Despite the departures of Vanity Fair, Glamour and Brides Editors-in-Chief Graydon Carter, Cindi Leive and Keija Minor, respectively, Condé Nast has continued to develop editorial properties, including the launch of a quarterly Goop-branded magazine in partnership with the Gwyneth Paltrow-operated lifestyle brand.
On October 4th, Condé Nast revealed its latest project: Them, an LGBTQ-focused media brand created by former Teen Vogue and Allure Digital Editorial Director Phillip Picardi. According to Business of Fashion, this mission-driven, multi-platform venture is the first new independent title that Condé Nast has launched in a decade, since the short-lived Portfolio in 2007. Them is set to debut online on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Picardi, whom BoF reports first pitched the idea to Condé Nast Artistic Director Anna Wintour earlier this summer, will be joined by Pamela Drucker Mann, Condé Nast’s chief marketing officer and, as of last week, chief revenue officer, alongside Chief Digital Officer Fred Santarpia and General Manager of Digital Matt Starker. Them’s founding editors will include Meredith Talusan, winner of the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism, and Tyler Ford, who, in 2016, was named to Dazed’s 100 visionary talents shaping youth culture, as well as Michael Cuby and Alexis Fish, as Picardi wrote in an Instagram caption. Additionally, launch partners for the project include Burberry, Google, Lyft and GLAAD.
“There is a cultural revolution happening that is — as always — spearheaded by young people who believe in fighting for equality, and we want to create a space that’s reflective of this moment,” said Picardi in a statement. “We’re excited to showcase the voices and perspectives of people in the community, and prove through our storytelling that, by celebrating them, we’re really celebrating all of us.”
Them was born out of Condé Nast’s new incubator, which, according to a press release, was created “to develop new brands and businesses for the company’s consumer audience and advertising partners alike.”
them’s official website: www.them.us
