Rumours are circling that Condé Nast could be set to close W Magazine as part of a restructure that is now entering its second year.
As WWD reports, the nearly 50-year-old title – launched in 1972 by publishing legend John B. Fairchild – has an unclear future; especially since the magazine is already down to eight issues a year and is struggling in the wake of a shrinking print advertising spend.
While the closure of W is still unconfirmed by Condé Nast, the publishing monolith has been making redundancies and consolidating teams across its content creation, editing, communication and business departments. It has also reduced the number of print issues for several titles including Allure.
A spokesman for Condé said simply: “We aren’t going to comment on ongoing speculation about every possible business decision the company considers or not.”
The news comes following April rumours that Anna Wintour was set to step down as editor-in-chief of Vogue, and potentially her position as creative director of Condé. While the rumours went unsubstantiated for some time, last week’s news that two major members of her team were leaving – Phyllis Posnick, its executive fashion editor since 1987, and Tonne Goodman, its fashion director since 2000 – has certainly left everyone wondering what is going on at Condé Nast.
