The Business of Magazines

[Pedro]

At Interview Magazine: Baron is In, O'Brien is Out
by STEPHANIE D. SMITH
Posted TUESDAY JUNE 09, 2009

One out, one in — Fabien Baron is returning to Interview.

The former co-editorial director is being brought back to the magazine as sole editorial director just five months after being fired by Brant Publications.

But this time he will not share the title — Baron returns as Brant's other co-editorial director, Glenn O'Brien, was pushed out of the company on Monday, following rumors of his departure last week first reported by WWD.

The flip-flop of roles follows many months of turmoil at Brant Publications, which has seen a number of high-level executive changes this year.

wwwd.com

[Pedro]

The Interview Departures Continue
Today's news: art director resigns, creative directors M.I.A.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009

(NEW YORK) Glenn O'Brien isn't the only one fleeing Interview. Art director Stella Bugbee resigned this afternoon, The Daily has learned. And more high-profile departures are expected to follow, including Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak of M/M (Paris), who were hired in January to replace Fabien Baron. Currently, the Paris-based co-creative directors do not appear to be working on the August issue. As The Daily reported yesterday, other contributing staffers who have not been paid in several months are also withholding work. The lack of creatives at the helm of Interview makes it even more possible that Fabien Baron could return--although why would he need to? Brant Publications president Ryan Brant, Amzalag and Augustyniak were not available for comment.
ASHLEY BAKER

fashionweekdaily.com

[nyc_art_style]

The situation at Interview is beyond sad at this point, and is simply comical and confusing.

[mikel]

Beyond embarrasing really and such a shame because Interview can be a really nice magazine. At least it will create some interesting issues of this mag, and hopefully those issues will eventually be collector items in a few decades.

[MissMagAddict]

More about Interview from wwd.com

FABIEN’S RETURN: Fabien Baron is back at Interview. After parting ways with the magazine in January, Baron was brought back to the title on Tuesday by Brant Publications owner Peter Brant — but this time as sole editorial director. “At Interview, we wanted an editorial director who not only understands and appreciates the magazine’s history, but who also has the vision to carry the magazine into a new era. Fabien will keep Interview at the forefront of culture and make it relevant for a whole new generation of readers,” Brant stated.

Baron’s arrival comes after Glenn O’Brien was pushed out Monday in a continuation of a year’s worth of turmoil at the magazine. O’Brien joined Brant Publications with Baron last spring, when both were tapped as co-editorial directors, then took sole control after Baron left six months ago. O’Brien could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

“I feel very fortunate to return to my former role and am pleased to have the opportunity to guide this legendary title through the current paradigm shift in the industry. I will put my heart in giving Interview the best of my work in a positive and creative environment,” said Baron.

When he resigned in January, insiders grumbled over his expensive photo shoots for the magazine and his lack of day-to-day involvement. But sources said Peter Brant’s son, Ryan Brant, courted Baron to make a comeback. The younger Brant, who founded gaming company Take Two Interactive, has taken a larger role at Brant Publications ever since his father became embroiled in a high-profile divorce battle with his wife, Stephanie Seymour Brant.

In addition to being the top dog, there is another change in Baron’s role in his second outing: he now will concentrate solely on Interview, versus last time when he and O’Brien also oversaw Brant’s art titles Art in America and The Magazine Antiques.

Baron’s return isn’t the last of changes to come. Sources close to the magazine said former creative director Karl Templer, who resigned along with Baron in January, could be returning to the magazine. Meanwhile, art director Stella Bugbee, who joined less than two months ago, has said to have quit her job.

[MissMagAddict]

source | wwd.com

MUCH ADO: Angelina Jolie takes yet another cover turn on a glossy magazine on the July newsstand-only issue of Harper’s Bazaar. But eagled-eye fashionistas recognized her over-the-shoulder pose and red-carpet lighting immediately. Sure enough, the photo is a Getty Images one taken in December at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” There is no interview with Jolie inside; rather, the feature is an essay by Naomi Wolf on the actress’ appeal.

The use of a wire photo as a cover image set off a firestorm of complaints in the blogosphere, with theories ranging from cost cutting to a cover subject dropping out at the last minute. The subscriber cover features model Doutzen Kroes, shot by Terry Richardson.

So why not just put her on both issues? A spokeswoman for the magazine said, “Clearly, we are in an Angelina moment right now, and in a recent online poll, our readers reinforced that, overwhelmingly choosing Angelina as the woman they admired most for having it all. We responded immediately, asking Naomi Wolf to analyze the Angelina phenomenon and rushing to get her photo on the newsstand cover. We’ve done different covers for subscriber copies since 2001.”

