Nylon (magazine)

Nylon
Nylon magazine cover, featuring Demi Lovato with blue hair in faux-fur.
December 2013/January 2014 cover featuring Demi Lovato
CategoriesFashion
FrequencyMonthly
Total circulation
(2012)		216,466[1]
First issueApril 1999; 25 years ago (1999-04)
Final issueOctober 2017 (2017-10)
CompanyBustle Digital Group
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City
Websitewww.nylon.com
ISSN1524-1750

Nylon is an American multimedia brand and publishing company, which produces a lifestyle magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel. Originally a print publication, it switched to an all-digital format in 2017. Its name references New York and London, and it is currently owned by the Bustle Digital Group.[2] The magazine will return to print in 2024.[3]

History

[edit]

Nylon was co-founded in 1999[4] by editorial director Mark Blackwell, art director Madonna Badger,[5] creative director Helena Christensen,[6] development director Michael "Mic" Neumann,[6] and the husband and wife publishing team of Marvin and Jaclynn Jarrett, with an initial investment from businessperson Sam Waksal.[7] Four of the founders had previously worked together in their same roles at Ray Gun Magazine: Editor-in-chief Marvin Jarrett, Publisher Jaclynn his wife, Editorial Director Mark Blackwell and Development Director Mic Neumann. The Jarretts had recently sold their shares in Ray Gun Publishing.[8] According to Publisher Jaclynn Jarrett, the magazine's name was chosen because her husband Marvin just liked the sound of Nylon. After picking it, they realized that NY and LON could link the brand to New York and London, which was congruent with Nylon's editorial focus in these two cities.[9] The design of the magazine was intended to be "hyper-legible", in an attempt to mitigate against the criticism of Ray-Gun's "chaotic" layouts. The first issue was published on April 6, 1999.[8]

In 2003, Nylon launched its website nylonmag.com (now nylon.com), under the leadership of Ronen Shapiro. Later that year the digital readership surpassed the print edition and became the center of Nylon's business. In 2005, Nylon was bought by Pennsylvania businessman Don Hellinger.[10] The following spring, Nylon and MySpace collaborated on their first International Music issue. Nylon was freely available online for a time.[11][12] Nylon TV was launched in 2006 with the creation of its own YouTube channel, and by 2014 gained 62 thousand subscribers and 62 million cumulative views.[13] Nylon partnered with MySpace in 2006 for its annual June/July music issue. Nine months later the magazine became generally available online, in digital form in March 2007. Nylon released their June/July International Music and MySpace issue online for free viewing.[14] Marvin Scott Jarrett's Editor's Letter described it as a collaboration with MySpace, focusing on eight "music and style mecca" cities around the world, featuring the famous White Stripes on the cover, as selected by Nylon's MySpace fans.[15]

Nylon teamed up with Live Nation Entertainment in 2008 to produce its first Nylon Music Tour, headlined by electro-rockers She Wants Revenge.[16]

On their 10-year anniversary in 2009, Nylon made the April 1999 inaugural issue freely available online, including all articles, in scanned form.[17] Later that year, Nylon partnered with iTunes for its annual music issue, which included a free summer playlist download of 22 tracks.[18]

Nylon came together with YouTube in 2010 for its Young Hollywood issue, allowing readers to watch the entire issue as well as the 2011 Young Hollywood issue. 2010 also brought the launch of Nylon Dailies, emails written by local writers every day in ten key American cities.[19]

In 2011, then-President Don Hellinger and then-CFO Jami Pearlman[10][20] were charged with operating an illegal money transmission business (for an online casino), unrelated to Nylon.[10][21] They subsequently pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.[22][23]

Nylon joined with Facebook in 2012 for its June/July music issue.[24] 2012 also brought a Summer Music Tour, featuring Neon Trees, sponsored by Starbucks.[25][non-primary source needed] America's Next Top Model announced that Nylon would be its media partner for the show's 19th reincarnation.[26]

In May 2014, Nylon was acquired by a new ownership group, including an affiliate of LA-based investor Marc Luzzatto through Diversis Capital, LLC. The new venture also acquired FashionIndie, with FashionIndie's founders, Beca Alexander and Daniel Saynt, maintaining their titles of editor-in-chief and creative director, respectively. Publisher Marvin Jarrett was blindsided, as he was not retained by the new owners. The staff learned of the takeover via the press.[27][28]

In September 2017, announced that it was transitioning to an all-digital platform. The print edition of Nylon was discontinued between October 2017 and 2019 and the print staff was laid off. Upon the departure of the core print team, only two original staff members, of the 60-odd employees from before the sale in 2014, remained.[29] One of those original staff members included digital team Senior Editor, Gabrielle Korn, who was then promoted to Editor-in-Chief.[30]

In June 2019, Nylon was acquired by the Bustle Digital Group, founded by Bryan Goldberg.[2] Its current editor-in-chief is Lauren McCarthy.

