Details (magazine)

Details (magazine)
source
Title	Details
Frequency	Monthly
Category	Men's magazine
Company	Conde Nast
Firstdate	1982
Finaldate	2015
Country	United States
Based	New York City
Language	English

Details (magazine) Details was an American monthly magazine aimed at men's lifestyle, fashion, and culture that ran from 1982 to 2015. It covered celebrities, style, travel, food, and politics, and developed a reputation for combining fashion photography with reportage and service journalism. The title occupied a niche among publications addressing male readers alongside GQ, Esquire, Men's Health, Out, and Vogue-adjacent fashion coverage.

History

Details launched in 1982 in New York City during a period of expansion in American magazine publishing that included titles such as The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. Early editorial leadership drew contributors from outlets like Glamour, Esquire, New York, Wired, and Spin. The title changed ownership when Condé Nast acquired it in the 1990s, situating it alongside sister publications Vogue, GQ, Wired, Self, and Men's Health. Under editors connected to publications such as The Village Voice, Details shifted editorial emphasis several times between fashion-forward issues reflecting the influence of Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Alexander McQueen and culture reportage aligned with figures like David Bowie, Madonna, Barack Obama, and Kanye West. The magazine survived shifts in Rupert Murdoch-era media consolidation and the rise of digital platforms such as HuffPost, BuzzFeed, Gawker, Vox, and Vice before ceasing print publication in late 2015.

Editorial content and features

Details mixed fashion editorials with profiles, trend pieces, and service journalism, deploying photographers and stylists who worked for Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, and Peter Lindbergh. Regular departments covered menswear referencing designers and brands such as Tom Ford, Hugo Boss, Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Saint Laurent, alongside grooming pieces akin to those in Men's Health and GQ. Feature profiles interviewed celebrities and public figures including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Adele. Cultural reportage addressed films and television linked to Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, HBO, Netflix, Amazon Studios, and FX. Travel and food coverage placed destinations like Tokyo, Paris, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Barcelona, and Buenos Aires alongside hotels and restaurants by names such as Nobu, The Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, El Celler de Can Roca, and Noma. Special issues and fashion shoots often referenced pop culture touchstones including The Beatles, Madonna, Prince, David Bowie, and James Dean.

Circulation and demographics

Details targeted urban, style-conscious men in their 20s to 40s, overlapping readerships with GQ, Esquire, Men's Health, Rolling Stone, and Complex. Distribution networks included newsstands and subscriptions in markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, London, and Toronto. Advertisers during its run included luxury brands like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier, Rolex, Gucci, technology advertisers such as Apple Inc., Microsoft, Samsung, and automotive advertisers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus, and Jaguar Cars. Demographic analyses compared its audience to those of Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and lifestyle competitors, noting a readership engaged with fashion, nightlife, gastronomy, and entertainment.

Controversies and legal issues

Details encountered controversies over provocative photo shoots and editorial choices that drew comparisons to disputes involving GQ, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Vogue. Specific features prompted advertiser backlash and public debate similar to incidents at Time and Newsweek, and legal challenges occasionally mirrored litigation trends seen at The New York Times and The Guardian over defamation and image rights. The magazine navigated rights negotiations with agencies and estates such as Getty Images, Magnum Photos, Condé Nast's internal legal counsel, and independent photographers, and addressed claims relating to unauthorized likeness use akin to cases involving Harper's Bazaar and Vanity Fair.

Closure and legacy

Conde Nast announced the closure of Details in late 2015, citing consolidation and the shift of advertising to digital platforms including Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Staff and editorial talent migrated to other outlets and digital ventures such as GQ, Esquire, Vogue, BuzzFeed, Vice, Refinery29, and The Cut. Archives and fashion photography from Details have been referenced in retrospectives at institutions and exhibitions associated with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt, and retrospectives on designers like Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, and Alexander McQueen. The title's blend of men's fashion and cultural reportage influenced subsequent men’s lifestyle publications and online platforms such as Hypebeast, Highsnobiety, Esquire, and GQ.

Category:Men's magazines published in the United States