Leo Lerman

Leo Lerman (1914–1994) was an American writer and magazine editor who spent about half a century at Condé Nast Condé NastCondé Nast is a global media company based in New York whose brands include Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ and Wired. It grew out of the publishing business Condé Montrose Nast built after buying Vogue in 1909, was acquired by Samuel I. Newhouse in 1959 and belongs to Advance, the Newhouse family’s private company. After Roger Lynch stepped down as chief executive in September 2026, lead independent director Mike Perlis became interim CEO.Open the full entry: 26 years as a contributing editor of Mademoiselle, 10 years as features editor of Vogue, about ten months as editor of the revived Vanity Fair Vanity FairVanity Fair is a magazine and digital media brand owned by Condé Nast, covering politics, business, arts and culture, entertainment and fashion. The title traces back to Dress & Vanity Fair in 1913, ceased publication in 1936 and was relaunched in 1983; it has since built a historical digital archive and hosts events such as its Oscar party.Open the full entry, and his last decade as editorial adviser to Condé Nast. He also wrote for the New York Herald Tribune, Harper’s Bazaar and Playbill.

Contents5 sections

Key facts

Early Career: Mademoiselle and Vogue

A November 1994 Vanity Fair tribute recalls that Lerman was a contributing editor of Mademoiselle for 26 years and features editor of Vogue for 10. He also wrote for the New York Herald Tribune, Harper’s Bazaar, Dance Magazine and Playbill.⁠[1][2]

1983–1984Editor of Vanity Fair

After Richard Locke Richard LockeRichard Locke (1941–2023) was an American editor, critic and essayist who was a senior editor at Simon & Schuster, deputy editor of The New York Times Book Review and, in 1983, the first editor in chief of the revived Vanity Fair. He then taught at Columbia University School of the Arts for 38 years, chairing its Writing Program, and wrote Critical Children.Open the full entry served as the first editor of the revived Vanity Fair, Lerman edited the magazine for about ten months; Tina Brown Tina BrownTina Brown is an English American magazine editor and writer, born in Maidenhead, England, in 1953. She edited Vanity Fair from 1984 to 1992, leading the revived magazine’s success, then edited The New Yorker until 1998 and later The Daily Beast.Open the full entry became editor in 1984.⁠[3][1][4]

1984–1994Editorial Adviser to Condé Nast

He spent the last ten years of his life as editorial adviser to Condé Nast until his death in 1994. The tribute calls him a guiding spirit at Condé Nast for half a century and recalls the salon he hosted for figures from Maria Callas to Truman Capote.⁠[1][2]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

Condé Nast: Official website: https://www.condenast.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[5]

Vanity Fair: Official website: https://www.vanityfair.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[6]