Karlie Kloss’ i-D Magazine Pauses Print and Digital Temporarily and Launches Newsletter
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LONDON — i-D Magazine is pausing its print publication and digital output for the foreseeable future as it focuses on repositioning itself in the publishing world.
In the time being, the British bimonthly magazine acquired by Karlie Kloss last year is launching a newsletter and will continue to post across its social media channels on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
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“The truth is that there is a lot going on at i-D. And we’re doing it ourselves,” the magazine said in a statement.
“Creating something that can stand the test of time has always been our goal. In many ways, the world is different to when we first started — and yet the same things are just as important to us now as they were back then: reflecting the most exciting and creative expressions of youth culture through fashion, music, photography, art and everything in between.”
Even though i-D Magazine is rethinking its strategy as the statement revealed, it promised its readers that it will be “back bigger and better than ever: online, in print, and everywhere else you can imagine.”
In November 2023, Kloss saved the magazine from bankruptcy adding it to her media portfolio, which also includes W Magazine, which she along with other investors pitched in to save.
The sale of i-D was handled through Kloss’s newly former company Bedford Media, where Kloss is chairwoman. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Alastair McKimm, who has led i-D since 2019, has taken on more responsibilities since the sale of the magazine by stepping up to become chief creative officer and global editor in chief.
Vice Media, which purchased i-D in 2012, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 and was acquired for $350 million by its creditors, led by Fortress Investment Group that same year.
Many magazines are repositioning themselves in an otherwise difficult publishing business. The reach is now on community rather than attracting new readers.
Earlier this month, Dazed Media rolled out a dedicated social networking application tied to its membership offering, Dazed Club, which was first introduced in 2022.
First reported by WWD last May, the app encourages users to share their creative work — be it films, imagery or links to their portfolios, to connect with collaborators and seek new opportunities.
Users can also explore and join groups, ask questions and receive advice from industry experts. They can also access event listings and editorial content from Dazed.
In October 2023, Elle U.K. launched Elle Collective, a new subscription platform for readers to interact with the making of the magazine, and the launch of a new newsletter.
At Condé Nast, whose magazines include Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and Allure, tough times are still ahead.
The publisher has been undergoing a yearslong restructuring and chief executive officer Roger Lynch revealed last November that the company was planning a 5 percent staff reduction (or about 300 employees) across its numerous titles.
The announcement of layoffs followed a top-line restructuring in October across editorial, content development and branded content that saw Condé Nast Entertainment head Agnes Chu, among others, leave the company.
Content across Vogue U.S. and Vogue Runway now sit behind a paywall as Condé Nast tightens its purse and continues to juggle its handful of publications.
In January, the music publication Pitchfork, which the publisher has owned since 2015, was folded into GQ.
Pitchfork is renowned for its honest reviews which will likely be watered down now as it merges with GQ due to the pressures of the magazine’s advertisers.
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