Condé Nast
An American global media company built around influential magazine, digital publishing, video, and cultural brands.
Last updated October 10, 2026
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Overview
Condé Nast is an American media company whose portfolio spans fashion, culture, food, travel, design, technology, music, lifestyle, and news-oriented publishing. The company traces its origins to 1909, when publisher Condé Montrose Nast acquired Vogue, a society and fashion magazine founded in 1892. Nast developed Vogue into a more visually sophisticated and commercially focused publication, helping establish the company’s characteristic model of serving clearly defined affluent or interest-based audiences rather than pursuing only the largest possible mass readership. The company incorporated Condé Nast Publications in 1922. During the early twentieth century it expanded through titles including House & Garden, Vanity Fair, Glamour, and other specialist publications. British Vogue, launched in 1916, made the company an early international publisher of a foreign edition of an existing magazine. Condé Nast’s editorial approach emphasized high-quality photography, typography, design, and close relationships with premium advertisers. Vogue’s use of a full-color photographic cover in 1932 symbolized the shift from illustrated fashion covers toward modern photographic art direction. Glamour, introduced in 1939, was the last magazine launched during Nast’s lifetime. In 1959, Samuel I. Newhouse acquired Condé Nast and combined it with Advance Publications. Ownership has remained associated with the Newhouse family and Advance. Under the Newhouse era, the company expanded its portfolio, acquired Brides, revived Vanity Fair in 1983 after its earlier closure, and launched Self. In the 2000s it acquired or developed additional influential properties, including Fairchild Fashion Media, Golf Digest, Golf World, Reddit, Ars Technica, and later Pitchfork. Some of these assets were subsequently sold, spun off, or discontinued as the company adjusted to changing media economics. Condé Nast’s current brand system includes Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveller, Glamour, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Wired, Bon Appétit, Pitchfork, and Ars Technica, among others. Its publishing model combines print editions, websites, subscriptions, social channels, newsletters, video, events, licensing, and commercial partnerships. In 2011, it created Condé Nast Entertainment to develop film, television, social video, digital video, and related formats, extending editorial franchises beyond magazines and websites. The company moved from Madison Avenue to 4 Times Square in 2000, contributing to the redevelopment of Times Square, and relocated its headquarters to One World Trade Center in 2014. Like other legacy publishers, Condé Nast has faced declining print advertising, platform dependence, changing social-media traffic, and audience migration toward short-form video. It has responded through digital subscriptions, first-party audience data, video production, influencer initiatives, and a greater focus on reader revenue. Publicly reported workforce reductions in the 2020s reflected continuing pressure on advertising and publishing operations. Condé Nast remains an active international media group with a brand portfolio that combines premium editorial authority, cultural influence, and digital audience distribution.
History
Condé Nast began in 1909 when Condé Montrose Nast purchased Vogue, then a New York society and fashion publication. Nast transformed the title through stronger visual presentation, specialized editorial coverage, and a premium advertising proposition. In 1916, the company launched British Vogue, establishing an international edition model that later became central to its global publishing structure. Condé Nast incorporated its publishing interests in 1922. The company expanded its portfolio during the following decades. Its titles addressed fashion, home design, society, leisure, and other defined readership segments. This approach became associated with the idea of the class publication: a magazine organized around the interests and identity of a particular audience rather than the broadest possible mass market. Condé Nast also became known for investing in photography, typography, art direction, and editorial packaging. Vogue’s 1932 full-color photographic cover illustrated the company’s role in modernizing fashion publishing. Glamour, launched in 1939, was the final title introduced while Nast was alive; Nast died in 1942. Samuel I. Newhouse acquired Condé Nast in 1959 and integrated it with Advance Publications. The new ownership expanded the business through acquisitions and launches, including Brides, the revived Vanity Fair, and Self. In 