Daily Front Row

2010 March 19

Tonchi-ology!

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Tonchi at Ralph Lauren's Fall 2006 runway show
PatrickMcMullan.com View Gallery

(NEW YORK) You know him as the dapper EIC of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, but before he moves on to another single-lettered title, let’s look back, shall we?  
EMILY GYBEN

Birthdate: October 10, 1959, Florence, Italy. (He was born just three days after fellow Libra Simon Cowell!)

Tonchi’s journalistic roots go deep, beginning with a stint writing for his university newspaper during his undergraduate days. He received a classical studies undergraduate degree from Liceo Classico Fortegueri, and spent his graduate years studying political science at the University of Florence.

1984-1987: Along with Maria Luisa Frisa, now the director of the Fashion Design Degree Course at the Faculty of Art and Design in Venice, Tonchi co-founded Westuff magazine, which later evolved into Emporio Armani magazine, published by Armani press. In these years, Tonchi also worked as a reporter for Italian Vogue.

1987-1994: Tonchi served as fashion director at L’Uomo Vogue.

1994-1996: Tonchi made the jump across the pond to New York, landing the creative director title at Self magazine (a Condé title). "When I moved to the States," Tonchi said, "I wanted to learn the business of 'America'—the business of the mass market, the business of research."

1996-1998: A petit break from the journalistic world put Tonchi in the creative director role at J. Crew.

1998-2003: Tonchi is named fashion creative director at Esquire (a Hearst publication). In 2001, Esquire earned the Magazine of the Year award from the Society of Publication Designers as well as National Magazine Award nominations for photography and design.

September 2003: Tonchi served a short but sweet stint at The Daily, guest-editing a special men’s issue for the Spring 2004 season. He often wore elegant slippers.

October 2003:  Tonchi was named style editor, The New York Times Magazine. 

August 2004: T: The New York Times Style Magazine, launched; Tonchi was named editor. Under his leadership, in 2008, T was nominated for a National Magazine Award for design; in 2009, the magazine is a finalist in the photography category.

December 2007: The New York Times launched T magazine online. In the same month, The International Herald Tribune announced that it will launch an international edition of T, featuring a column by Suzy Menkes.

September 2009: T celebrates its 5th anniversary with blowout bashes in both New York and Miami, attended by art and fashion world heavy hitters like Jeff Koons, Carey Mulligan, Thom Browne, Suzy Menkes, Josh Hartnett, Julie Gilhart, Phillip Lim, and more.

February 2010: The New York Times announced the launch of a Qatar edition of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, an Arabic-English magazine published by Oryx.

March 2010: On va voir.