Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner are relaunching the historic magazine Life as part of an agreement with Dotdash Meredeth and Bedford Media.
Bedford Media intends to revive both print and digital distribution of the respected publication, which was last produced as a weekly newspaper addition in 2007. Its famous photography archives were made accessible online in 2008.
“‘Life’s’ reputation stems from its ability to mix culture, current events, and everyday life—showcasing the successes, difficulties, and unique perspectives that define us,” said Kushner, who took on the role of publisher, in a statement.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Bedford Media is a holding company created last year with a stated focus on storytelling. Model Kloss bought the British fashion magazine i-D Magazine from Vice Media Group in November amid the latter’s financial restructuring. The company stated its approach “moves away from being widespread and aims for quality and depth.”
Kushner, Kloss’ spouse and the founder of Thrive Capital, where Bob Iger paused after his short-lived retirement from Disney, was an early investor in Instagram. He has been involved in health insurance and real estate projects and supported technology firms like Stripe and OpenAI.
The statement did not mention how often the new magazine will be released. From the 1880s until 1972, Life was a weekly. Acquired in the mid-1930s by Time publisher Henry Luce, it became particularly renowned for its photography.
The photo collection and the magazine’s content archives will remain under Dotdash Meredith’s ownership. Its predecessor company acquired Life as part of its acquisition of Time Inc. in 2017. Dotdash Meredith will also continue to publish single-topic special interest issues under the Life brand.
“We see ‘Life’ as an inspiring and unifying voice in a chaotic media world,” said Karlie Kloss, CEO of Bedford Media. “While Bedford is a new media company, we are deeply moved by ‘Life’s’ iconic legacy and its ability to unite diverse audiences with universal human stories.”
