Interview Magazine : Brant, Sischy Out; O'Brien, Baron, Bollen, Templer In

[MissMagAddict]

source | prnewswire

NEW YORK, Jan. 23 -- Ingrid Sischy today announced her resignation as Editor-in-Chief of Interview Magazine. "I have had the honor of editing one of the most unique titles in magazine publishing and working with tremendously talented people in our industry. With Sandra Brant's decision to sell her interest in Brant Publications, it is only appropriate that I resign at this time. Sandy and I have worked together as a team, and that has been a huge part of the fun of it. While it is difficult to contemplate being away from this extraordinary experience, the time is right and Interview is firmly positioned for even greater success," Sischy commented.

Over Ms. Sischy's tenure she has built Interview into an internationally recognized title that covers the world of art, fashion, entertainment and pop culture. During her more than 18 year tenure as Editor-in-Chief the circulation of the magazine has grown significantly and has become a mainstay vehicle for marketers around the world who are interested in reaching a discerning, culturally aware audience.

"When I was first drafted as editor after Andy Warhol's death I thought I'd stay a few years, devote myself to helping the magazine find its post-Warhol life, and then get back to my writing. Although leaving the magazine and wonderful staff behind is difficult, it is the right decision and one that will allow the new owners to establish their own editorial stamp on the magazine. I am now more than ever, eager to get back to my writing and have several big projects in front of me that need my attention"
"Managing such an important part of Andy Warhol's legacy has been a huge responsibility and I am proud of what Sandy and my editorial team have accomplished in terms of content and growth. I wish everyone the best of luck and hope this great American magazine will continue to flourish," Sischy concluded.

"Ingrid has done a masterful job of making Interview successful. When she first arrived here after Andy's death the future of the magazine was in question and there was an enormous amount of anxiety. She not only moved us through that period but has taken the magazine to a level of success and recognition that is beyond anything we thought possible. Her leadership, thoughtfulness, journalistic expertise and editorial vision have been critical," Sandra Brant commented.

Ms. Sischy started her career at Artforum Magazine in 1979 and is a widely published author on a range of cultural subjects. She has contributed to a broad range of magazines, including The New York Times, and has been the fashion and photography critic for The New Yorker. In 1996 she was the Artistic Director of the first Florence Fashion Biennale, conceiving and organizing the exhibition which occupied 26 museums throughout Florence, Italy and its outskirts. Part of this exhibition was subsequently presented at the Guggenheim Museum. Sischy has been a contributing editor for Vanity Fair since 1997. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she received an honorary PhD in the humanities from the Moore College of Art in 1987.

[dizzytacks]

this is a tragedy for Interview, but i am sure i will be readig her work in the future!!!

[LostInNJ]

NEW YORK — Sandra Brant and Ingrid Sischy have resigned at Interview.

After two years of exploring strategic alternatives, Brant, chief executive officer, president and publisher of Brant Publications, has decided to sell her 50 percent interest in the company to her co-owner, ex-husband Peter Brant. She will leave the company, which publishes Interview, Art in America and The Magazine Antiques, after a transition period.

Sischy has resigned as the magazine's editor in chief after 18 years at the helm.

The selling price could not be learned, although sources said Sandra Brant "did very well. It was fair value."
"I've done it for 23 years. I don't want to feel like I'm in a movie with Bill Murray called 'Groundhog Day.' I'm interested in new challenges."

She started Brant Publications 23 years ago, handling the company's operational duties and all aspects of the business. Peter Brant, who couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday, has been a silent partner. The couple divorced in 1996 and, two years ago, Brant, who heads Brant Industries Inc., a newsprint manufacturer, wanted to monetize his interests in the publishing firm. The Brants hired Allen & Co. to explore strategic alternatives.

It could not be learned Wednesday what Peter Brant's plans are for the three magazines.

As for Sischy, who built Interview into an internationally recognized title that covers the worlds of art, fashion, entertainment and pop culture, she said she had no other choice but to resign Wednesday.

