The union representing Condé Nast employees has publicly condemned the publishing company’s decision to fold Teen Vogue under the Vogue umbrella, claiming the move has resulted in staff cuts that will impact diversity.
A statement posted Monday night by the Condé Union and the NewsGuild of New Yorkcharged corporate management with planning to lay off six union members — the majority of whom are women of color or trans. That includes Teen Vogue’s politics editor, Lex McMenamin, the union said.
Condé Union alleges the “move is clearly designed to blunt the award-winning magazine’s insightful journalism at a time it’s needed the most.”
Vogue Business reported reported Monday that the consolidation is “part of a broader push to expand the Vogue ecosystem.” Vogue Business was folded into the Vogue.com platform last week, according to NPR.
Condé Nast said Teen Vogue will remain “a distinct editorial property” with its own identity and objectives. It will be overseen by American Vogue’s newly named head of editorial content, Chloe Malle. The 22-year-old magazine’s editor-in-chief, Versha Sharma, is leaving the company.
Former Teen Vogue culture editor Kaitlyn McNab confirmed Tuesday that she was among the casualties of the Teen Vogue merger.
“I was laid off from Teen Vogue yesterday, along with 70% of my incredible team,” she posted on X. “Much longer post incoming, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to me with love.”
The Roosevelt Institute awarded the teen publication the 2025 Freedom of Speech medal in September, citing the magazine’s political coverage for “fill[ing] a crucial gap in today’s media landscape.”
The institute issued a statement on Monday condemning Condé Nast’s decision to fold Teen Vogue into its sister publication, praising the online magazine for reaching out to a younger audience than many of its contemporaries.
Teen Vogue was launched in 2003 and ran as a print publication until December 2017.
Condé Nast couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.
