Podcast Summary: Fashion People

Episode: GQ’s Next Editor & A Vanity Fair Temp Check
Host: Lauren Sherman (Puck)
Guests: Jessica Testa & Michael M. Grynbaum (NYT reporters)
Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into pivotal transitions at Condé Nast, including the impending vacancy at GQ following Will Welch’s departure, recent changes at Vanity Fair, and reflections on the evolving dynamics inside the storied media company. Hosts and guests weigh in on generational change, editorial vision, and the big personalities (and HR names!) shaping the future of iconic glossy magazines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breakfast, Group Chats, and Instagram Habits

• The trio jokingly compares breakfast routines and local New York coffee shop finds, underlining their “group chat” rapport now brought on-air.
  • [05:22] Jessica Testa: “Whenever there’s Conde news, we get on a little group text and talk about it. So we’re just bringing the group text to the people.”
• Lauren reveals she follows over 7,000 accounts on Instagram (mostly restaurants and local news).

2. GQ Editor-in-Chief Departure: Will Welch Moves On

• Will Welch is leaving GQ after over two decades, sparking speculation about succession and broader change at Condé Nast.
• [12:06] Michael Grynbaum: “Vanity Fair, Vogue, and GQ [are] changing editors within four or five months—this is a huge generational and cultural sea change.”
• Jessica notes it's significant because Will was in contention for Anna Wintour’s roles and was considered a stabilizing force.
  • [13:23] Jessica: “He could come back easily. But…he’s been such a sort of stable and consistent force at a company that hasn’t had many of them.”

3. Will Welch’s GQ Legacy

• Modernized a previously “stale” GQ.
• Focused on fashion-forward content, events (like the Super Bowl Fashion Show), and streetwear influences.
  • [14:31] Michael Grynbaum: “He did such a smart job of kind of modernizing GQ, which had become kind of a bit stale.”
• Shifted away from general interest to “fashion enthusiasm”—making GQ a niche yet highly desirable workplace.

4. Who Should Succeed Will Welch?

• Top candidates discussed:
  • Adam Baidawi (Will’s deputy): Well-liked, chic, but less known outside the company.
  • Sam Hein: Internal candidate but lacks management experience.
  • Willa Bennett: Former GQ, now at Cosmo. “How cool would it be to have a girl at GQ?” (Jessica, [19:11])
  • Chris Black: Podcast host, consultant (J.Crew), and “man-about-town” with deep currency among men’s style and culture circles.
    • [22:12] Jessica: "There's the name I was hearing all over LA—Chris Black."

- Gender Dynamics:

• Choosing a woman as GQ’s EIC would be a statement, but would it alienate GQ’s traditional advertisers?
  • [20:30] Michael Grynbaum: “GQ still does have this niche as one of the few places... that feels comfortable and approachable to straight, non-fashion guys.”

- The “Dark Horse”:

• The group agrees Chris Black represents a vision everyone can picture, which is a powerful argument for his candidacy.
  • [39:28] Lauren: “He’s the only one where I could see what his GQ would look like...that’s exciting.”
  • [37:12] Michael (joking): "Chris Black as the Uniter we've all been waiting for."

5. Trends in Magazine Editorships Today

• Compare “visionary” vs. “crowd-pleasing” editors.
  • [40:42] Jessica Testa: “The publications that are more fun to read are the ones that are not so focused on serving their audience and are more about…one creative brain.”

6. Vanity Fair: Mark Guiducci’s First Months

• Big first win: Suzy Wiles / Trump White House story—echoing Tina Brown and Graydon Carter eras.

  • [42:55] Michael Grynbaum: “The Susie Wiles, Trump White House piece was a tremendous victory on every level.”

• Managed the Olivia Nuzzi controversy but rebounded.

• Fashion cover choices and mixes are notably fresher and more irreverent—against longstanding magazine “full-look” pressures.

  • [47:20] Jessica Testa: “Mixing brands…totally refreshing…against this terrible practice of full look mandate from the brands.”

• Upcoming test: Vanity Fair’s Oscars party vs. W Magazine’s (Sarah Moonves) intimate, influential events.

7. Conde Nast Culture: Is It a Better Place to Work Now?

• Positive stories about the business aren’t being told well enough by corporate.

  • [57:10] Michael Grynbaum: “I think that Conde Nast has a positive story to tell that they’re not telling.”

• Millennial leadership is scrappy, creative, and underdog spirited—but the company’s heritage luxury ethos may hinder full reinvention.

  • [57:42] Jessica: “There’s maybe never been a more fun time to be a magazine editor there…if they truly embraced this underdog dynamic…”

• Lauren offers first-hand experience: legacy bureaucracy can crush creativity, but new leadership seems more fun and promising.

8. Vanity Fair, IP, and Industry Mishaps

• Recent loss of the Gourmet trademark: a group of journalists took it over after Conde Nast let it lapse.
  • [63:41] Jessica Testa: “Five journalists…appl[ied] for the trademark that Conde had let lapse.”
  • [64:59] Michael Grynbaum: “Just the idea that Conde’s IP department would not realize that Gourmet was in a lapse…speaks to…”

9. Random, Wonderful Industry Tidbits

- “Stan Duncan, Thank You” Phenomenon

Why are all Condé Nast editors thanking their HR chief on Instagram?

• [66:09] Lauren: "I just think it’s funny…our head of people, Amy—I’m not thanking her in my Instagram post about anything."
• [66:36] Michael: “He’s a Line Sheet character!”

- Zoron at the Met Gala?

Speculation on whether New York’s new mayor will attend.

• [67:48] Michael: “I think he might be too cautious to go this year, but I think eventually he will show up.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[Will Welch] was such a sort of stable and consistent force at a company that hasn’t had many of them in recent years.” — Jessica Testa [13:23]
• “The idea of Chris Black as the Uniter we’ve all been waiting for.” — Michael Grynbaum [37:12]
• “If anybody knows who is actually gonna get this job, please message all of us at the same time.” — Lauren Sherman [41:21]
• “Conde Nast has a positive story to tell that they’re not telling.” — Michael Grynbaum [57:10]
• “There’s maybe never been a more fun time to be a magazine editor there…if they truly embraced this underdog dynamic…” — Jessica Testa [57:42]

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-------|-----------| | Local blogs, Instagram habits | [06:00]-[10:29] | | Will Welch’s GQ Exit | [11:00]-[17:00] | | GQ Succession: Candidates | [19:11]-[29:02] | | Editorial Leadership Trends | [40:41]-[41:21] | | Vanity Fair Temp Check (Mark Guiducci) | [42:55]-[51:11] | | Conde Nast Culture | [57:10]-[62:02] | | Gourmet Trademark Snafu | [63:41]-[65:38] | | The Stan Duncan “Thank You” Question | [66:09]-[66:50] | | The Met Gala & NY’s New Mayor | [67:13]-[71:10] |

Tone & Language

The dialogue is witty, insidery, and conversational—often self-aware about the industry’s quirks, with an affectionate but critical approach to Condé Nast’s woes and triumphs.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a must-listen if you want to understand the current, rumbling turf shifts inside fashion and media’s most legendary publisher. From a dishy, smart breakdown of who could and should run GQ next—right down to which local blogs matter on Substack, and who (and why!) the HR guy is suddenly a meme-worthy fixture—this podcast serves up all the industry gossip, insight, and analysis you’d hope for from three of the field’s sharpest observers.