First launched in 1936, Life magazine quickly became woven into the cultural fabric of America. Circulation topped 1 million within months of its arrival; at the magazine’s peak in the 1960s, Life was selling an estimated 8 million copies per week.
However, Life struggled in the 1970s, ceasing publication in 1972. The magazine was revived as a monthly publication in 1978, which continued until Life shut down again in 2000. From 2004 to 2007, Life was resurrected as a weekly newspaper supplement, and has returned periodically since then in the form of special themed issues.
Now, thanks to an unlikely benefactor, Life will return once again to begin a new chapter.
A Fresh Start
Life is once again relaunching in November 2026, and on a massive scale. According to The New York Times, the relaunch issue will comprise nearly 250 pages, with a theme of “Where Are We Now.”
In fact, the issue is being positioned as more of a coffee-table book than magazine, and will retail for $45.
Surprisingly, the person behind the resurrection of this iconic publication is someone typically known for catwalks and fashion houses, model Karlie Kloss.
Kloss and husband Joshua Kushner purchased Life in 2024, through the couple’s Bedford Media corporation, and have been working since then on a plan to return the magazine to its rightful place in pop culture.
“What made Life extraordinary was its ability to make the world feel closer,” Kloss told the Times. “And our responsibility is to preserve and to protect that legacy.”
In a letter from Life’s editors shared on Wednesday, October 28, the magazine revealed the theme of its relaunch issue to be “Where Are We Now?,” which represents the efforts of more than 120 people.
“It offers a window into an America searching for meaning: scientists and artists, entrepreneurs and athletes, children and octogenarians, coal miners and drone makers,” the letter stated. “There are some famous people in the mix; most are not. Our fascination comes from finding the ordinary in the extraordinary, and the extraordinary in the ordinary.”
A New Vision for Life
In a recent interview with “Aspire with Emma Grede,” Kloss laid out her vision for this new iteration of Life, and why she felt it was important to revive the magazine.
“Well, I definitely feel like the person that’s running into the burning building that everybody else is running out of,” Kloss said, jokingly referencing the ongoing erosion of print in the digital age.
“But I actually do think — call me crazy — but I also think that’s where some interesting opportunities emerge,” Kloss added. “And I think that it is a moment of evolution, absolutely, in the business model of media.”
The relaunched issue of Life will be available on November 23.
Model-Turned-Mogul Karlie Kloss Reviving Life Magazine, New Chapter for Iconic Publication