GQ

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).

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

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

• Men's lifestyle publishing
• Fashion and style journalism
• Print and digital magazines
• Media subscriptions and newsletters
• Affiliate commerce content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Advertising: GQ monetizes its large audience through display advertising, sponsored content, and branded partnerships across its website, newsletters, and video content.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core 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.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Fashion CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGQ 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.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGQ 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.
• eBayminorGTM or Marketing PartnereBay 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 BrowneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesigner Thom Browne presented his fall 2026 collection at GQ's pre-Super Bowl fashion party, with GQ hosting the runway show presentation.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGQ 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

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/gqmagazine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/gqvideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/gq
• Instagraminstagram.com/gq
• TikToktiktok.com/@gq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gq-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GQ