International editions

[edit]

Asia

[edit]
  • Nylon Japan, which first hit Tokyo newsstands in 2004, is now run by editor-in-chief Takashi Togawa.[31]
  • Nylon Korea premiered in August 2008,[32] and in April 2014, K-pop girl band Girl's Generation (also known as SNSD), was featured in Nylon international editions.[33] In March 2018, the publisher of Nylon Korea was acquired by Krispy Studio, a subsidiary of kakao M (formerly LOEN Entertainment), from Seoul Cultural Publishers [ko].[34]
  • Nylon Indonesia began publishing in 2011. It ceased publication in 2017.
  • Nylon Singapore,[35] launched in 2012 and went fully digital in 2017.
  • Nylon Thailand[36]
  • Nylon China[37]
  • Nylon Manila, launched in November 2020 by One Mega Group as a digital magazine.[38]

Europe

[edit]
  • Nylon Germany[39][40]
  • Nylon Spain[41][42]
  • Nylon France (published as Nylon FR), launched in March 2021 as a digital magazine. The French edition is also edited on printed every two months with a limited drop in selected stores and on the magazine's e-shop.[43][44]

Latin America

[edit]

Former editors-in-chief

[edit]
  • Marvin Scott Jarrett was the original editor-in-chief from the time of the magazine's creation to his departure in 2014.
  • Michelle Lee was named editor-in-chief in 2014,[45] then named Editor in Chief of Allure magazine in 2015.
  • Melissa Giannini was named editor-in-chief in 2015.[46]
  • Gabrielle Korn was named editor-in-chief in 2018.
  • Alyssa Vingan was named editor-in-chief in 2019.
  • Lauren McCarthy was named editor-in-chief in 2023 and is the current EIC.

Cover models

[edit]

The first Nylon cover model for the debut issue was actress Liv Tyler in April 1999.[4] She was both photographed and interviewed by Nylon magazine's co-founder, creative director, and supermodel Helena Christensen.[4][47]

Cover models have included: Demi Lovato,[48] Christina Aguilera, The Horrors, Avril Lavigne,[49] Selena Gomez,[50] Lily Allen, Paris Hilton, The Kills, Camilla Belle, Karen O, Evan Rachel Wood, Mary-Kate Olsen, Lea Michele, Lil' Kim, Zooey Deschanel, Kristen Stewart, Rachel Bilson, Scarlett Johansson, Cory Kennedy, Mischa Barton, Christina Ricci, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen, The White Stripes, Sienna Miller, Nicole Richie, Megan Fox, Hilary Duff, Emma Stone, Lindsay Lohan, MIA, Zoe Saldana, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Szohr, Mila Kunis,[51] Emily Browning, Katy Perry, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Selena Gomez, Emma Roberts,[52] Chloë Grace Moretz,[53] Lily Collins, Hayley Williams, Marina,[54] and Lana Del Rey.

Reception

[edit]

Medialife Magazine's Jennifer Cox wrote in 2001 that Nylon was "a little uppity, and it's not hard to understand why", describing it as "bold, idiosyncratic, challenging, absolutely of-the-moment," but unnoticed by "the mainstream" until March 2001, when Nylon was nominated for the ASME National Magazine award. She described the April issue as "groundbreaking" (for a fashion magazine) to feature an overweight woman in a history of women's weight, and noted that the magazine's models "are more often interesting looking than beautiful per se." She found its photo spreads "bold with their use of white space and innovative photography" and noted Nylon's distinctive "heavy emphasis on music coverage."[55]

Recognition

[edit]

The American Society of Magazine Editors noted the magazine three times: Nylon was nominated for "National Magazine Award for General Excellence (100,000–400,000 circulation)" in 2001,[56] was a finalist for "General Excellence (100,000 to 250,000 circulation)" in 2003,[57][58] and was a finalist for the 2006 ASME "Design" award.[59]

