LONDON — Does Tatler’s Richard Dennen have one of the best edit job at Condé Nast?
He’s in a uncommon place on the writer’s U.Okay. places of work as he’s nonetheless an editor, quite than a “head of editorial content material,” whereas Tatler stays a stand-alone journal in contrast with the opposite Condé titles, which share content material throughout manufacturers and areas.
He nonetheless solutions to Anna Wintour, Condé’s chief content material officer however, in Dennen’s eyes, that’s a plus.
“She’s essentially the most unimaginable contributing editor any journal may have, all the time suggesting attention-grabbing, useful concepts,” he mentioned throughout an interview at The Adelphi, Condé’s new headquarters close to The Strand, the place the writer moved final 12 months after leaving its historic dwelling at Vogue Home in Hanover Sq. off Regent Avenue.
Along with being a diplomat, Dennen can also be a survivor. He’s been on the helm of Tatler for seven years, and is the final, old-time Condé editor standing in London. Insiders consult with him as “the dauphin” due to his endurance, excessive standing inside Condé and daring option to broaden the title’s attain past the horsey, land-owning courses and into territory as soon as thought-about taboo.
The high-energy Dennen does all of it with an upbeat perspective, a breezy allure and an endearing dose of neurosis, very similar to a Woody Allen character. Along with his floppy hair, self-deprecating humor and enduring curiosity in regards to the lives of the wealthy, highly effective and well-connected, he’s essentially the most democratic and inclusive of current Tatler editors.
His September concern, set to be unveiled as we speak, options the pop star and actor Olly Alexander on the duvet decked in an Alexander McQueen swimsuit and Tiffany & Co. brooch. Dennen mentioned he was excited to diverge from the same old September style cowl “and have a good time a queer icon.”
Alexander shall be making his West Finish debut in September, enjoying Algernon Moncrieff in “The Significance of Being Earnest,” and Dennen has cooked up “an 18th-century mash-up of Oscar Wilde-meets-a-deconstructed, Dickensian John Galliano” type shoot. There’s additionally an interview and a timeline of the singer’s profession with the headline “Alexander Approach.”
The difficulty features a “Dynasty Recordsdata” story on Anna and Michael Murray, daughter and son-in-law of the billionaire retail bargain-hunter Mike Ashley, and a function on the brand new, American cash that’s been pouring into the Vatican because the arrival of Pope Leo XIV.
Known as “New Cash for Previous Pope,” the story about Catholic energy would as soon as have been met with prices of excessive treason in England.
Though Dennen’s Tatler is extra inclusive than up to now, there’s nonetheless nice affection for the outdated guard.
The primary style shoot is lavish, and impressed by the upcoming “Marie Antoinette Type” exhibition on the Victoria and Albert museum, with a number of 18th-century swagger, cocked Napoleonic hats, towering hairstyles and poet’s blouses. There’s additionally an unique, spiritually impressed journey story by Amanda Harlech, and a function on the London-based Nigerian “It” lady Florence “Cuppy” Otedola.
The mash-up of outdated and new, institution and never, is a mirrored image of Dennen, who’s a newsman at coronary heart.
Earlier than becoming a member of Tatler, he was a options author at giant on the Mail on Sunday, the weekend version of Britain’s Day by day Mail, a mode author for The Sunday Instances and a columnist on the Night Customary, now often known as The London Customary.
Earlier than becoming a member of newspapers, he labored at Tatler for six years below Isabella Blow, who was then style director of the title.
He was at St. Andrews College concurrently Kate Middleton and Prince William, and is used to life by means of a wide-angle lens because of his personal various background.
Richard Dennen on the Roksanda runway present in London in February.
Dave Benett/Getty Photos
His mom hails from a complicated Scottish household, whereas his father is an American from Beverly Hills who transformed from Judaism, and is now an archdeacon within the Anglican Church.
From the get-go, Dennen needed Tatler to be a “trendy, culturally related and a day-to-day snapshot of our instances.” He put the deal with tastemakers, newsmakers and usually fabulous folks.
He was additionally cautious to protect the title’s mystique, deploying Tatler’s well-connected workers, and wider community, to cowl social moments and developments to create what he refers to because the “bible of the worldwide jetset.”
The combo of aspirational and inspirational has saved Tatler’s numbers buzzing. The journal nonetheless publishes 12 points 12 months, plus six dietary supplements on matters equivalent to journey, spas, effective jewellery and beauty surgical procedure.
Tatler.com is extra fast, with wedding ceremony, engagement and child information from all of the lords and women up and down the nation, in addition to superstar updates, together with an inside take a look at the Cotswolds wedding ceremony of Eve Jobs and Harry Charles final weekend.
Industrial income this 12 months is up 26 p.c, whereas Tatler’s social media impressions have risen 40 p.c year-over-year.
In response to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, Tatler had a median month-to-month circulation of 72,351 in 2024, round 8 p.c down on the earlier 12 months. The variety of paid subscriptions rose almost 30 p.c to 25,054 in 2024, with round half of print points actively bought within the U.Okay. and Eire.
Dennen is undaunted by social media rivals equivalent to TikTok, and mentioned his precedence will all the time be to provide “high quality” tales, whatever the platform.
“Who is aware of what the subsequent social media app shall be, or the subsequent platform? Should you’re working one thing as outdated and as particular as Tatler, which began the newspaper that revealed thrice every week in 1709, I believe it’s attention-grabbing to assume what it may possibly appear to be on TikTok — or no matter comes subsequent,” mentioned Dennen.
One advance he’s not fearful about is AI. “Most human beings can’t get into the occasions that we cowl,” by no means thoughts the bots, he mentioned.
He mentioned what offers him the largest kick is “displaying that the golden age of media shouldn’t be over. It’s actually thrilling to create issues in a brand new method, and to show it’s attainable to drive a enterprise with high-quality content material.”
So, will the dauphin fulfil what some may think about his future, transfer to New York, and grow to be head of editorial content material for American Vogue? It wouldn’t be such an enormous leap. He’d nonetheless report back to Wintour, who stays Vogue’s international editorial director.
He demurs. “I’m actually proud of what we’re doing, and I believe the Tatler workplace is enjoyable,” mentioned Dennen, who finds it thrilling that his workers is all the time out “doing fabulous tales and assembly fabulous folks. The power within the workplace is nice, and I believe I’m so fortunate as a result of Tatler is an entire way of life.”
He added: “In fact, style is essential, however I like all the opposite issues at Tatler, just like the options and newsy scoops that we’re in a position to present.”
It appears to be like like one of the best edit job at Condé received’t be vacant any time quickly.
