. (13 October 2015). "Condé Nast Buys Pitchfork Media". The New York Times.
34. Emma Bazilian. (26 July 2016). "Condé Nast Is Connecting Media Consumption and Purchase Data to Improve Branded Content". Adweek.
35. (2016-11-01). "Charles Townsend Retires from Condé Nast as Chairman".
36. Kandell, Jonathan. (2017-10-01). "S.I. Newhouse Jr., Who Turned Condé Nast Into a Magazine Powerhouse, Dies at 89". The New York Times.
37. (2 March 2018). "Condé Nast Influencer Platform: 'Journalism' for Cash?". Ikon London Magazine.
38. (May 13, 2019). "Discovery Buys Golf Digest From Condé Nast for $30 Million". Variety.
39. (2019-08-13). "Condé Nast Hits Back Hard at Stefano Tonchi's W Magazine Lawsuit".
40. (2019-08-13). "Condé Nast Calls Stefano Tonchi a "Faithless Servant" and Sues".
41. (2018-02-23). "Keeping Up With the Conde Nast (' CTR)".
42. (October 2019). "Condé Nast veut développer les revenus issus des lecteurs".
43. (13 June 2020). "Can Anna Wintour survive fashion's reckoning with racism?".
44. (2023-11-01). "Condé Nast, Publisher of Vogue, Will Cut 5% of Its Work Force". The New York Times.
45. Kilkenny, Katie. (2024-01-23). "Condé Nast Union Members Launch 24-Hour Walkout Amid Layoff Talks".
46. Stenzel, Wesley. (2024-01-23). "Anne Hathaway walks out of Vanity Fair photoshoot in solidarity with union strike".
47. Burch, Sean. (2024-12-05). "Condé Nast Cuts More Jobs in Another Round of Media Layoffs".
48. (6 October 2025). "Vogue publisher Condé Nast stops showing fur in all editorial and advertising". CNN.
49. Bolies, Corbin. (2025-11-07). "Condé Nast Union Files Federal Labor Complaint Over Company's Firings After HR Clash {{!}} Exclusive".
50. (10 August 1999). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Conde Net is staking about $20 million on an effort to draw more attention to its Web sites.". The New York Times.
51. [http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000021803/Details "The world of Hibernia"] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-04-07 . ''National Library of Ireland Catalog''.)
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53. [https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/what-we-lost-when-conde-nast-unceremoniously-shuttered-teen-vogue "what-we-lost-when-conde-nast-unceremoniously-shuttered-teen-vogue"]
54. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Citicorp-Signature Magazine from Citigroup Inc (1987/12/30)". Thomson Financial.
55. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Harris Publications-Woman from Harris Publications Inc (1988/11/30)". Thomson Financial.
56. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Pennington Publishing-Cook's from Bonnier AB (1990/06/25)". Thomson Financial.
57. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires K-III Magazines-Magazine Sub from Primedia Inc (1992/04/22)". Thomson Financial.
58. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Knapp Communications Corp (1993/04/20)". Thomson Financial.
59. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Wired Magazine(Wired Ventures) from Telefonica SA (1998/06/12)". Thomson Financial.
60. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Fairchild Publications Inc from Walt Disney Co (1999/12/01)". Thomson Financial.
61. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Johansens Ltd(Daily Mail) from Rothermere Investments Ltd (2001/09/05)". Thomson Financial.
62. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Modern Bride Group(Primedia) from Primedia Inc (2002/02/28)". Thomson Financial.
63. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires remaining interest in Ideas Publishing Group from Advance Publications Inc (2002/03/28)". Thomson Financial.
64. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires LYCOS Inc-Wired News from Telefonica SA (2006/07/11)". Thomson Financial.
65. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires NutritionData.com (2006/07/20)". Thomson Financial.
66. (31 October 2006). "Breaking News: Condé Nast/Wired Acquires Reddit (2006/10/31)". TechCrunch.
67. (April 24, 2008). "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires SFO*Media LLC (2008/05/20)". Reuters.
68. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Ars Technica LLC (2008/05/20)". Thomson Financial.
69. "Condé Nast Goes Shopping, Spends $14 Million on ZipList (2012/04/11)". AllThingsD.
70. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires a minority stake in Wagadon Ltd (1988/11/29)". Thomson Financial.
71. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires a minority stake in Wired Magazine(Wired Ventures) from Telefonica SA (1994/01/19)". Thomson Financial.
72. "Conde Nast Publications Inc acquires Ideas Publishing Group (2001/01/17)". Thomson Financial.