W (magazine)

Originally a biweekly newspaper that was spun off from Women's Wear Daily, W became an oversized monthly magazine in 1993.

Often the subject of controversy, W has featured stories and covers which have provoked mixed responses from its intended audience. In July 2005, W produced a 60-page Steven Klein portfolio of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt entitled "Domestic Bliss".[5] The shoot was based upon Pitt's idea of the irony of the perfect American family; set in 1963, the photographs mirror the era when 1960s disillusionment was boiling under the facade of pristine 1950s suburbia.

Other controversial issues include Steven Meisel's shoot entitled "Asexual Revolution", in which male and female models (including Jessica Stam and Karen Elson) are depicted in gender-bending styles and provocative poses. In addition, Tom Ford's racy shoot with Steven 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 about pansexuality. Whether I'm sleeping with girls or not at this point in my life, the clothes have often been androgynous, which is very much my standard of beauty."[6] Steven Klein also was the photographer for the racy photo shoot featured in the August 2007 issue, showcasing David and Victoria Beckham.[7] Bruce Weber produced a 60-page tribute to New Orleans in the April 2008 issue, and shot a 36-page story on the newest fashion designers in Miami for the July 2008 issue.[8][9] Most of W's most memorable covers are featured on the W Classics[10] page on the magazine's website.

W is also known for its coverage of American and European society. Many of these society luminaries, as well as the elite of the entertainment and fashion industries, have allowed W into their homes for the magazine's "W House Tours"[11] feature, including Marc Jacobs, Sir Evelyn Rothschild and Imelda Marcos.

In 2011, Steven Meisel created controversy again by promoting fake advertisements throughout the November issue of the magazine. In 2013, Meisel shot RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 contestant Carmen Carrera in an editorial called "Show girl", promoting the beauty of the transgender model.

In June 2019, Sara Moonves was named as the first ever female editor-in-chief in the magazine's history. The new W team finished the biggest Best Performances issue ever. In the first week of January 2020, W launched 9 covers, a 76-page celebrity portfolio covering 29 celebrities and 20 videos. [12]

Additionally, the magazine launched a series of new initiatives and dramatically expanded its digital footprint. They launched W’s first podcast, 5 Things with Lynn Hirschberg, which has attracted a broad listener base and included guests like Quentin Tarantino, Charlize Theron, Saoirse Ronan, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Nicole Kidman, Awkwafina, and Margot Robbie as a part of the new vision for the brand. [13]

Under Moonves's editorship the magazine underwent a major transition.

On August 14, 2020, W was acquired by a group of new investors.[14] They retained Moonves as editor in chief. Daily Front Row credited Moonves with lining up the investors, which included supermodel Karlie Kloss.

An international edition was previously published in Japan. The South Korean edition was launched in 2005 and is published under license by Doosan Magazine.[15]

• List of W models
• List of W Korea cover models

• W magazine website
• W Magazine – magazine profile at Fashion Model Directory