Vanity Fair (magazine)
Condé Montrose Nast purchased a men's fashion magazine called Dress in 1913. He renamed it Dress and Vanity Fair before shortening the title to Vanity Fair. The publication thrived throughout the 1920s with circulation reaching 90,000 copies at its peak. Advertising revenues declined sharply during the Great Depression. Condé Nast announced in December 1935 that Vanity Fair would be folded into Vogue. The merger began with the March 1936 issue of Vogue which incorporated Vanity Fair until February 1983.
The Condé Nast company announced plans to revive Vanity Fair in June 1981. S.I. Newhouse owned the parent company at that time. The first new issue appeared on the 21st of February 1983 with a cover date of March. Richard Locke edited this initial launch after working for The New York Times Book Review. Three issues later Leo Lerman replaced Locke as editor. Tina Brown took over from 1984 through 1992 followed by Graydon Carter who served until 2017. Radhika Jones led the magazine from 2017 to 2025 before Mark Guiducci succeeded her in June 2025. Employees unionized in 2022 under Jones leadership.
Marie Brenner wrote an exposé on the tobacco industry titled The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1996. This article became a 1999 film starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe called The Insider. The May 2005 issue identified Mark Felt as the Watergate whistleblower Deep Throat. Felt leaked information leading to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. Regular writers included Dominick Dunne Sebastian Junger Michael Wolff Maureen Orth and Christopher Hitchens. Teri Hatcher revealed she was sexually abused as a child during an interview. Jennifer Aniston gave her first post-divorce interview with Brad Pitt while Anderson Cooper discussed his brother's death. Martha Stewart granted her first interview after release from prison.
Annie Leibovitz photographed actress Demi Moore naked and pregnant for a 1991 cover. David LaChapelle created an April 1999 image of Mike Myers dressed as a Hindu deity which drew criticism. Both the photographer and magazine apologized after public backlash. Entertainment Tonight reported in April 2008 that 15-year-old Miley Cyrus posed topless for a Leibovitz shoot. A Disney spokesperson claimed the effort deliberately manipulated a minor to sell magazines. Cyrus later stated on Instagram ten years after the incident that she was not sorry. Twitter users accused Vanity Fair of altering Lupita Nyong'o's complexion in January 2014 though Nyong'o spoke positively about the photos.
The first Vanity Fair Oscar Party took place in 1994 as a successor to events by Irving Paul Lazar. Steve Tisch co-hosted early parties at Morton's restaurant in West Hollywood. Editor Graydon Carter kept invitations small around 120 people initially. The magazine canceled its annual party in 2008 during the Writers Guild of America strike. Between 2009 and 2013 the event occurred at Sunset Tower before moving to a glass-walled structure in 2014. Condé Nast Entertainment launched a YouTube channel in July 2013. They produced 10 short films celebrating each decade with filmmakers like Barbara Kopple and Judd Apatow. Vanity Fair Confidential debuted as a crime documentary series on Investigation Discovery in 2013.
Mohamed Al-Fayed sued Condé Nast over allegations published in Holy War at Harrods by Maureen Orth in 1995. He dropped the case in December 1997 after receiving a settlement. Nicholas Coleridge met Michael Cole in steam baths to discuss ending the libel battle without covert listening devices. No apology was issued and no text retracted from the original article. Roman Polanski won a libel lawsuit against Vanity Fair in 2005 regarding a 2002 article about sexual advances toward a Norwegian model. The trial began the 18th of July 2005 in British courts which ruled the alleged scene did not occur on the stated date. Polanski testified via video link from France where he lived as a fugitive from U.S. justice. Graydon Carter expressed surprise that a man living abroad could sue an American magazine in Britain.
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Common questions
When did Condé Montrose Nast purchase the magazine that became Vanity Fair?
Condé Montrose Nast purchased a men's fashion magazine called Dress in 1913. He renamed it Dress and Vanity Fair before shortening the title to Vanity Fair.
Who edited Vanity Fair from 2017 until June 2025?
Radhika Jones led the magazine from 2017 to 2025 before Mark Guiducci succeeded her in June 2025. Employees unionized in 2022 under Jones leadership.
Which article identified Mark Felt as the Watergate whistleblower Deep Throat?
The May 2005 issue of Vanity Fair identified Mark Felt as the Watergate whistleblower Deep Throat. Felt leaked information leading to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.
What happened during the 1991 Vanity Fair cover shoot featuring Demi Moore?
Annie Leibovitz photographed actress Demi Moore naked and pregnant for a 1991 cover. David LaChapelle created an April 1999 image of Mike Myers dressed as a Hindu deity which drew criticism.
When did the first Vanity Fair Oscar Party take place?
The first Vanity Fair Oscar Party took place in 1994 as a successor to events by Irving Paul Lazar. Steve Tisch co-hosted early parties at Morton's restaurant in West Hollywood.