"With Sandy's decision, it's inevitable that I would resign," said Sischy. When she was drafted as editor after Andy Warhol's death, Sischy said she expected to help the magazine find its post-Warhol life and then return to writing. "It didn't happen that way. I stayed a much longer time then I intended — 18 years.

"A whole lot of it has do with the great people I work with and the fact that Sandy and I have been a team. We've worked well together as partners, and when Ginger Rogers hangs up her dancing shoes, it's time for Fred Astaire to dance in other ways.

"Although leaving the magazine and wonderful staff behind is difficult, it is the right decision and one that will allow the new owners to establish their own editorial stamp on the magazine," said Sischy. She said she's involved in several big projects that need her attention, declining to elaborate.

Sischy began her career at ArtForum in 1979 and is a widely published author on a range of cultural subjects. She also contributes to such magazines as The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker and is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

Publishing and fashion heavyweights were surprised Wednesday to hear that Sischy and Brant had resigned from the company.

"If there are better people in publishing, I really don't know them," said Graydon Carter, editor in chief of Vanity Fair. "I can't imagine Interview without them. As a competitor, when you think you have discovered something, it was in their magazine a year and a half before. They were a great team together. I'm not sure it's a business without them. They did everything."

From WWD.com

[LostInNJ]

Cont'd

Ralph Lauren added, "I think Ingrid and Sandy are both very friendly, nice women who have done a very good job with the magazine. They're passionate and they love their magazine. They had good ideas. They were able to do things with personalities, artists and people in Hollywood. People wanted to do good things with them. They are very smart women who have very good ideas, and have put a lot of time and energy into it.

"I also know Peter and he's a very good guy. He loves the art world. To find good replacements is not that easy," he said.

Diane von Furstenberg said, "I have so much respect and so much love for both of them. They did an amazing job bringing Interview to another level."

"I'm in shock. I love those two," said David Lipman, chairman of Lipman, the New York ad agency. "I've supported this magazine for years because of my respect for Ingrid and Sandy and what they've done with it. They've built a loyal advertiser and every one of my brands believes in the magazine."

I believe Gawker or NYMag did a story on this a few weeks ago, and everyone at Interview denied the claim.

[kimair]

from fashionweekdaily...

Fabien Baron and Glenn O'Brien have been named editorial directors of Brant Publications, company chairman Peter M. Brant announced Thursday. Their appointments are effective February 22. Baron and O'Brien will be responsible for overseeing all three publications, which include Interview, Art in America, and The Magazine Antiques.

The duo's presence will be noted starting with the May issue of Interview.
O'Brien was most recently a columnist for Vanity Fair Italia and GQ, where he will continue to contribute. He began his career working for Interview, becoming the editor and art director of the magazine at age 24, where he helped shape the magazine through the largest growth in the history of the publication. He subsequently has worked at such titles as Spin, Allure, Mirabella, Harper's Bazaar, and others. "It is especially rewarding for me to be involved with Interview, the magazine where I started out and one that has always been close to my heart," he said. "I am grateful for the hard work of Sandy Brant and Ingrid Sischy in keeping Andy Warhol's vision alive and I am confident that our team will carry on this important legacy with energy and imagination."

In 1990, when Brant Publications acquired Interview from the estate of Andy Warhol, O'Brien joined the staff as editor-at-large, dividing his time between the magazine and his position as creative director at Barneys New York. With Baron as creative director, the two drastically redesigned Interview with Sischy.

Sandra Brant, as reported Wednesday, sold her 50 percent share of the company to her co-owner and ex-husband Peter Brant. She has also resigned and relinquished her title as chief executive officer, president, and publisher of Brant Publications.

Sischy has also resigned as editor-in-chief of Interview.

In a statement, Brant stated, "I would like to thank Sandy Brant for her hard work and loyalty to these magazines over so many years. I am extremely excited by this opportunity to again be involved with these three prestigious cultural titles and to work in the worlds of fashion, film, art and the decorative arts--areas which I have been actively involved in for my entire adult life. Glenn O'Brien and Fabien Baron have the mature vision to help me guide these magazines forward, and above all have the good sense to follow Andy Warhol's vision of tapping into creative ideas from today's youth culture."

