Crimson Magazine is a top-of-the-line fashion magazine owned by Aurora Media.
They are continually one of the sponsors of the annual Nurses Ball charity event.
Background[]
"Crimson" Magazine logo (2020)
Crimson is a fashion magazine initially managed by Connie Falconeri, also known as Kate Howard. In 2007, Jasper Jacks supported the launch of Crimson by providing space at the Metro Court Hotel and investing in it. Kate employed the well-known fashionista Maxie Jones as her first assistant and Lulu Spencer as the second. In 2008, Maxie narrowly escaped an assault by Logan Hayes, witnessed by Lulu from Johnny penthouse, previously Jasper Jacks' residence. The incident led to Lulu inadvertently causing Logan's death, resulting in her admission to Shadybrook Sanitarium. Following Kate's shooting, Maxie stepped in as the interim head of the magazine.
Connie Falconeri training her new employees (2007)
In December 2008, Kate held a party at the skyline restaurant to commemorate the re-launch of Crimson under Kate's name. During the party, after giving Carly Spencer the same dress that Kate had on, Lulu and Maxie were almost fired. But due to Jax having controlling interest, he prevented the event from taking place. In May 2009, it was revealed that new designs from Crimson were being leaked to Couture, Kate's former magazine now being run by Giselle May. After Damian Spinelli investigated closely, Clarice Bennett was fired from Crimson for her betrayal; but on further inspection, the culprit was revealed to be Kate herself.
In 2011, Lulu departed from Crimson but subsequently returned. The following year, Maxie exited Crimson after receiving a 20-year jail sentence, although she was eventually released. Additionally, in 2012, Kate withdrew from Crimson owing to a mental health condition that led to her confinement at Shadybrook, from which she was later discharged.
Manning Enterprises[]
Carly Spencer visits Todd Manning's company (2012)
In June of 2012, Todd Manning bought out Lux Corp., to whom Kate had sold the magazine in 2009. Todd bought the company and renamed it Manning Enterprises. Todd also bought out Pres Floyd's newspaper The Port Charles Press and renamed it The Sun. Manning Enterprises also owned a sports publication and two publishing houses. ME also owned a cable television franchise, but in August of 2012, Todd sold it to Jerry Jacks, who approached him using the alias "James Craig." Jerry then took to the airwaves to inform the city that he had poisoned the water supply. Sam McCall obtained a job as Todd's assistant so that she could secretly investigate his involvement with Heather Webber, but Todd fired her after realizing her scheme. Manning Enterprises was the sister company of Llanview, Pennsylvania-based Lord Enterprises, which Todd co-owns with his sister Victoria Lord. Kate's alternate personality, Connie, later forced Todd to give her her job back at Crimson and in March 2013, Todd moved back to Llanview leaving Connie as owner once more.
In December of 2012, T.J. Ashford and Molly Lansing-Davis obtained internships at Crimson in order to investigate Connie for stealing the manuscript of Molly's book, Love in Maine.
Connie's End and New Ownership[]
Nina Reeves, Maxie Jones, and Dillon Quartermaine (2015)
In August 2013, Julian Jerome, under the alias 'Derek Wells,' arrives in town and acquires the parent company. Derek mandates that Connie must unearth a significant front-page story for 'The Port Charles Press,' which he also owns, or face firing along with many other employees. Connie discovers Ava Jerome's deception of misrepresenting her daughter Kiki Jerome as a Quartermaine, and she leverages the scandal for the front page. Subsequently, Connie is murdered in her Crimson office on the night of August 23rd. Although A.J. Quartermaine was initially suspected, Ava Jerome was ultimately identified as the perpetrator.
In 2015, Julian left the mob to establish a new company named Aurora Media, formerly known as "Derek Wells Media." He appointed the inexperienced Nina Reeves as the editor-in-chief of "Crimson" with the intention of running the magazine into the ground for a tax write-off. Upon discovering that Maxie was employed at "Crimson," Nina offered her a position, which Maxie accepted. Additionally, Maxie provided Nina with a makeover to better fit the role of Editor-in-Chief. Dillon Quartermaine was hired as a photographer as well. In August 2016, when Julian was facing criminal charges, Nina blackmailed him into handing over full control of Crimson. Possessing critical information that could influence Julian's legal situation, she compelled him to transfer complete ownership of the magazine to her.
In 2019, believing Sasha Gilmore to be her daughter, Nina employs her as an assistant, only for Sasha to depart upon the revelation of the deception.
In 2020, Lucy Coe and Sasha collaborate to revive the Deception Cosmetics brand, persuading a hesitant Nina to sign a contract. Subsequent misunderstandings lead to Maxie's resignation, Nina terminating the contract with Lucy amidst accusations of talent poaching, and Lucy ultimately securing Valentin Cassadine as a new investor.
Later in 2020, Nina, having lost Sasha and Maxie to Deception, recruits Nelle Benson as her assistant. Nina confides in Carly her strategy to gather evidence against Nelle to use in court.