2000, Condé Nast moved to 4 Times Square. During the same period it acquired Fairchild Fashion Media, adding properties such as W and Women’s Wear Daily, and acquired Golf Digest and Golf World. In 2006 it purchased Reddit, which was later separated from Condé Nast as a subsidiary of Advance Publications. The company also acquired Ars Technica in 2008. The 2000s brought both expansion and contraction. Several magazines were closed or discontinued, including Jane, House & Garden, Portfolio, Mademoiselle, Domino, Cookie, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, and the monthly edition of Gourmet. The company also introduced new digital and international products, including Love magazine. These changes reflected the increasing difficulty of sustaining print advertising and circulation economics. From 2010 onward, Condé Nast accelerated its digital transition. It introduced tablet subscriptions, expanded distribution to Android and Kindle Fire devices, launched Condé Nast Entertainment, and created a digital video network for brands such as Glamour, GQ, and Wired. The company moved its headquarters to One World Trade Center in 2014. It acquired Pitchfork in 2015 and launched Condé Nast Spire in 2016 to use first-party behavioral and purchasing data for audience and commercial development. A creator-oriented platform, Next Gen, followed in 2018. Roger Lynch became the company’s first global chief executive in 2019. During that period Condé Nast sold Brides, Golf Digest, and W, demonstrating a more selective approach to portfolio management. The company also announced plans to increase revenue from readers through subscriptions and other direct audience relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced advertising revenue in 2020 and intensified existing pressures on office space, print products, and advertising-led publishing. In the 2020s, Condé Nast continued to manage a portfolio of premium editorial brands while confronting declining social referral traffic, the rise of short-form video, digital advertising competition, and labor tensions over restructuring. Workforce reductions were announced in 2023 and additional executive layoffs were reported in 2024. Union members staged a strike in January 2024, and labor representatives later filed an unfair-labor-practice charge concerning alleged retaliation against employees involved in workplace activity. In 2025, the company announced that new animal fur would no longer appear in its editorial content or advertising. Condé Nast remains an active global media group whose influence rests on a combination of iconic magazine brands, digital publishing, subscriptions, video, and cultural authority.
- 2019
Roger Lynch becomes global CEO
[1]Lynch became the company’s first global chief executive.
- 2015
Pitchfork is acquired
[1]The acquisition broadened Condé Nast’s cultural and digital music coverage.
- 2014
Headquarters move to One World Trade Center
[1]Condé Nast relocated its headquarters to Lower Manhattan.
- 2011
Condé Nast Entertainment is established
[1]The new division extended the company’s brands into film, television, and digital video.
- 2000
Headquarters move to 4 Times Square
[1]The move accompanied the redevelopment of Times Square and symbolized the company’s contemporary expansion.
- 1959
Advance Publications acquires Condé Nast
[1]Samuel I. Newhouse purchased the company and combined it with Advance Publications.
- 1932
Vogue uses a full-color photographic cover
[1]The cover marked a significant shift toward photographic fashion publishing.
- 1922
Condé Nast Publications is incorporated
[1]Nast formalizes his publishing interests under a holding company.
- 1916
British Vogue is launched
[1]The company publishes the first overseas edition of an existing Condé Nast magazine.
- 1909
Condé Montrose Nast acquires Vogue
[1]The acquisition of Vogue established the foundation of the Condé Nast publishing business.
Products and positioning
A premium, globally oriented editorial media house centered on influential cultural brands, specialist audiences, distinctive design, and high-value advertising and subscription relationships.
Fashion magazine and digital media · 1892
Vogue
Vogue is Condé Nast’s flagship fashion and culture brand. Acquired in 1909, it became known for haute couture coverage, influential photography, fashion criticism, celebrity features, and strong visual art direction. Its international editions form one of the company’s most visible global publishing networks.
Culture and journalism magazine · 1925
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is a long-form editorial brand covering reporting, commentary, fiction, criticism, humor, and cultural analysis. Its reputation for rigorous writing and distinctive cartoons supports both print circulation and a substantial digital subscription business.
