This Met Gala serves as a coming out party, of sorts, for the freshly christened Condé M. Nast Galleries. But who, exactly, was Mr. Nast? He was a publishing magnate of the early 20th century with an uncanny talent for blending art and commerce with his love for soigné lifestyle publications. He acquired the magazines Vogue, Vanity Fair, and House & Garden and began building out a media empire that elevated niche interests in fashion and home decorating to that of, well, art.
As our own Laird Borrelli-Persson notes: “In pursuing excellence in all areas of the business, Nast was responsible for advances in art and technology. Caroline Seebohm, one of his biographers, has claimed not only that Nast ‘gave fashion photography artistic legitimacy, a publishing achievement that transformed the photographic literature,’ but also that it was through his ‘vigorous interest that fashion photography later found its way into galleries and museums.’”
His foresight in covering leisuretime activities like shopping and home design with verve, wit, and plenty of beautiful images helped build the company that Condé Nast is today. That the new galleries bear his name are a testament to his vision.
The first cover of Vogue.Cover art by A. B. Wenzell, Vogue, December 17, 1892