In 2006, Nylon was a Nominee at the 10th Annual Webby Awards, in the Fashion category,[60][61] and an Official Honoree at the 12th Annual Webby Awards in the Magazine category in 2008.[62]

In 2008 industry monitor Media Industry News Online editors selected Nylon.com as the penultimate of their "Top 5 Women's Fashion Mag Website Picks", judging on "visual appeal, functionality and usefulness of information". They found it to be the "destination of choice for alternative, fashion minds everywhere", and "...Nylon's entertainment radar is still alive and well. Its funky illustrations and graphics give Nylon a hip, unique look that is truly hard to come by in the category. Nxtbook provides slick, downloadable digital magazine issues".[63]

Brand extensions

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The magazine had Radar, Fashion, and Style pages. There was also a Nylon Guys magazine, first announced in 2003[64] and published independently in 2004,[9] which featured Joseph Gordon-Levitt from 500 Days of Summer.

Nylon partnered with Rizzoli Publishing to publish three books: Street, on global street fashion; Pretty, on beauty; and Play, on music.[9] Pretty: The Nylon Book of Beauty was listed in the New York Public Library's best Books for the Teen Age 2008.[65][66] In 2009 Jarrett founded Nylon Records and signed French female pop group Plastiscines as its first act, after seeing them on the cover of French fashion and style magazine Citizen K.[67][68] Also in 2009, Nylon introduced its iPhone app; MinOnline listed it (among "Top 5 iPhone Mags You May Have Missed") as "a pleasant surprise. This fashion and culture mag has one of the more attractive magazine-like designs among print brands on mobile."[69]

