Vanessa kingori by amelia pincott

Amelia Pincott

FMP March 2014

Vanessa Kingori Inside the Industry for GQ at CondĂŠ Nast

Background // Working for CondĂŠ Nast // Future for Kingori

Amelia Pincott

G

Q Style

Publisher and British GQ Associate Publisher During our trip to London to collect research and information to help our final major project, I attended an event at London College of Fashion, John Princes Street.

The event was Professor Frances Corner OBE in conversation with Vanessa Kingori talking about her experiences, specifically her time working for Condé Nast.

Kingori holds a dual role at Condé Nast, GQ Style Publisher and Associate publisher for British GQ as has been with Condé for 5 years. GQ style is a quarterly magazine aimed

FMP March 2014

for the ‘city man, with a much higher disposable income’, where as British GQ has monthly issues and is aimed at the market of upmarket everyday male and includes articles on lifestyle.

Background: ‘…When it came to choosing what I wanted to do at university I really had no idea... I ended up doing a management degree on which I learnt skills that I use every day now’ Kingori explained how she has always worked through her education and starting in a little boutique, ‘in which I started to understand how to be successful in retail… One important thing I did learn working here was not to always go with your own opinion, because

customers may feel different.’

Which she explained is something she still has to think about now, when publishing.

After graduating, Kingori then went into work at Matches Fashion, and doing events, ‘Doing events I learnt how to use timing and to always have a back up plan.’

Later work was at ES Magazine before getting her break through and getting head hunted for GQ. Life and processes publishing at GQ: Contacts, questions and organisation, is what has got me here and what keeps me going at GQ… I plan on a week by week basis.’ In terms of putting the magazine together before publishing, the

Amelia Pincott

main process, choosing a theme.

FMP March 2014

‘Collaborating with editors and negotiating with advertising is most important‌

so for example this Aprils issue has a theme about the states so have

Amelia Pincott

input from Levi’s and other themed brands.’

An issue is around 300 pages, ‘it must include something’s that are educational, inspirational and some fantasy and must be displayed as mix of reading and visual imagery… nowadays the attention span of readers is getting shorter and shorter with the way technology and media is so the magazine must grab the attention of the reader faster.’

Future for GQ: Digital is a growing bigger and bigger in the world as could be seen as a possible threat to a hard copy magazine such a GQ, but Kingori is assure that if the businesses embraces these kinds of changes, ‘it should enhance the business, just like when

FMP March 2014

we launched our tablet addition, it upped the brand image so actually meant the business sold more hard copies of the magazine.’ The magazine is no longer just a magazine and has now become a brand, including events such as parties ‘there is even now a GQ bar in Dubai, Moscow and turkey.. but this depends on the market to be successful.

There are 21 different editions of GQ around the world, with their own teams and publishers as each market is so different.

But across the world GQ’s brand guidelines must be followed to keep the image as it is, but each edition with local taste. Although I must say a lot of big trends start here, in the UK, our editions…’

As far as the future goes for Kingori, ‘I’ve has quick success and I’m very happy where I am so my plans are to carry on and progress where I am, as there is still so much to learn at my time at Condé Nast.’ And her advise for the young people who aspire to be at somewhere like Condé Nast or to work in any similar industry, ‘…have humor and flare… don’t live my other peoples labels… define yourself and take things in your stride.

Amelia Pincott

FMP March 2014