Boss Kloss: Model Karlie Kloss Buys i-D Magazine

Boss Kloss: Model Karlie Kloss Buys i-D Magazine

By: Abby Fulmar

With projects such as Gigi Hadid’s clothing brand Guest In Residence and the release of The Supers’ documentary “The Super Models,” it is safe to say that 2023 is officially the year of the supermodel. Some of the most familiar faces in the modeling world have undertaken new projects, utilizing their vast knowledge and savvy business tactics acquired from years of modeling to expand their influence within the fashion industry.  The most recent figure to take on a new endeavor is model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss. In early November 2023, Kloss purchased the British lifestyle magazine i-D through her newly established company Bedford Media, where she serves as chairwoman. Kloss will hold the title of both owner and CEO of i-D Magazine. 

i-D is a bimonthly magazine founded by Vogue’s former art director Terry Jones during the height of the 1980s London punk era. The magazine focuses on youth culture and highlights streetwear style in a raw and eye-catching way. i-D was once known as a breeding ground for rising talent in the fashion industry, kickstarting the careers of now-famous fashion photographers such as Wolfgang Tillmans. However, after fashion editor Max Clark’s accusations of assault in November 2021, the magazine began to lose both domestic and global recognition. Due to this decline in popularity, Vice Media Group — publisher of i-D — formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May of this year. While Kloss’s acquisition of the magazine might seem sudden, the deal is one of both necessity and fate.

Kloss began her career in the industry at only 14 years old, landing Teen Vogue with less than a year of experience. In 2008, she walked a whopping 31 shows at New York Fashion Week, marking her transition from editorial modeling and securing her spot as a rising star in the runway community. Kloss became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2013, a title she held for two years before leaving to study computer science at New York University. It was this same year that she first graced the cover of i-D. Kloss has appeared on more than 40 international Vogue covers and is called a “new super” by many in the industry. 

Even with her massive success as a model, she continues to spread her passion for education and technology. In 2015, she founded the “Kode with Klossy” camp, a free coding program to inspire young girls to pursue STEM fields. Kloss also has experience with investing, helping as a part of the investor group that acquired W Magazine. Her various business ventures led her to be included on Vogue Business’s list of Top 100 Innovators. By entering into a deal with Kloss, Vice Media Group’s co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala hope to breathe new life into the magazine and restore its influence among younger generations.

Dixon and Lokhandwala describe Kloss as someone who “has a deep passion for technology and the intersection of fashion, media, and culture on a global basis.” While they will maintain their positions as co-CEOs of Vice Media, i-D’s current fashion editor Alastair McKimm will assist Kloss as chief creative officer and global editor-in-chief.

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