The recent news that Condé Nast is selling W has left many wondering about the future of the magazine. But there is one man who seems unfazed by the situation: W‘s editor-in-chief, Stefano Tonchi. In a new interview with The Cut Tonchi seems surprisingly optimistic about the sale, saying that it is “quite liberating in certain ways.” To him, because Condé wasn’t willing to invest in W‘s future, selling it was the only sensible thing to do. Naturally it is also a preferred option to shuttering the magazine completely. “If it’s not part of the large picture of what the company is going to be in the future, then why don’t you sell it?” he said. “I mean, W was not the kind of magazine that you close. It has a great market share, it has a great history, great archives.”
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- Letitia Wright (W, Alasdair McLellan)
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- Milly Bobby Brown (W, Alasdair McLellan)
Rumors have swirled that Tonchi may be looking to buy W himself. While he didn’t comment on any such plans, he did speculate on who the publication might appeal to, which include a private-equity or luxury group. “For many of these groups, including digital and e-retail companies, it is all about access, authority, and influence. And W has those in excess!”
“I believe that W can be so many things when you think about it,” Tonchi continued. “You can create an education program, because so many people want to be photographers. We have the authority. We have the access. We can be a great creative agency.”
A W creative agency and photography incubator? Sounds like a good idea to us!
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