LONDON — Fashion magazines have long sought to capture the biggest celebrities of the moment for their covers, but Thom Bettridge, i-D Magazine’s new editor in chief and chief brand officer, is more a interested in finding the stars of the future.
His launch print issue is titled “The Unknown Issue” and the cover star is Enza Khoury, an 18-year-old transgender girl from the suburbs of Ohio. The issue hits newsstands on March. 24.
Bettridge said he was inspired by old issues of i-D, from the mid- to late-1980s, when the magazine would street cast its next cover models. In some instances, those people would go on to become huge stars – like actor Rachel Weisz, who was on the cover in 1987 at the age of 17.
Enza Khoury for i-D Magazine.
Courtesy of i-D/AIDAN ZAMIRI
In the case of Khoury, Bettridge worked with the “Euphoria” casting director Jennifer Venditti to find her from an open call that resulted in 800 submissions and five rounds of callbacks.
She appears on the cover in a grainy closeup portrait covering her left eye, a signature i-D pose, with a cover line that asks “Who is she?”
Bettridge said that Khoury has the strength of a David Lynch character, and that the cover reflects the turmoil happening in the U.S.
“In Ohio right now, there’s a lot of anti-trans legislation. The school is about to not let Enza use the women’s bathroom or let her join the women’s sports team,” he said, adding that the photo shoot took place while U.S. President Donald Trump was being inaugurated.
Two more cover stars will be unveiled next week, featuring people who first appeared on the magazine as complete unknowns.
Thom Bettridge, editor in chief and chief brand officer of i-D Magazine.
Courtesy of i-D Magazine
“What was really incredible about i-D in the 1980s was that it was thinking less about fashion through the lens of celebrity, and [more] through the lens of people [in the real world]. The magazine almost had this anthropological mission of taking pictures of people on the street,” said Bettridge.
His approach was to emulate the spirit of i-D Magazine and its founder Terry Jones, who set up the title in 1980.
Bettridge asked himself, “If Terry Jones was me today, what would he be into? How would he want to tell stories?”
For many parts of the magazine, some things remain the same, including the kooky and punk DIY layouts; street casting models for the fashion editorials; the reintroduction of cover lines that started to fade out in the 2000s, and the cover images, which always featured people winking, or with one eye covered.
Bettridge compared the magazine-making process to that of creative directors at storied fashion houses today. “When you have a really strong anchor, it gives you a lot of creative freedom to create your own interpretation, but in a modern way that speaks to people today,” he said.
He calls i-D a magazine about “creativity and what it means to be alive today,” so, naturally it will sometimes get “political, sociological or artistic.”
i-D magazine poster, a collage of iconic covers over the years
Courtesy
There’s plenty of fun in the pages, including a story on 14 young creatives from Tokyo who have been photographed in their apartments; It Girl mugshots; tips from a teenage hacker; and Giorgio Armani answering 12 direct messages from i-D’s readers.
Bettridge has big plans for i-D Magazine – ones beyond just printing a magazine biannually.
He wants to introduce collectibles zines that dive into one subject at a time, and he’s also redesigning the i-D website and plans to launch merchandise.
Bettridge said he’s a “360-guy when it comes to making content.” He’s held positions at Ssense, 032c, Interview and Highsnobiety, and said the challenges of independent publishing don’t phase him.
Karlie Kloss, chairwoman of Bedford Media.
Courtesy of i-D Magazine/MAEGAN GINDI
i-D Magazine’s new owner, Karlie Kloss, is also ready to pull up her sleeves. She acquired the title from Vice Media in 2023 and it sits under her company, Bedford Media, where she serves as chairwoman.
The launch issue of i-D is the highest revenue print issue in the title’s history.
Kloss said she’s taken a “creative and pragmatic approach,” to the title.
“We believe in the value and importance of quality content and storytelling while building a sustainable business. Our focus is on creating high-quality content and new strategic and creative partnerships that resonate with both our community and our partners,” she added.
The magazine holds sentimental value for Kloss, who is not the run-of-the-mill publisher. She has 12.4 million followers on Instagram and has graced the cover of i-D twice.
“The publication has always served as a platform to help launch creative talent. Taking risks and giving opportunities to young artists is core to its DNA. One of my first major fashion shoots was for i-D with Edward Enninful in 2009, and that opportunity was pivotal for me,” she said.
I-D isn’t Kloss’ only publishing project. In 2020, she led a consortium of investors that purchased W Magazine and she will soon be relaunching Life magazine with her husband, Joshua Kushner.
