 | |
 Mila Kunis on the cover of the June 2014 issue | |
| Editor-in-chief | Sara Moonves |
|---|---|
| Categories | Fashion, women |
| Frequency | Bimonthly |
| Format | Oversized |
| Total circulation (2025) | 455,443[1] |
| Founded | 1972; 53 years ago (1972) |
| Company | W Media |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | New York City |
| Language | English |
| Website | wmagazine |
| ISSN | 0162-9115 |
| OCLC | 1781845 |
W (orW Magazine) is an Americanfashion magazine that was launched in 1972 as a sister publication toWomen's Wear Daily. W began as a biweekly spin-off of Women's Wear Daily.
W was launched in 1972[2] byJames Brady,[citation needed] who at the time was the publisher of the newspaper (and sister publication ofW,Women's Wear Daily). The magazine was published twice per month until 1993 when it was relaunched as an oversized publication published on a monthly schedule.
In 2000,Condé Nast purchased the magazine fromFairchild Publications. In 2019, it was sold toSurface Media (later renamedFuture Media Group) and in 2020 it was sold toW Media which was created for the purchase. It now operates in partnership withBustle Digital Group and Mic, along with a group of investors (led byKarlie Kloss).
The magazine is currently published every other month, alongside a summer special issue (seven times per year).
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circulation | 453,438 | 452,181 | 458,197 | 452,664 | 450,747 | 451,349 | 455,443 |
| Editor-in-Chief[note 1] | Start year | End year |
|---|---|---|
| John Fairchild | 1972 | 1997 |
| Patrick McCarthy[4] | 1997 | 2010 |
| Stefano Tonchi[5] | 2010 | 2019 |
| Sara Moonves[6] | 2019 | present |
W Magazine origins lie as a biweekly newspaper, which was spun off fromWomen's Wear Daily,[7] becoming an oversized monthly magazine published byFairchild Fashion Media in 1993. When Fairchilds' owner (Capital Cities/ABC) merged withThe Walt Disney Company in 1997,W was one of the publications the new company continued to publish.[8]
W has garnered controversy over some of the featured models in its issues. Controversial cover shoots includeSteven Meisel's entitled "Asexual Revolution", in which male and female models (includingJessica Stam andKaren Elson) are depicted in gender-bending styles and provocative poses. In addition,Tom Ford's racy shoot with Klein and the accompanying article on sexuality in fashion came as a shock to some loyal readers. During the interview, Ford is quoted as saying: "I've always been aboutpansexuality. Whether I'm sleeping with girls or not at this point in my life, the clothes have often beenandrogynous, which is very much my standard ofbeauty".[9] Klein was also the photographer for the racy photo shoot featured in the August 2007 issue, showcasingDavid andVictoria Beckham.[10]Bruce Weber produced a 60-page tribute toNew Orleans in the April 2008 issue, and shot a 36-page story on the newest fashion designers inMiami for the July 2008 issue.[11][12]
In 2009 due to the2008 Financial Crisis, advertising pages in the magazine were down 46 percent from 2008.[13] Editor-in-ChiefPatrick McCarthy retired in 2010 when Condé Nast movedW into its consumer magazine group, now alongsideVogue,Glamour andAllure.[7]Stefano Tonchi succeeded him as editor in chief.[14]Edward Enninful was appointed Fashion & Style Director in 2011.[15][16] In 2011,W participated in a four-episode plot line on thefourth season ofCW teen dramaGossip Girl.[17]
Under Enninful's direction,W introduced riskier editorial features, including the March 2012 cover story bySteven Klein that depictedKate Moss as a nun andNicki Minaj portraying an 18th-century French courtesan.[18]
Between 2013 and 2018 the magazine went from publishing twelve issues per year to eight.[19] This would later be reduced to four in 2020, raise to six from 2021, and W currently publishes seven issues a year 2024.
In 2018,W became one of three publications Condé Nast put up for sale in the face of significant financial losses that forced it to adopt a series of cost-cutting measures. By 2019, it was acquired by Future Media, in a deal theNew York Post estimated at $7 million.[20][21] In June 2019,Sara Moonves was named as the publications first female editor-in-chief, succeedingStefano Tonchi.[22]
Under Moonves's editorship, the magazine underwent a major transition. By 2020, she announced to staff that many were being furloughed and that those who work on online content would be staying on at reduced salaries.[23] The newW team finished the biggest Best Performances issue ever. In the first week of January 2020,W launched nine covers, and a 76-page celebrity portfolio covering 29 celebrities and 20 videos.[24] Additionally, the magazine launched a series of new initiatives and expanded its digital footprint. LaunchingW’s firstpodcast,5 Things withLynn Hirschberg, which attracted included guests includingQuentin Tarantino,Charlize Theron,Saoirse Ronan,Greta Gerwig,Noah Baumbach,Nicole Kidman,Awkwafina, andMargot Robbie as a part of the new vision for the brand.[25]
On August 14, 2020,W was acquired byBustle Digital Group,Mic,[21][26] and W Media, a newly formed joint venture led byKarlie Kloss and includingAryeh Bourkoff,Jason Blum,Kaia Gerber,Kirsten Green andLewis Hamilton.[27] Moonves was kept as editor-in-chief.
International editions were previously published in Japan and for Europe. The European edition launched in 1991 asW Fashion Life and separate versions were released in English, French, and Italian. In 1992 the magazine rebranded toW Fashion Europe.W Fashion Europe ceased publication in 1994.
TheSouth Korean edition was launched in 2005 and is published under license byDoosan Magazine.[28] A Chinese edition was launched in 2023 under license by MC Style Media; the magazine's editor-in-chief is Mix Wei.[29]
List of Editor-in-Chiefs of allW editions:[note 1]
| Country | Circulation dates | Editor-in-Chief | Start year | End year | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States of America (W) | 1972–present | John Fairchild | 1972 | 1997 | [4][5][6] |
| Patrick McCarthy | 1997 | 2010 | |||
| Stefano Tonchi | 2010 | 2019 | |||
| Sara Moonves | 2019 | present | |||
| South Korea (W Korea) | 2005–present | Hyejoo Lee | 2005 | present | [30] |
| China (W China) | 2023–present | Mix Wei | 2023 | present | [29] |
Sara Moonves, the glossy's first female editor in chief in its 50-year history, assembled the group, led by model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss. Other celebrity investors include fashion fixtures Lewis Hamilton and 18-year-old Kaia Gerber.