But observers were still puzzled. “It’s a sad state when a legitimate [fashion] magazine goes to the lengths of doing a write around. That’s saved for tabloids,” said one Hollywood publicist. Some bloggers believed using Jolie may have been a ploy to boost newsstand sales.

According to figures from Audit Bureau of Circulations’ Rapid Report, newsstand numbers for Bazaar have fallen 15 percent so far this year through April, to an average of about 155,000 copies. Comparatively, Vogue’s newsstand sales are up 4 percent so far this year, averaging around 400,000 copies through April, a bounce buoyed in part by landing First Lady Michelle Obama for its March cover. Elle’s newsstand sales through April are off 16 percent; W’s single copy sales are off 9 percent, and, through March, InStyle’s single copy sales have dropped 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

[McQueezy]

The Interview situation is ridiculous. Not paying your employees is completely unacceptable.
It's a shame since it's such a fantastic magazine.

[Manuva]

I hope Karl Templer comes back to Interview too. It's very strange for Baron to leave for a couple of months and then decide to come back.

[Miss Dalloway]

Man this is a damn mess!!

But i love Interview and i hope having Baron back will be good, no more Efron/Watson tween covers, please!Its quite unbelievable he came back.

[nyc_art_style]

EXCLUSIVE: Glenn Speaks!

O'Brien sounds off on Baron, the Brants and the "Greek tragedy" at Interview
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
(NEW YORK) "It seems unbelievable," Glenn O'Brien told The Daily this afternoon as news of more Interview departures accompanied the return of Fabien Baron, who was ousted as co-editorial director in January only to be rehired upon O'Brien's defection on Monday. "It's like a Greek tragedy. Like watching a company going insane, instead of a person." O'Brien was referencing, of course, the now-colossal puzzle known as Brant Publications, where he served as CEO from January 2008 to May 8, 2009, while relaunching the magazines Interview, Art in America and The Magazine Antiques.
As the top man at Interview, O'Brien struggled to keep the iconic title afloat for the past six months as Brant Publications suffered serious cash flow issues, which have been exacerbated by the dismissal of publisher Alan Katz and the ascent of Peter Brant's fiscally-dubious son Ryan Brant as president of the company. The return of Baron is particularly surprising given the budget overruns that contributed to his initial departure. "We were flying hairdressers, makeup artists and assistants around the world in business class," O'Brien said. "In the issues I did with [creative directors] M/M (Paris), our photo budget was probably 20 percent or less of what Fabien was spending, and I think it looks just as good if not better."
As for the possible motivations behind his return? "I think one motivation is revenge," O'Brien surmised. According to O'Brien, for Baron, whose bread and butter comes from Baron & Baron, his fashion-centric creative shop, Brant Publications could only present a relatively forgettable check in its present state. As for the former partners' current rapport? "I saw him at the shows," said O'Brien. "And basically, he doesn't speak to me."

(Baron, who is in Paris, was unavailable to comment at press time, but released the following statement this morning: "I feel very fortunate to return to my former role and am thrilled to have the opportunity to guide this legendary title through the current paradigm shift in the industry. I will put my heart in giving Interview the best of my work in a positive and creative environment.")
While Brant Publications has managed to make payroll, freelancers haven't been quite so fortunate. Those allegedly owed include fashion director Joe McKenna, who cancelled a recent shoot on the grounds of nonpayment, as well as many A-list retouchers and photographers, including Inez & Vinoodh, who have not been paid for their August cover story. The Daily has learned that Brant Publications owes Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak of M/M (Paris) approximately three months pay, plus expenses, which has led them to quit working.
"Months ago, I wanted to bring in a professional publisher, which might have averted this cash flow situation," O'Brien explained. "Basically, it's been rudderless [ever since Katz's departure] on the publishing side." While newsstands are currently selling the June/July issue, subscribers have allegedly complained that their copies have not yet arrived.
"It was such an investment of time and energy, and I was promised equity with which they dragged my contract out," said O'Brien. "I'm screwed. I told Ryan Brant that if Peter's situation is that bad, how about selling [the magazine]? I was prepared to go out and look for a team of buyers. That's how I got involved in [the relaunch of Interview], and then Peter became interested in working with us in the process. I would've liked to get together a group to buy from Peter, but I never got an answer."
O'Brien was notoriously hands-on with the editorial content, writing many of the features himself and working closely with editor in chief Christopher Bollen, with whom O'Brien has not spoken in recent days. "If I had found a buyer myself and continued working?" O'Brien surmised. "I'd continue with M/M. It was a great pleasure to work with them. They're people who understand culture in the broadest sense, and I think that was the strength of the magazine. I was really looking forward to working with Joe McKenna and Inez & Vinoodh, but we had about a minute, and that was about it."
What will O'Brien do now? "I've maintained my advertising career throughout this adventure," he said. "I'm still doing a lot of advertising and branding work." (O'Brien is represented by Art + Commerce, the same agency that represents M/M (Paris) as well as Annie Leibovitz and Patrick Demarchelier.) He will continue to serve as GQ's Style Guy and pen his weekly column for Italian Vanity Fair, where Ingrid Sischy and Sandra Brant top the masthead as international editors. "I got the editing bug again," he said. "I'd like to do something. But does the world really need another fashion magazine?"
Given O'Brien's personal relationship with the late Andy Warhol--he edited Interview for the first time under Warhol's watch from 1970-73--the recent turn of events is especially distressing. "I had a photograph of Andy Warhol in my office," O'Brien recalled. "And when I left on Monday, I said, 'I'm taking Andy with me.'"
ASHLEY BAKER

