FRENCH ACCENT: Condé Nast France has revealed plans to launch a French edition of Vanity Fair in 2013. Although the magazine is launching in a time of economic crisis, Xavier Romatet, president of Condé Nast France, said, “It is precisely in difficult times that we need to take initiatives.”
The monthly magazine will be run by veteran journalist Michel Denisot, who has been presenting the weeknight program “Le Grand Journal” on pay-television channel Canal Plus for close to a decade. Formerly president of the Paris Saint-Germain football club, Denisot has strong connections to the world of sports, politics and entertainment.
Anne Boulay, editor in chief of the French edition of GQ, has been named editor in chief of Vanity Fair France. She will be succeeded at GQ by her second-in-command, Emmanuel Poncet.
Virginie Mouzat has been named editor in chief overseeing fashion, lifestyle and feature stories. After a 15-year career at Le Figaro, she is to start at Vanity Fair after Paris Fashion Week. The editorial team will be made up of about 20 people.
The French edition of VF is expected to include a mix of investigative journalism and entertainment features, drawing on the success of its U.S. counterpart. About 80 percent of the content will be exclusive to the French edition.
Romatet said that the magazine’s content will be anchored in French culture alongside international culture, noting that it is unlikely that the Duchess of Cambridge or the Kennedy clan would land on the cover of the French version.