As we reported last week, today is launch day for the new, improved T Magazine. Initial cover girl is Natalie Portman, there's lots (and we mean lots) of Flash goodness and, best of all, they've got ex-Chic Happens superstar (and current T features director/online director) Horacio Silva back on the blogging beat.

Full press release after the jump.

T: THE NEW YORK TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE LAUNCHES WEB SITE;

NEW DAILY BLOG TO FEATURE THE LATEST NEWS IN STYLE AND LUXURY

T: Holiday is First Issue Showcased on NYTimes.com/TMagazine;

Ad Packages Sold Out Through First Year

NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2007 – T: The New York Times Style Magazine announced today the launch of NYTimes.com/TMagazine (www.nytimes.com/tmagazine), an online publication that reinvents the magazine in a digital format and also provides a daily presence on the Web for T readers. The site will feature “The Moment,” a blog posting up-to-the-minute fashion and style news and discoveries by T editors and prominent outside contributors. The highly anticipated luxury site brings the visually rich content of T magazine to a larger, global audience. The quality journalism of T’s articles and photography will be coupled with Flash-based interactive content and original videos. The debut of the site coincides with the December launch of T Magazine in the International Herald Tribune.

“We have re-thought the way we want people to experience the beauty of T in a virtual environment,” said Stefano Tonchi, editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, “and have expanded our content in an elegant, sophisticated way to embrace the movement and interactivity of the Web.”

“The Moment” blog will be updated throughout the day and is edited by Horacio Silva, the features director and online director of T, with contributions from staff editors, T contributors, artists, filmmakers and celebrity guest bloggers. “The Moment” will travel with T editors to style events around the globe, starting with extensive coverage from Art Basel Miami Beach during the week of Dec. 3.

“‘The Moment’ will reflect T’s signature wit and intelligence,” said Mr. Silva. “It will be a fun, informative, Web-friendly way of spanning the T universe of style, women’s and men’s fashion, design, food and travel. T online will be the Web address where style meets culture.”

The advent of T online has resonated with advertisers; launch packages sold out in advance of the site going live. Packages were purchased through November 2008 by Bloomingdale’s, Gucci Group, The Louis Vuitton Company, LVMH Group and Neiman Marcus.

“T online provides a unique platform for luxury brands, and our advertisers recognize this,” said Seth Rogin, vice president, advertising, The New York Times. “That all of the packages were sold prior to launch speaks volumes to the confidence our advertisers have in the T brand.”

The T: Magazine Web site was engineered by the New York-based agency createthe group, which was recently featured in an article in W magazine and is the leading agency behind sites for some of the world’s foremost luxury brands.

NYTimes.com continues to reach a large, educated and affluent audience. It is the most visited newspaper site in the U.S. with an audience of 17.5 million unique users (October 2007 – Nielsen Online).

About T: Magazine

T: Magazine is published 15 times a year by The New York Times and is the premier magazine for all things in fashion and design. T: Magazine is written for a smart, discerning audience with an interest in incorporating style in all aspects of their lives. Originally published in 2004 under the direction of Stefano Tonchi, the magazine collection features dedicated issues on women’s and men’s fashions, beauty, travel, lifestyle and design and has an annual Holiday edition. Each issue of T contains columns and features by a range of writers including Lynn Hirschberg, Alex Kuczynski, Suzy Menkes and Alice Rawsthorn, among others.

About The New York Times Company

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2006 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 30 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

About createthe group

createthe group is the leading agency providing next generation digital solutions to the luxury segment. It was co-founded in 2003 by James Gardner, CEO, previously a director on Wall Street, and Tony King, creative director, previously eBusiness design director at the Gucci Group. Clients include many of the world’s leading luxury brands such as Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Calvin Klein, David Yurman, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Krug, Marc Jacobs, Movado, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, St. Regis, Theory and Tom Ford.

# # #