The Face relaunched in 2019 — seven years later it closed again

The Face was a legendary UK style, music and culture magazine founded by Nick Logan in 1980. It ran until 2004, defining youth culture across three decades with iconic covers and art direction by Neville Brody. Wasted Talent Media acquired the rights in 2017 from Bauer and relaunched the title in 2019 as a quarterly print magazine with a digital presence.

Despite strong editorial acclaim and cultural cachet, the magazine operated on an advertising-based revenue model that generated sustained financial losses. In January 2026, editor-in-chief Matthew Whitehouse departed to join Farfetch as editorial content head, and the magazine had announced six new hires plus plans for a Chinese edition. On March 27, 2026, The Face announced it was closing. The Spring 2026 issue with Robyn on the cover was its last.

CEO Jerry Perkins said: "We are using this pause to restructure and reimagine the brand for a new era." He apologised for having to lay off staff, especially the "new young team who were really starting to forge an exciting new identity and voice for this incredible brand." The magazine's own statement said the mission was "to honour the magazine's iconic legacy while making people feel excited to be alive at this specific moment in time." Two months later, in May 2026, C86 Holdings acquired the brand from Wasted Talent.

Kept the print ad model despite digital shift, with no subscription base, until losses forced closure and sale to C86.

The Face's relaunch relied on advertising revenue in a market where fashion and music advertising had shifted to digital platforms.

Wasted Talent lacked the capital to fund a direct-to-consumer pivot, leaving the magazine dependent on declining print ad revenue with no subscription base to fall back on.

The January 2026 departure of editor-in-chief Matthew Whitehouse, who had shaped the relaunch's direction, undermined editorial momentum just as the magazine was preparing the China launch.

Reviving a beloved legacy magazine brand in print without a subscription base or digital-native revenue model is an act of faith, not strategy.

C86 Holdings, the private investment vehicle of Singapore entrepreneur Kuok Meng Ru, acquired The Face from Wasted Talent on May 26, 2026. The brand was expected to continue in some form under new ownership. Wasted Talent said it was in talks with all affected employees about redundancies. The closure marked the second time The Face had ceased publication in 22 years.