The September 2010 issue of the magazine was released on the iPad, including video, music, and some exclusive content. The iPad edition is in the Apple iTunes newsstand.[70]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Street: The Nylon Book of Global Style. Universe (2006). ISBN 978-0-7893-1501-4.
  • Pretty: The Nylon Book of Beauty. Universe (2007). ISBN 0-7893-1539-4.
  • Street View: The New Nylon Book of Global Style. Universe (2010). ISBN 978-0-7893-2088-9.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Magazine Title Search : Circulation averages for the six months ended: 6/30/2012 Selection: %NYLON%" Archived July 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Audit Bureau of Circulation. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Spangler, Todd (June 27, 2019). "Bustle Digital Group Buys Nylon, Plans to Relaunch Print Edition of Fashion and Culture Mag (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  3. ^ "NYLON Is Relaunching Print". Nylon. November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Nylon Number One Premier Issue, Digital Copy by Flickr Publishing, September 1, 1999.
  5. ^ Madonna Badger by Campaign Live Content Archive – US. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Nylon Magazine Co-founders by Stephanie Trong, The Fashion Model Directory, April 1, 1999.
  7. ^ "The Wacky Dr. Waksal". The New York Observer. April 22, 2002.
  8. ^ a b Paul D. Colford (March 3, 1999). "Nylon Not a Stretch for the Man Behind Ray Gun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c "The Four Questions with Jaclynn Jarrett of Nylon". Magazine Publishers of America. January 30, 2008. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010.
  10. ^ a b c Stoeffel, Kat (September 9, 2011). "Nylon President Reports to Court This Month for Money Laundering Trial". The New York Observer.
  11. ^ Aspan, Maria (May 22, 2006). "MySpace Will Play Host to a Free Magazine Issue". Technology. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  12. ^ "NY Times Announces Cross Promotion". Nxtbook.com. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2010. Links to issue, now not free.
  13. ^ "Nylon TV – YouTube". YouTube.[dubious – discuss]
  14. ^ "Nylon Magazine and MySpace Announce International Music Issue". TheFreeLibrary.com (Press release). Business Wire. May 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  15. ^ "Nylon June/July 2007" (Flash). nxtbook.com. Nylon Holding Inc. June 2007. p. 18. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  16. ^ Vlautin, John (March 24, 2008). "First Ever Nylon Magazine Music Tour Produced by Live Nation to Feature She Wants..." Livenation.com. Live Nation. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  17. ^ "We're Number One". Nylon. Nylon Holdings Inc. May 13, 2009. Archived from the original (>100 JPEG images) on July 24, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
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  21. ^ "Donald Hellinger sentenced to 36 months – Bookmakers Review". bookmakersreview.com. n.d.
  22. ^ Brubaker, Harold (March 3, 2012). "Officials of defunct Bucks company plead guilty in overseas gambling case". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  23. ^ United States District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania 11-CR-83-1 https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/
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  25. ^ "Nylon Music Tour 2012". Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  26. ^ "America's Next Top Model: College Edition". June 7, 2012. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  27. ^ Women's Wear Daily with FashionIndie's founders, Beca Alexander and Daniel Saynt, maintaining their titles of editor-in-chief and creative director, respectively.
  28. ^ "Nylon Magazine Merges With FashionIndie". May 3, 2014.
  29. ^ Bloomgarden-Smoke, Kara (September 7, 2017). "Exclusive: Nylon to Shutter Print Edition". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  30. ^ Gabrielle Korn Dream Team by Kayleigh Barber, Folio Magazine, July 12, 2018.
  31. ^ "ABOUT US – NYLON JAPAN nylonjp". NYLON JAPAN.
  32. ^ "Nylon Japan Web Site". Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  33. ^ Shin, Diana (April 3, 2014). "Sisters Girls' Generation Jessica And f(x) Krystal Pose For U.S. Nylon Photographer Marvin Scott Jarrett". KpopStarz. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  34. ^ Jung, Yoo-hyun. "카카오M, 나일론미디어 투자…뷰티 콘텐츠 강화". The Bell. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
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  36. ^ "Nylon – Nylon Thailand". nylonthailand.com. n.d.
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  38. ^ https://www.facebook.com/NYLONManila/about?refid=17 [user-generated source]
  39. ^ Nylon Germany Website Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  40. ^ VFILES, Nylon Germany Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  41. ^ Nylon Spain Website Retrieved July 27, 2019.
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  43. ^ "Le magazine Nylon arrive en France". Fashion Network. February 9, 2021.
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  46. ^ "Melissa Giannini Named Editor of Nylon". November 5, 2015.
  47. ^ Didcock, Barry (April 25, 1999). "Nylon hits a snag with its supermodel connection". Sunday Herald. Glasgow.
  48. ^ Amey, Katie (December 4, 2013). "Demi Lovato looks AMAZING in the latest issue of NYLON magazine". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  49. ^ Rubenstein, Jenna Hally. "Avril Lavigne Smolders on the Cover Of Nylon's Music Issue (PHOTO)". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  50. ^ Wilson, Gaby. "Selena Gomez Is 'Nylon' Magazine's February Cover Girl". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
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  54. ^ Reilly, Phoebe (May 26, 2015). "You Can't Pin Marina & The Diamonds Down". Nylon. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  55. ^ Cox, Jennifer (April 1, 2001). "Sniff, we're Nylon, and we're downtown". MediaLife Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  56. ^ Bercovici, Jeff (March 1, 2001). "New Yorker leads in magazine award nods". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  57. ^ Lerner, Kevin (May 7, 2003). "Record wins National Magazine Award". American Society of Magazine Editors. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
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  60. ^ "10th Annual Webby Awards Winners and Nominees". WebbyAwards.com. 2006. Archived from the original on April 12, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  61. ^ Fitzgerald, Toni (April 12, 2006). "'Hmmm. I wonder why they're staring'". MediaLife Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  62. ^ "12th Annual Webbys – Current Honorees". Webbyawards.com. 2008. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  63. ^ Novak, Amy (July 18, 2008). "Top 5 Women's Fashion Mag Website Picks". MinOnline.com. Access Intelligence. Archived from the original on December 28, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  64. ^ Nylon for Guys to break next month. Press Release. PR Week, February 17, 2003. Archive.
  65. ^ Pretty: The Nylon Book of Beauty. Rizzoli Publishing.
  66. ^ Books for the Teen Age 2008 New York Public Library. Archived March 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  67. ^ Mathieu, Gaétan (September 16, 2009). "Le pari américain des Plastiscines". France-Amerique.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  68. ^ Harding, Cortney (June 20, 2009). "The Indies – Rock's Back Pages – Nylon Magazine Branches Out with a New Record Label". Billboard Magazine. Vol. 121, no. 24. p. 13.
  69. ^ Smith, Steve (October 8, 2009). "Top 5 iPhone Mags You May Have Missed". MinOnline.com. Access Intelligence. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  70. ^ Kats, Rimma (September 20, 2010). "Nylon magazine offers exclusive content via iPad app". Mobile Marketer.
[edit]

Official website

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