“Vanity Fair has developed a following in France among people in the know, and there is huge interest in a French edition on part of potential readers and advertisers,” commented Newhouse.
The Editorial Director will be Michel Denisot, one of France’s best-known journalists and host of a daily television news and talk programme. The Editor in Chief will be Anne Boulay, the editor of Gentlemen’s Quarterly since it began publication in 2008. Under her editorship GQ last year was named Magazine of the Year in France.
Among the key staff appointments will be Herve Gattegno, Editor for Investigations, known for his talent to dig into political and financial scandals, and Virginie Mouzat, a fashion journalist with a sharp sense of style, who will become Editor of Fashion and Lifestyle. The publisher will be Francesca Colin.
Xavier Romatet, President Director General of Condé Nast France, said: “Everywhere I go, people ask me, when will France have its own Vanity Fair? Now the time has come.”
Editorial director Michel Denisot, 67, is one of the best known journalists and TV personalities in France. For the past 9 years he has been the producer and host of Le Grand Journal, a daily 2 hour programme which presents a lively mix of news, talk and comedy. In a career spanning 40 years, Michel Denizot has served as a news presenter, sports commentator, president of a Paris football team, and producer of the Cannes Festival programme. His talents extends beyond media: his activities include a managing a vineyard in the Vallée de la Loire and raising racehorses.
Editor in Chief Anne Boulay, 46, has been editing GQ since it successfully launched five years ago. She was a culture and fashion reporter at Liberation for ten years previously and also contributed to Cosmopolitan and Le Nouvel Observateur. She also worked for various radio shows on France Inter and has written two novels.
Condé Nast International currently operates in 24 markets, publishing 124 magazines, over 75 websites and over 150 tablet and Smartphone apps under iconic brands such as Vogue, GQ, Glamour, Wired, Condé Nast Traveller, and Vanity Fair. Recent launches include Vogue in The Netherlands, Condé Nast Traveller in India and Russia, GQ in Brazil and Turkey, Allure in Russia, AD in China and India and Glamour in Brazil.