“In a deal that feels both strategic and oddly overdue, The Only Agency — the high-powered styling firm founded by Kent Belden and home to celebrity stylist Law Roach — has acquired The Daily Front Row, the cult fashion publication that’s been chronicling (and canonizing) the industry’s insiders for more than two decades. Belden, whose background”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Belden, whose background spans the New York and Los Angeles styling worlds — wardrobe, hair, makeup — says he was drawn to The Daily because of its “bold editorial vision and enduring legacy, which have earned it almost cult-like status in the fashion industry. It’s such an esteemed brand.”
Founded in 2002 by IMG (now part of WME), The Daily Front Row began life as a physical newspaper handed out during New York Fashion Week — a glossy, gossip-filled lifeline for editors and buyers killing time between inevitably delayed runway shows. Over the years, it evolved into something rarer: a fashion publication that treats editors, influencers and industry power players like bona fide celebrities, tracking their every move alongside runway reports, beauty coverage and designer interviews. Its website, DailyFrontRow.com, now draws several hundred thousand international visitors a day for breaking fashion news.
The Only Agency, launched by Belden in 2014, represents a roster of major wardrobe, hair and makeup stylists, creative directors and photographers — including marquee celebrity names like Penny Lovell (Rose Byrne), Andrew Gelwicks (Amy Madigan) and Dani Michelle (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Kendall Jenner).
“The Daily editorial director Eddie Roche and I started discussing this back in August,” Belden says. Roche adds, “Kent and I have worked together for many years; this felt like the perfect match. We’ve been looking for the right owner for a while, since former editor Brandusa Niro stepped away. The Daily will keep the same — and we’ll be expanding. I couldn’t be happier — love the team at Only Agency; we’ll be moving near them downtown very soon.”
Roche will now assume the title of editor in chief. The brand is also known for its splashy Fashion Media Awards in New York each September, as well as the Daily Front Row Fashion LA Awards in April — events that have drawn heavy-hitting honorees and attendees including Bob Mackie, Jennifer Garner, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Betsey Johnson.
“Look for expansion, more events, more of an international presence, more European and special editions,” says Roche. “There’s so much room for growth,” Belden adds. “It’s a very special synergy.”