Karlie Kloss, Husband Josh Kushner To Resurrect Life Magazine
Model Karlie Kloss and her husband, venture capitalist Josh Kushner, are relaunching the iconic photo magazine, Life.
On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Kloss’ Bedford Media had purchased the publishing rights for Life from publisher Dotdash Meredith. Kloss now plans to revive the title with regular print editions.
An emblem of American culture, Life magazine was first published as a weekly edition in 1883 and transitioned to a monthly publication in the late 1970s.
Over the decades, it featured some of the most memorable images of the 20th century, including Alfred Eisenstaedt’s V-J Day photo of a sailor kissing a nurse and artist Norman Rockwell’s illustrations of everyday life.
Life stopped printing regularly in 2008 and has since existed as an online archive with occasional special newsstand editions.
Talking about the publication’s deep roots, Kloss said in a statement, “We see Life as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape.”
Kloss and Kushner brokered the deal with the help of Barry Diller’s IAC conglomerate, approaching the media mogul about the idea around eight months ago, according to NYT’s DealBook.
Kushner, whose brother, Jared Kushner, is married to Ivanka Trump, will serve as publisher. Kloss will guide Life’s relaunch as CEO of Bedford Media.
Telling the Times about his vision in a statement, Kushner said, “Life’s legacy lies in its ability to blend culture, current events and everyday life — highlighting the triumphs, challenges and unique perspectives that define us.”
As owner of Life’s photo and content archives, DotDash Meredith will still have a hand in the venture.
It also plans to continue publishing the special single-topic print editions that often flank grocery checkout lines.
The Kushner and Kloss-helmed Life is tentatively set to resume regular publishing in early 2025.
