Supermodel & hubby breathing new Life into iconic magazine
Life magazine is officially being revived. Supermodel Karlie Kloss announced on Instagram Thursday that she and her businessman husband, Joshua Kushner, are bringing back the famed lifestyle publication that stopped printing in 2007.
“Josh and I are honored to continue LIFE’s legacy,” she posted alongside the magazine’s storied logo.
Life operated as a photo-driven weekly publication covering everything from celebrity news to social commentary between 1936 and 1972. It came back to life in 1978 and was sold as a monthly magazine until 2000.
Publisher Time Inc. tried rebranding Life as a newspaper supplement in late 2004, but that incarnation was also shut down after a few years of struggling to adjust to a changing media landscape.
Its reinvention announced Thursday includes print and digital distribution, according to Bedford Media, a new company where Kloss serves as CEO. Kushner will be Life’s publisher.
“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,” Kushner said in a statement.
Bedford Media will relaunch Life with the help of Dotdash Meredith, which in 2021 acquired the rights to all the magazine’s photo and editorial content dating back nearly 90 years.
Bedford Media’s statement says Life will be rebooted as “a voice for all generations through print, digital and video mediums,” but stopped short of saying when publication will begin. A company representative had not replied to an inquiry as of Thursday evening.
Life Magazine — the humor-based publication that gave way to Life as we know it — traces its roots to 1883.
While Life Magazine was closely associated with illustrations by Norman Rockwell, photojournalism made Life a household name for the next generation. The magazine’s most famous covers featured a young John F. Kennedy, Jr. at his father’s funeral, heralded The Beatles arrival in the United States and celebrated the grace of Princess Diana.
Kloss said Thursday that Bedford Media is “deeply inspired by Life’s iconic legacy and ability to connect diverse audiences with universal narratives of humanity.”