This week, Sandow Design Group announced the acquisition of Canadian architecture and design magazine Azure. The purchase will see the title join a host of design-related publications in SDG’s portfolio, including Luxe Interiors + Design, Interior Design, Metropolis, and Design Milk, while representing a step forward in the company’s international expansion. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“One thing that we’ve always seen with Azure is it’s not just strong in Canada, but it’s really a magazine that is loved internationally,” says Sandow Companies founder and CEO Adam Sandow. “When you have these opportunities to buy these legacy, loved brands in media, we like to jump on them.”
Founded in 1985 by Toronto-based life and business partners Sergio Sgaramella and the late Nelda Rodger, the magazine was conceived as a resource on architecture and design during a time when “an awareness of design’s value and transformative power was practically non-existent in the North American collective consciousness,” according to a post celebrating the title’s 30th anniversary. In 2001, the company launched sister publication Designlines as a local shopping guide.
The acquisition comes at a difficult period for Azure, which filed for bankruptcy protection in October. The company’s filing noted that it had an estimated $850,000 in debt, citing financial difficulties related to broader media industry changes—including a decline in print revenue—over the past decade. Nearly a month before that, the magazine also began formally accepting offers for an acquisition or investment opportunity.
The purchase adds to Sandow’s existing presence in Canada—through Material Bank as well as events hosted by magazines in its portfolio. Sandow says that SDG will continue to pursue international expansion through future media acquisitions in other foreign markets.
Moving forward, Azure’s editorial team will remain largely intact. Though some employees have been laid off in the transition, Sandow says “many” will remain on board, including Elizabeth Pagliacolo, who will continue in her role as editor in chief. The publication will still produce its bimonthly print magazine, its website and the annual AZ Awards. Moving forward, the magazine will operate independently from SDG’s other titles. Meanwhile, for Sandow, an investment in Azure is an investment in the kinds of publications audiences will look to as the media ecosystem evolves.
“When you think of the scale of content—social media, podcasts, AI—brands that curate the best content to a particular audience, like any of our platforms, have more value today than ever,” he says. “Because all of our time is so limited, when you’ve got an incredible, visionary editor, and they curate the right information, it’s beautiful. That’s why we look at these brands and say, ‘There’s so much history and there’s so much goodwill and they’re so loved. Let’s double down and make them better.’”