Men’s lifestyle magazine and digital media · 1957
GQ
GQ covers men’s style, culture, entertainment, sports, politics, and consumer interests. The brand operates across print, web, social media, video, and commerce-oriented content, positioning itself at the intersection of fashion, identity, and contemporary culture.
Travel magazine and digital media
Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler provides travel reporting, destination guidance, hotel and restaurant coverage, and service-oriented recommendations. Its editorial proposition emphasizes discovery, design, hospitality, and premium travel experiences.
Architecture and design media
Architectural Digest
Architectural Digest focuses on interior design, architecture, homes, gardens, and the people shaping the design world. It combines magazine publishing with digital tours, video, social content, and other visual formats.
Culture and current affairs magazine · 1913
Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair covers entertainment, politics, business, society, and popular culture through reported features, profiles, photography, and commentary. Condé Nast revived the title in 1983 after an earlier version had ceased publication.
Technology and science media · 1993
Wired
Wired reports on technology, science, business, design, security, and the social consequences of innovation. Its offerings include print, digital journalism, video, events, and explanatory editorial franchises.
Food magazine and digital media
Bon Appétit
Bon Appétit covers recipes, cooking technique, restaurants, food culture, and entertaining. The brand has operated across magazine, website, video, social media, and other digital formats.
Music publication and digital media · 1995
Pitchfork
Pitchfork is a digital music publication known for reviews, criticism, interviews, news, festival activity, and coverage of established and emerging artists. Condé Nast acquired the publication in 2015.
Technology publication and digital media · 1998
Ars Technica
Ars Technica publishes detailed reporting and analysis on technology, science, software, hardware, policy, and internet infrastructure. Condé Nast acquired the technology-oriented website in 2008.
Controversies
2026
Condé Nast data breach exposes over 2.3 million Wired user records
Condé Nast suffered a data breach in which more than 2.3 million user records from Wired were released, including names, emails, addresses and phone numbers but no passwords. A hacker named Lovely claimed Condé Nast did not care about user data security and threatened to leak more than 40 million additional records over the coming weeks.
2025
Unfair-labor-practice charge concerning employee terminations
The NewsGuild of New York filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that four employees were wrongfully terminated after engaging in protected concerted activity related to layoffs.
2024
Labor dispute over layoffs and bargaining
Union members alleged that Condé Nast engaged in regressive bargaining and unlawfully withdrew a prior offer connected with layoffs, leading to a coordinated strike.
2019
W sale dispute involving Stefano Tonchi
After the sale of W, former editor Stefano Tonchi sued Condé Nast over his termination. Condé Nast filed a counterclaim alleging disloyal conduct and sought repayment of compensation; the dispute was publicly litigated.
2013
Unpaid internship lawsuit
Two former interns sued Condé Nast, alleging that their compensation for summer internships fell below applicable minimum-wage requirements. The company subsequently ended its internship program.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Campaign against new animal fur in editorial and advertising
Global
Following sustained advocacy and protests by animal-rights groups, Condé Nast announced that new animal fur would no longer be featured in its editorial content or advertising.
Outcome. A new company policy was announced.
- 2018Next Gen
United States · Digital markets
Condé Nast introduced an influencer-focused platform intended to connect the company’s brands with internal and external creators who had substantial social followings.
Outcome. The platform aims to connect brands with influential creators, but specific results have not been disclosed.
Brand decisions
2025
Endorse a policy excluding new animal furStrategyBackground
Animal-rights campaigners had targeted Condé Nast and its commercial partners over the use of fur.
Action taken
Condé Nast announced that new animal fur would no longer appear in new editorial content or advertising.
Aftermath
The decision established a company-wide editorial and advertising policy on new fur.
2019
Increase revenue from readersStrategyBackground
Advertising pressure and changing digital distribution made reliance on advertising less sustainable.
Action taken
The company announced plans to emphasize subscriptions and other reader-revenue streams.