At Thursday night's Sidaction AIDS benefit in Paris, French Vogue editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld confirmed that Baron has resigned from the Condé Nast title. Thursday had been his last day. "He was there for a long time and it was the right move," she told Fashion Week Daily exclusively. "I'm very happy for him." Roitfeld said that there are no plans to replace Baron as the magazine's creative director. Instead, the current art director will assume a larger role in communicating the magazine's image. "You cannot replace Fabien," Roitfeld said woefully.

A graduate of the École des Arts Appliqués in France, Baron was hired by GQ at the age of 23 in 1982, where he soon was recruited to the position of creative director of Barneys as well. In 1988, Condé Nast enlisted him to redesign Italian Vogue under editor Franca Sozzani. A year-and-a-half later, he returned to New York to become creative director of Interview magazine from 1990 to 1992 during its relaunch. Baron was credited for morphing Interview into the premier title to showcase the best in contemporary photography, illustration, and typographic design.

In 1992, the late Liz Tilberis hired him to reinvent Harper's Bazaar, which he transformed elegantly and with innovation, giving it a fresh, modern look that was clutter-free and desirable.

From 2000 to 2002, Baron was editor-in-chief and design director of Arena Homme Plus, the trend-setting London-based men's fashion magazine. In July 2003, Roitfeld, a former Gucci stylist who replaced Joan Juliet Buck as editor-in-chief of French Vogue, tapped him to be her creative director. Together, the powerful duo transformed French Vogue into one of the premier high fashion books in the world.

Baron will continue to run his highly lucrative advertising and design agency Baron & Baron, where his clients include Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Pringle, and Prada, among others.

In addition to his magazine and advertising work, Baron has emerged as a photographer, a commercial director, and one of the world's leading product designers, creating brands for fragrances and beverages, sunglasses, books, and furniture.

"This is a fantastic challenge," said Baron. "Very few magazines concern themselves with all of the influences in our culture--art, fashion, film, and literature. We have the chance to do something really new and special with these magazines. I'm looking forward to bringing a new vigor and energy into them and I think we that can really be a force for cultural change today."

[Pedro]

Omg!!!

[LucyInTheSky]

^ My thoughts exactly.

[Miss Dalloway]

^^I third that!

But lets hope it will be still good.

[Pedro]

I have no doubts this team will make great things! Here is small sample from Baron's short period but it's best at Interview, 1990.
Photographs by Herb Ritts (Madonna, David Bowie and Denzel Washington), Steven Meisel (fashion stories and Stephen Sprouse) and Wayne Maser (Madeleine Stone).



image source: baron-baron.com

[iluvjeisa]

Exciting news - it seems that greatness follows in the tracks of Fabien Baron, hopefully he can lift Interview. Interview has been a good read, but it's been failing photographically. Now, that should change.

[dizzytacks]

I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited, he has te midas touch, he seems to be everywhere right now, 2008 is his year!!!

[mikel]

sad that he left Vogue Paris.

[BerlinRocks]

Did a search, found nothing about this....

03.07.08 - On Thursday, Brant Publications announced several major masthead moves at its flagship title, Interview, reports Fashion Week Daily, beginning with the appointment of Christopher Bollen as editor in chief, effective April. Bollen joins Interview from V magazine and V Man, the bimonthly magazine partners of fashion quarterly Visionaire, where he was editor of both titles. His last day at V will be April 15, after he completes the summer issue. On the publishing side, Alan Katz, a veteran of the industry with over twenty years' experience, has been named group publisher over all three titles at Brant, including Interview, Art in America, and the Magazine Antiques. He starts on Monday. Katz, who replaces Sandra Brant, hails from Condé Nast Publications, where he was vice president and publisher of Vanity Fair until August 2006.

artforum

[MissMagAddict]

Merged & thank you for the info BerlinRocks

[BerlinRocks]

sorry... i don't know how i did my search......
+ i knew there already was something...