GQ
GQ is a Condé Nast-owned men's fashion and lifestyle media brand (founded 1957) producing editorial across Style, Grooming, Wellness, Culture, and Sports on GQ.com, in print, through newsletters, video, and 15+ international editions, monetized via subscriptions, advertising, affiliate commerce, and live events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What GQ does
GQ is an international men's fashion and lifestyle media brand founded in 1957 and headquartered in New York City, operated as a title within Condé Nast (itself a private subsidiary of Advance Publications). Its core product surface is a multi-platform editorial portfolio: a flagship website (GQ.com), a print magazine published at least four times a year, recurring email newsletters, original video content, and dedicated international editions in 15+ countries. GQ's coverage spans Style, Grooming, Wellness, Culture/Entertainment, and Sports, and the brand has built adjacent monetization layers including commerce editorial (with named Commerce Directors producing curated product roundups, including Amazon Prime Day coverage), a subscription box (GQ Box), and live events (GQ Men of the Year, Paris Fashion Week party co-hosted with Levi's, pre-Super Bowl fashion events).
GQ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GQ
- Legal name
- GQ (published by Condé Nast)
- Website
- https://gq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- GQ is a Condé Nast-owned men's fashion and lifestyle media brand (founded 1957) producing editorial across Style, Grooming, Wellness, Culture, and Sports on GQ.com, in print, through newsletters, video, and 15+ international editions, monetized via subscriptions, advertising, affiliate commerce, and live events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GQ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Men's Lifestyle Media and Publishing
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455)
- SIC
- Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Blogging & CMS Content Platforms (BPAMAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Category Generalist Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAI)
Keywords
Where GQ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GQ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: GQ generates revenue through print and digital subscriptions. Subscriptions provide unlimited digital access to the website and newsletters, with print subscribers also receiving the print edition published at least four times per year.
- Advertising: GQ monetizes its large audience through display advertising, sponsored content, and branded partnerships across its website, newsletters, and video content.
- Affiliate Commerce: GQ earns commissions through affiliate links in its shopping and product recommendation content, partnering with retailers like Amazon for Prime Day deals and various menswear brands.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital-only subscription at promotional rate |
| Subscription | Annual | Print + Digital subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
GQ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GQ is a men's fashion and lifestyle media brand that publishes a monthly print magazine (GQ Magazine), operates the GQ.com digital editorial platform, distributes email newsletters and original video programming, and sells the GQ Box curated subscription box service. Coverage spans men's style, fashion, grooming, wellness, culture, entertainment, and sports, monetized through consumer subscriptions, display and sponsored advertising, and affiliate commerce partnerships with retailers including Amazon.
Product overview
GQ is a men's fashion and lifestyle media brand operated by Condé Nast, offering a multi-platform portfolio consisting of its flagship digital platform GQ.com, the GQ Magazine print publication, email newsletters, the GQ Box subscription service, and original video content. The brand covers editorial categories including Style, Culture, Grooming, Wellness, and GQ Sports, with supplementary shopping recommendation features tied to retail events like Amazon Prime Day. GQ also produces annual events such as Men of the Year.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GQ Box: Subscription box service offering GQ-curated products
- GQ Men of the Year
- GQ Hype
Products and services
- GQ Magazine Print men's fashion, style, grooming, fitness, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine published by Condé Nast, available through print subscriptions, newsstand, and bookstore distribution; digital access is bundled with print subscriptions.
- GQ.com Digital Subscription Subscription-based unlimited digital access to GQ.com editorial articles, galleries, videos, shopping content, and newsletters for individual consumers interested in men's fashion, style, grooming, wellness, and culture.
- GQ Newsletter Recurring email newsletter product delivering curated men's style, culture, grooming, and shopping-deal content to opted-in subscribers.
- GQ Box Subscription box service delivering GQ-curated men's grooming, fashion, and lifestyle products directly to subscribers on a recurring basis.
- GQ Video Original video content and programming division producing interviews, runway coverage, style guides, and entertainment features for the GQ digital platform and YouTube.
