Life Magazine To Be Relaunched By Model And Entrepreneur Karlie Kloss

Dade Hayes

28 March 2024 at 10:29 am·2-min read

Life, a symbol of 20th century magazine publishing and former pillar of Time Inc., is being relaunched by Bedford Media, the company led by model-entrepreneur Karlie Kloss.

The magazine, which was founded in 1883, will return in both print and digital form, with video also in the mix. Bedford will manage all operations of the brand under a licensing agreement with Dotdash Meredith. An official announcement said the publication will have a “regular cadence,” though it did not specify a print frequency. No financial terms were disclosed.

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Time Inc. acquired Life in 1936 and continued to publish it weekly until 1972. At its peak, the photo-centric publication had a circulation of 13.5 million and was a defining chronicler of American culture for decades, documenting wars, domestic life and moon landings. It remained in circulation via special issues and supplements through 2008 before shuttering for good. Dotdash Meredith, which is controlled by Barry Diller, owns Life’s archives and can still publish one-off publications bearing the magazine’s name.

“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,” said Joshua Kushner, publisher of Life and husband of Kloss.

Kloss and Kushner’s Bedford Media is a media holding company that describes itself as being “focused on artisanal storytelling, authenticity, and shared cultural resonance.” The company last fall acquired i-D magazine from Vice Media when Vice was going through bankruptcy, and Kloss in 2020 led an investor group that acquired W magazine.

“We see Life as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape,” said Kloss, who is CEO of Bedford Media. “While Bedford is a new media company, we are deeply inspired by Life’s iconic legacy and ability to connect diverse audiences with universal narratives of humanity.”

Dotdash Meredith will continue to own the full rights to the LIFE photography and content archives dating back to the 1930s and will also continue to publish its single-topic special interest magazines for the Life brand available on newsstands.

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