Supermodel and media entrepreneur Karlie Kloss is bringing back Life magazine as a quarterly publication, starting with a debut issue priced at $45.
This marks the magazine’s first return to regular print since 2007, with the first edition set to release on November 23. It will be a substantial 250 pages long.
Notably, Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer, along with software company Figma, is sponsoring this inaugural issue, which won’t feature conventional print advertisements.
The theme for the release is “Where Are We Now?”, and over 120 contributors have been involved in the project.
Kloss, who is married to venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and related to Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, struck a deal via her Bedford Media company in 2024 to revive Life.
However, it’s worth mentioning that the extensive historical photography archive of the magazine is now under the ownership of People Inc, previously known as Dotdash Meredith.
“What made Life extraordinary was its ability to make the world feel closer,” Kloss remarked in a recent interview with the New York Times. “And our responsibility is to preserve and protect that legacy.”
While Kloss has her hands in the business side of Life, she has made it clear that she’s letting the magazine’s editorial team handle content decisions.
The plans for Life’s revival go beyond just the printed magazine. There will be documentaries, events, and short videos, as well as a website and social media engagement.
Originally launched in 1936 with a 10-cent issue featuring a photograph of Montana’s Fort Peck Dam, Life reached a remarkable circulation of approximately 8.5 million per week by around 1970.
Unfortunately, competition from televisions and niche magazines, combined with rising costs of printing and mailing, took a toll on its finances. Time Inc. ultimately shuttered the weekly magazine in December 1972, following significant financial losses since 1969.
In 1978, Life was reintroduced as a monthly magazine but ceased regular publication in 2000, when it had around 1.5 million copies in circulation.
There was a free weekly supplement launched in 2004, which had a large distribution but was discontinued in April 2007.
Kloss has lined up a creative team, including Richard Turley, who has a background with MTV and other major publications, to help drive the magazine forward.
Turley, in turn, has recruited notable figures such as former New York Times Magazine editor Hugo Lindgren, ex-Times photo editor Eve Lyons, and former pop music editor Caryn Ganz.
Kloss, who also has experience in revitalizing other publications like i-D and has stakes in W magazine, recognizes that the journey to profitability for Life will take time. “Building a successful media business takes time, and we’re focused on making measurable progress toward profitability rather than rushing to meet some arbitrary deadline,” she stated in her interview.
