While the deadly coronavirus has caused hiring to temporarily dry up in a number of industries, some recruited before the crisis exploded will still start their new jobs, but will have to do so remotely.
Among them is Mark Guiducci, who is leaving Vice-owned Garage magazine after three years as editor in chief and returning to Vogue on Monday to take on the new role of creative editorial director. Although the position is new, Guiducci is no stranger to Vogue and Condé Nast. Before Garage, he was Vogue’s art editor for five years and prior to that, covered culture, entertainment and fashion at Vanity Fair during Graydon Carter’s reign.
According to a Vogue rep, his position entails creating innovative ways to tell stories and engage its audiences across all platforms. While that may sound a little vague, Vogue no doubt wants him to do what he did for Garage by creating some of fashion’s most talked about moments such as the Zendaya/Simone Leigh cover.
In a memo to staffers, Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour said she’s confident that Guiducci’s previous experience at Vogue and in the industry at large, coupled with his keen eye and creative expertise, will be “incredibly valuable” as it looks to expand across all platforms.
“He’s an innovative thinker and he will no doubt help us tell our stories in new and meaningful ways,” added Wintour, who has been working from home like the rest of her team.
As for what all this means for Garage, the biannual art and fashion glossy of which Vice Media is the majority stakeholder, it is understood that the search is already under way for his replacement.
In a statement sent to WWD, founder Dasha Zhukova said: “Garage’s editorial and digital platforms flourished under Mark’s leadership. He helped us build a fantastic team. We are thankful for his innovative contributions.”
Under Guiducci’s watch, Garage created one of 2019’s most memorable fashion covers, featuring Zendaya adorned in a 12-foot-high skirt made by Simone Leigh. The most recent cover showed the top half of Kendall Jenner poking out of a wall, masterminded by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.
Guiducci also looked to beef up its fashion coverage, last year hiring its first features director Laia Garcia and promoting Gabriella Karefa-Johnson to be the new fashion director.
“I’m so proud of what my team at Garage has accomplished, from pairing Zendaya with Simone Leigh to staging a Billie Eilish performance, and I’m deeply grateful to Dasha Zhukova for handing me the reins to her magazine. I can’t wait to see what they do next,” Guiducci said. “For me, going to Vogue is coming home. I’m thrilled to work with Anna and my former colleagues as well as new ones to build on what they have achieved across every platform.”
For more, see:
Zendaya, Simone Leigh Join the Mutual Admiration Society
Vice’s Garage Magazine to Grow Fashion Coverage With New Roles
Exclusive: Garage Magazine Names Vogue’s Mark Guiducci as Editor in Chief