Companies that use GQ
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GQ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
GQ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- British Fashion CouncilcoreGQ partners with the British Fashion Council for the annual BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund, now in its 13th year. The fund offers a £100,000 grant, year-long mentoring, and pro-bono legal support from Sheridans to emerging designers. This partnership positions GQ as a leader in fashion discovery and designer support.
- Levi Strauss & Co.coreGQ and Levi Strauss & Co. co-host an annual Paris Fashion Week party, described as legendary. The partnership combines GQ's editorial brand authority with Levi's fashion credentials for exclusive events.
- eBayminoreBay serves as an event sponsor for GQ's Paris Fashion Week party, activating a vintage jersey pop-up at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.
- Thom BrowneminorDesigner Thom Browne presented his fall 2026 collection at GQ's pre-Super Bowl fashion party, with GQ hosting the runway show presentation.
- AmazoncoreGQ curates Amazon Prime Day shopping deals and menswear recommendations through its commerce content. GQ editors select and feature products available on Amazon, earning affiliate commissions through affiliate links. This is a major traffic and revenue partnership for GQ's commerce content.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GQ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Men's Health: Men's Health is a Hearst men's lifestyle title spanning fitness, wellness, grooming, and style — a direct peer in the men's magazine category with overlapping audience and advertiser base, though more fitness-weighted.
- Esquire: Esquire is Hearst's flagship men's lifestyle magazine and digital platform, covering fashion, culture, and grooming for men — directly competing with GQ for the same reader and advertiser base across print and digital.
- Maxim: Maxim is a men's lifestyle magazine and digital platform covering style, culture, and entertainment, competing with GQ for the same menswear and lifestyle advertising spend, though with a more entertainment-male skew.
- Complex Media: Complex is a digital-native men's lifestyle media brand covering sneakers, streetwear, music, and culture — the most direct digital-first competitor to GQ for the millennial and Gen Z men's audience.
- Men's Journal: Men's Journal is a men's lifestyle publication covering adventure, fitness, gear, and style, with print and digital editions competing with GQ for the same men's lifestyle reader and active-lifestyle advertisers.
Emerging players
- The Ringer: The Ringer is a digital sports, pop culture, and media commentary publisher; overlaps with GQ's culture, sports (GQ Sports), and entertainment verticals in audience and advertising categories.
- i-D Magazine: i-D is a fashion and culture publication with a strong youth and creative-class audience; partial overlap with GQ in fashion editorials, celebrity styling, and culture coverage — a digital-first style-and-culture peer.
- Highsnobiety: Highsnobiety is a digital men's fashion and lifestyle publisher with a strong streetwear and contemporary menswear focus; emerging peer competing for the same premium menswear advertising and affiliate-commerce dollars as GQ.
- Hypebeast: Hypebeast is a digital-first men's fashion, streetwear, and culture platform serving a younger audience than GQ; partial overlap in menswear commerce content, editorial style coverage, and brand partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- Vogue: Vogue is GQ's sister publication under Condé Nast and the global authority in fashion publishing; while focused on women's fashion, it shares infrastructure, advertisers, fashion-week coverage, and Condé Nast corporate economics with GQ.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GQ social profiles
Digital presenceGQ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GQ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
GQ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GQ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GQ
What does GQ do?
GQ is a men's fashion and lifestyle media brand that publishes a monthly print magazine (GQ Magazine), operates the GQ.com digital editorial platform, distributes email newsletters and original video programming, and sells the GQ Box curated subscription box service. Coverage spans men's style, fashion, grooming, wellness, culture, entertainment, and sports, monetized through consumer subscriptions, display and sponsored advertising, and affiliate commerce partnerships with retailers including Amazon.
Is GQ a public or private company?
GQ is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was GQ founded?
GQ was founded in 1957. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is GQ based?
GQ is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does GQ make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising and affiliate Commerce.
Who are GQ's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Men's Health, Esquire, Maxim, Complex Media and Men's Journal. Emerging players are The Ringer, i-D Magazine, Highsnobiety and Hypebeast. Vogue is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does GQ have an API?
No public API is recorded for GQ.
What industry is GQ in?
GQ's product category is Men's Lifestyle Media and Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAG, Blogging & CMS Content Platforms, with a secondary code of CRAGAIAI, Multi-Category Generalist Catalog Department Store Retailers. Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5961.