The menswear media landscape is shifting rapidly amid a series of departures, and unresolved questions, in the U.K. and internationally.
Earlier this week Alex Bilmes hosted his final Christmas lunch as editor in chief of Esquire U.K. After 14 years in the role, he plans to leave in March as Hearst U.K. hunts for his successor.
According to Katie Vanneck-Smith, CEO of Hearst U.K., Bilmes made the decision to step down in order to pursue writing projects outside the Hearst universe.
In a statement, she thanked Bilmes for “diligently steering the helm” of the title, and said that under his editorship, Esquire U.K. has delivered countless exclusives “and innovated across all platforms. We are extremely grateful for Alex’s contributions and wish him every success for the future.”
Bilmes, a well-respected figure, joined Esquire in 2011. During his tenure he wrote profiles of figures including Tony Blair, Paul McCartney, Penelope Cruz, Daniel Craig, Michael Caine and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
His departure comes in the wake of big layoffs at Hearst in the U.S. which were announced just before Thanksgiving.
Dylan Jones
Image Courtesy of Condé Nast and Richard Young/REX
Nearly 200 positions at Hearst are set to be culled as the company “reallocates resources to better support” its goals, according to WWD’s sister publication The Hollywood Reporter.
Bilmes’ exit comes just a few weeks after Dylan Jones, the longtime editor in chief of British GQ, stepped down from his latest job as head of The London Standard newspaper, formerly The Evening Standard.
Jones, who plans to spend more time on writing projects, is also in the running to replace Caroline Rush as chief executive officer of the British Fashion Council, according to industry sources.
The move would be an easy one. During his time at GQ, Jones served as chairman of the London Fashion Week Men’s showcase which, until COVID-19, took place twice a year, in January and June. Rush will leave her role in June 2025 and her successor is set to be named early in the new year.
In other areas of menswear media, GQ China remains on ice following a split from its local partner, Zhizu Magazine, a subsidiary of China News Service, a state-owned news agency based in Beijing.
GQ China was originally launched as a partnership between Condé Nast China and Zhizu in 2009, but the relationship between the two partners grew increasingly uneasy over the years, according to former GQ employees.
Gill Zhou, managing director of Condé Nast China who brokered the local GQ deal, stepped down this week after a little more than two years in the role. The news was revealed during a company-wide, internal meeting on Wednesday morning, sources familiar with the matter told WWD.
In September Pierre M’Pelé abruptly left GQ France after a three-year tenure as head of editorial content.
As reported, M’Pelé was replaced by Claire Hazan, a journalist and producer who was previously head of podcasts at Spotify for France and Benelux.
Previously, Hazan had spent a decade in the Lagardère media group overseeing the editorial strategy and digital transformation of publications such as cinema magazine Première and Europe 1.