Aftermath
The strategy aligned Condé Nast more closely with premium digital subscription publishing.
2015
Acquire PitchforkM&ABackground
Condé Nast sought additional influential digital-native cultural properties.
Action taken
The company acquired Pitchfork, an independent music publication.
Aftermath
Pitchfork became part of Condé Nast’s culture and digital media portfolio.
2011
Launch Condé Nast EntertainmentProduct launchBackground
Audience attention was spreading from print and websites to video, television, and social platforms.
Action taken
Condé Nast established a division for film, television, digital video, social programming, and virtual-reality content.
Aftermath
The company developed video networks and screen projects associated with brands including Glamour, GQ, and Wired.
2006
Acquire RedditM&ABackground
Condé Nast expanded beyond conventional publishing by acquiring a rapidly growing content and community website.
Action taken
The company acquired Reddit and later separated it as a wholly owned subsidiary of Advance Publications.
Aftermath
Reddit was no longer operated directly within Condé Nast after the 2011 separation.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Condé Nast data breach exposes over 2.3 million Wired user records[2]
Reported:
Condé Nast suffered a data breach in which more than 2.3 million user records from Wired were released, including names, emails, addresses and phone numbers but no passwords. A hacker named Lovely claimed Condé Nast did not care about user data security and threatened to leak more than 40 million additional records over the coming weeks.
Hyundai launches the Journeys campaign[3]
Reported:
Hyundai launched its Journeys marketing campaign featuring portraits and stories of Hyundai owners and employees, with content available on HyundaiJourneys.com.
Condé Nast appoints Jackie Marks CFO[4]
Reported:
Condé Nast appointed Jackie Marks as its chief financial officer, with the appointment set to take effect on March 29. She will succeed former CFO Mike Goss.
Ulta pauses Teen Vogue advertising campaign[5]
Reported:
Ulta said its advertising spend with Teen Vogue was paused while it worked with Condé Nast to determine next steps regarding their partnership, following controversy over the magazine's editor-in-chief hire and resurfaced tweets.
GQ Sports seals exclusive content deal with NBA[6]
Reported:
Condé Nast subsidiary GQ Sports sealed an exclusive content deal with the National Basketball Association. The first series from the deal pairs NBA players with fans for a day of training and discussions.
Condé Nast unveils podcast network and advertising products[6]
Reported:
Condé Nast unveiled a new podcast network and several advertising products at its NewFronts presentation. The podcast network was set to launch with seven new podcasts.
WIRED opens first permanent standalone airport store[7]
Reported:
WIRED opened its first permanent standalone store at Newark Liberty International Airport, selling electronics, tech accessories and copies of the magazine. The store was activated by Stellar Partners and Condé Nast.
Condé Nast joins UN fashion climate initiative[8]
Reported:
Condé Nast became the first media company to sign the UN fashion for Global Climate Action initiative.
Facebook introduces Facebook News[9]
Reported:
Facebook introduced Facebook News, a dedicated news section in its app, initially for select US consumers. Publishers involved at launch include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Business Insider, Fox News, Condé Nast and Gannett.
Sources11 sources
- 1Condé Nasten.wikipedia.org
- 2Condé Nast data breach exposes over 2.3 million Wired user recordseditorandpublisher.com
- 3现代汽车推出“Journeys”营销活动prnewswire.com
- 4康泰纳仕任命Jackie Marks为首席财务官tubefilter.com
- 5Ulta暂停《Teen Vogue》广告活动dailymail.com
- 6GQ Sports与NBA达成独家内容协议tubefilter.com
- 7WIRED开设首家永久性独立机场门店trbusiness.com
- 8康泰纳仕加入联合国时尚气候倡议thedrum.com
- 9Facebook推出Facebook Newsthedrum.com
- 10Facebook Launches News Feed With The Help Of Journalistsscrippsnews.com
- 11Facebook launches news service featuring curated stories from Chicago Tribune and 200 other news outletschicagotribune.com
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