Condé Nast (businessman)

Lore & Background

Condé Montrose Nast was born in New York City to a family of Midwestern origin. His father, William F. Nast, was an inventor and former U.S. attaché in Berlin; his mother, Esther A. Benoist, was the daughter of a prominent St. Louis banker. Named after his uncle Condé Benoist Pallen, Nast had three siblings. Nast did not take well to law and instead worked as advertising manager for Collier's Weekly, increasing its advertising revenue a hundredfold over a decade. He later bought Vogue, a small New York society magazine, and transformed it into one of America's premier fashion magazines. He also changed Vanity Fair into a general-interest publication with editor Frank Crowninshield, featuring new writers and reproductions of modern art. His magazine stable eventually included House & Garden, British, French, and Argentine editions of Vogue, Le Jardin des Modes, and Glamour. Rather than simply increasing circulation, Nast targeted groups of readers by income level or common interest. Nast was married twice: first to Clarisse Coudert, a law-firm heiress and set and costume designer, with whom he had two children; and second to Leslie Foster, granddaughter of a Wyoming Territory governor, with whom he had one child. He was nearly ruined by the Great Depression and spent his last years struggling to regain his early prosperity.

Reader's Guide

Condé Nast's significance lies in his pioneering approach to magazine publishing, focusing on demographic targeting by income and interest rather than mass circulation. By acquiring and reshaping Vogue and Vanity Fair, he established a media company that defined high-fashion and sophisticated general-interest journalism. His strategy of creating specialized editions—such as British, French, and Argentine Vogue—anticipated modern global media branding. Despite financial ruin during the Great Depression, his company's legacy endured, influencing how magazines cultivate loyal readerships. His staff included notable figures like Edna Woolman Chase, Dorothy Parker, and Robert Benchley, underscoring his role in fostering literary and editorial talent. The Condé Nast brand remains synonymous with luxury and cultural authority in publishing.

Did You Know?

• He increased Collier's Weekly advertising revenue a hundredfold over a decade as advertising manager.
• His first wife, Clarisse Coudert, was a Coudert Brothers law-firm heiress who became a set and costume designer.
• Nast's grave is in Section 25 of Gate of Heaven Cemetery, near Babe Ruth and Billy Martin.