Fairchild Fashion Media
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing, Fashion media |
| Predecessor | Daily Trade Record |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Founder | Edmund Fairchild, Louis E. Fairchild |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Women's Wear Daily, Footwear News, Beauty Inc., M, Fairchild Summits |
| Parent | Penske Media Corporation |
Fairchild Media operates as a publisher focusing on digital content, journalism, photography, design, events, video production, and fashion industries. Its prominent brands encompass Women’s Wear Daily, Footwear News (FN), Beauty Inc., M, and Fairchild Summits. As part of Penske Media Corporation, Fairchild Media stands as a foremost provider of fashion news and industry insights catering to global market leaders and professionals.
History
Established in 1892 by Edmund and Louis E. Fairchild, Fairchild Publications originated through the purchase of the struggling Daily Trade Record, which specialized in men's apparel coverage. The company introduced "Women's Wear" in 1910 as a supplement before it evolved into the independent publication Women's Wear Daily (WWD). John Fairchild, grandson of Edmund and a pivotal figure in the company’s development, elevated WWD in 1955 into a leading fashion and cultural newspaper, greatly broadening its influence within the market.
In 1968, Capital Cities Communications took ownership of Fairchild Publications. After Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC in 1996, Fairchild was sold in 1999 to Advance Publications—the parent organization of Condé Nast—for $650 million. By 2005, Advance integrated Fairchild into Condé Nast and renamed it the Fairchild Fashion Group.
The firm ceased publication of DNR in 2008 and enhanced its offerings by launching Menswear in 2010 along with acquiring the consumer-oriented Style.com from Condé Nast. Rebranded as Fairchild Fashion Media in 2011, it expanded its digital presence with the introduction of Style.com/Print, bringing its online brand into print format. In 2012, Fairchild sold its book publishing division to Bloomsbury Publishing for $6.5 million and acquired Fashion Networks International—a blog network founded by Christian Remröd—boosting its digital reach with notable contributors such as Anna Dello Russo and Bryanboy.
In August 2014, Advance Publications divested Fairchild Fashion Media (excluding Style.com and NowManifest) to Penske Media Corporation for $100 million, representing a strategic ownership transition aimed at fostering growth within the competitive fashion media sector.
Publications
Fairchild’s catalog has featured significant industry titles including:
- American Metal Market
- Beauty Inc.
- Details
- Electronic News
- Footwear News
- Golf Pro Merchandising
- Home Furnishings Daily
- Jane
- M (1983-1992; 2012–present)
- Men'sWeek
- Metalworking News
- Style.com
- Supermarket News
- SportStyle
- Children's Business