fashionweekdaily

[mikel]

^thanks so much. It's great to hear his side of the story.

[surrealseven]

I know, it's similar to the one already posted but in this article, the spokesperson for Bazaar actually says more about the contrast of the two covers this month.

People at Bazaar is apparently thought we are less fashion-forward than its subscribers

GLENDA'S BAZAAR INNOVATION
Why use pick-up art of Angelina Jolie on a cover? The magazine responds...

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

(NEW YORK) Well, that's that--the fashion for fashion's sake era is ending, buried alongside the advertising revenue model which no longer suffices as magazines struggle to meet the numbers. Suddenly, newsstand sales have taken on a new relevance. The proof? The dueling July covers of Harper's Bazaar, which feature a pick-up shot of Angelina Jolie (for the newsstand) and a splendid Terry Richardson photograph of mega-model Doutzen Kroes (for subscribers). Glenda Bailey's answer to the old fashion guard that constantly laments the tabloid mentality is to give them a bona-fide model on the cover of the magazine for the first time in recent memory.

As for the decision to enlist Getty Images as cover artists? This novel, news-driven approach makes a lot of business sense in a climate that relies increasingly on efficient revenue streams like the newsstand, although it remains to be seen if this particular Jolie cover will sell. The demure photograph fails to serve up a dishy version of Jolie's much-touted sexiness, and the accompanying story by Naomi Wolf (untantalizingly titled "The Power of Angelina") merits a bit more salacious cover play. After all, the story inside tells of average women fantasizing about sleeping with Jolie.

"In a recent Bazaar.com poll," explains a Bazaar spokesperson, "Our readers told us they are completely fascinated by Angelina Jolie. For us, it's about giving readers what they want, when they want it, so we contacted Naomi Wolf to explain the Angelina phenomenon. Her conclusion--that women not only want to be Angelina, but sleep with her, too--got all of us talking, and we decided to publish it immediately as our newsstand cover story for July. Harper's Bazaar innovated the two-cover concept in 2001, so for our subscribers, who desire a more fashion-forward image, we've got the next great supermodel, Doutzen Kroes, shot for us by Terry Richardson. Either way, the reader wins."

ASHLEY BAKER

fashionweekdaily

[surrealseven]

...And the Interview Scoops Continue
Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak of M/M (Paris) said to be out along with fashion director Joe McKenna

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

(NEW YORK) With Fabien Baron officially en route back to Interview, expect a string of defections and appointments. A spokesperson for the magazine, which is currently represented by HL Group, has said that official announcements are expected "within a week." In the meantime, creative directors Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak of M/M (Paris) are said to be out alongwith fashion director Joe McKenna, who replaced Karl Templer back in January. Now that Baron is back, Templer is expected to return to the title imminently.

ASHLEY BAKER

fashionweekdaily

[surrealseven]

Originally Posted by Miss Dalloway

Man this is a damn mess!!

But i love Interview and i hope having Baron back will be good, no more Efron/Watson tween covers, please!Its quite unbelievable he came back.

Interview is such a trainwreck now

[homeboy]

I'm stunned by the sheer number of international publications that had to fold. Are they even run by people with business background? It's astounding that they have had to fold after a mere 20-40% slump in ad that has merely lasted a year. What on earth have they been doing with all the profit they've earned in previous years.