On June 29, 2021, the company initiated a partnership with Deception for the "Year of the Mother/Face of Conception" campaign. Valentin persuaded Lucy to appoint Brook Lynn Quartermaine as the social media manager. In confidence, she informs Maxie that while they are employed by Crimson/Deception, "Bailey Quartermaine" will be close by in the building's daycare, enabling both of her "moms" to visit her discreetly. Maxie expresses her appreciation and consents to Sasha's proposal for a candlelight vigil aimed at raising awareness about missing children across the country and aiding in the search for Louise and the fugitive Peter August.
In May 2023, following an anonymous tip from Nina, the S.E.C. begins an investigation into Drew Cain for insider trading, resulting in the freezing of his assets, including those of Aurora Media, Crimson's parent company.
Nina Took The Metro Court, Carly Takes Crimson[]
Carly Spencer enters the room (2024)
On January 19, 2024, in retaliation for Nina snitching to the feds which lead to him getting thrown into prison, Drew forces Nina to resign and hires Carly Spencer to take her place as "Editor-in-Chief." Immediately following Nina's exit, Carly admits to Drew she doesn't want to be editor, she just wanted to get one-up on Nina and go back to running "Bobbie's" for her mom. Drew is having none of it and talks her into taking the position.
On January 26, Nina meets up with Valentin at Charlie's Pub, and where he suggests he fund a rival fashion magazine for her, and poach all of her former employees from under Carly. Nina is tempted but turns him down. She does agree to come to him if she needs any help, and he toasts her as the eventual winner.
On February 22, after an argument over Drew refusing to drop his vendetta against Nina, Carly quit as Editor-in-Chief, after only having released one issue.
On March 21st, Drew having broken up with Carly since his twin brother came back to town, offers Nina the Editor-in-Chief position again. She refuses when she learns that she would have to collaborate to complete the latest issue with Carly's "trashy biker chick style." When Drew says he'll just let the magazine fail, Nina relents and takes back the position. Shortly after, she hires Madison, a new assistant.
Metro Court[]
Crimson is located inside the Metro Court, a hotel currently co-owned by Nina Reeves and Olivia Quartermaine. It is located at 1420 Quartz Lane, Port Charles, New York. It was built by Jasper Jacks on the former site of the Port Charles Hotel, which was destroyed in a fire in 2004, and named after his then-fiancée, the late Courtney Matthews. It is one of many companies onsite in the hotel.
Employees[]
Bold denotes current employees
- Drew Cain (Owner and CEO)
- Sydney Val Jean (Fashion editor)
- Nina Reeves (Editor-in-Chief)
- Jasper Jacks (former Co-owner)
- Hayden Barnes (former Chief Financial Officer)
- Connie Falconeri (former Editor-in-Chief)
- Carly Spencer (Former Editor-in-Chief)
- Maxie Jones (former Creative Director)
- Todd Manning (former owner)
- Julian Jerome (former owner and publisher - as "Derek Wells")
- Sam McCall (former co-owner and publisher)
Lulu Spencer started as the second assistant to Connie / Kate. As a favor to her cousin Carly, Lulu begins to work as an assistant to Kate Howard, who is launching a magazine with Jax. Lulu also discovers that Maxie is an assistant for Kate. However, after quitting Crimson, abandoning the Haunted Star and vowing to no longer devote herself to healing the Spencers, Lulu suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Lulu never ends going back to Crimson, but rather becomes Chief Investigative Reporter at The Invader.
Maxie Jones started as a Junior Editor / first assistant to Connie / Kate. She was later an Executive fashion editor to Nina.
Soon after Maxie's escape from the hospital, Spinelli makes his way out of the burning building, and the two reunite with a passionate kiss. After the crisis at General Hospital, Maxie returns to work at Crimson. Kate hires Johnny to go on publicized dates with Maxie in order to stimulate press for Crimson that neither Spinelli nor Lulu liked. It is revealed that they had both been kissing and Johnny had cheated on Lulu. Spinelli leaves Maxie but they reconcile when Maxie and Sam save him from going to prison for hacking in to government computers.
Maxie and Spinelli discuss his desires to have children. The new integrated Connie Falconeri hires Maxie back to Crimson. However on her first day of work, she is more concerned with keeping her personal secrets hidden than going to work. She throws a fit when she finds lab technician Ellie Trout looking through confidential medical files and she spends a considerable amount of time at The Floating Rib discussing the situation involving Lulu Spencer running away from the hospital. She finally goes back to Crimson and is able to regain her job. She also feels her daughter move for the first time while talking to the newly-fired replacement of Maxie.
In 2015, after finding out that Maxie had worked at Crimson, Nina, the new Editor-in-Chief, offers her a job. Maxie is now executive fashion editor. She also gave Nina a make over. Eventually, Nina fires Maxie due to personal reasons.
Maxie was rehired in late 2017.
In 2020, upon Lucy and Sasha relaunching the "Deception Cosmetics" makeup brand, Maxie begins to feel unappreciated at Crimson, especially when Lucy notices her talents and offers her a place at Deception. Nina attempts to get Jax to agree to a raise/title bump for Maxie, and when he refuses, she quits and joins Lucy and Sasha at Deception - though neither she nor Sasha are pleased that Valentin is their new investor.
