After dominating runways and covers for over a decade, model-turned-entrepreneur Karlie Kloss takes on the newsstands once again. This time, not as a cover girl. Instead, she bought i-D magazine. Kloss is now the new CEO of the magazine while also maintaining her position as chairwoman in her investment company Bedford Media, the new parent company of i-D magazine. When the news about her acquisition of the fashion magazine broke earlier last week, reactions were mixed. While she received praise from her fellow celebrity friends, social media was full of disapproval from many regular i-D magazine readers. How come?

Considering Kloss’ past entrepreneurial endeavors, a purchase like this did not really come as a surprise. She’s been a signed model since she was fifteen and has been on every catwalk imaginable ever since. However, from an early point on in her career, Kloss had ambitions that far outreached her occupation as a model. From founding coding programs for teenage girls to regularly investing in start-ups, she has made herself a name in many different business domains. Interestingly enough, i-D magazine is not the first fashion magazine she bought. Back in 2020, she was part of a group of investors that bought W magazine. Important to know that W is helmed by Sara Moonves whose father Les Moonves used to run CBS (and is a billionaire) and had to step down in 2018 for numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. A case of big money meeting big money and not cool creativity.

Specifically in regards to i-D magazine, people seem to not approve of Kloss’ family background. Founded in 1980 by former Vogue art director Terry Jones, i-D magazine has deep roots in British street style, punk and popular culture. Terry and Trisha Jones nurtured many talents including Edward Enninful or Raf Simons who was a regular visitor to their cabin in Wales. They embodied the independent spirit of 90’s publishing. The magazine has been appreciated for being less glossy than comparable fashion publications and readers are now worried things are going to turn “klossy” very soon. Her sartorial misstep at the 2019 Met gala is still well remembered. Other than the fact that Karlie Kloss has been on the cover of i-D magazine back in 2013, she does not seem to have any connection to the history of the publication. Or has any journalistic experience. The magazine is based in London while the Chicago-born model lives in New York City. Moreover, i-D magazine was one of the only magazines to openly show support for Palestine in the last weeks – all posts of that support have been deleted from the magazine’s socials ever since Kloss’ takeover was announced. As i-D recently belonged to now bankrupt Vice media, Kloss stepping in will certainly save some jobs and Alastair McKimm who has worked his way up from being Edward Enninful’s assistant to editor-in-chief will stay on as global editor-in-chief. Being an independent magazine ourselves we hope that i-D will continue to thrive but it feels an awful lot more like the hobby of a rich woman who is looking for a thrill than a long term investment as fashion media is in dire straits.