The Daily Front Row

the media issue sunday, febr

uary 10, 2013

this interview will be an instant classic!

Front Row

0 5 sha

des

of

n o d y a r g His tête-à

-tête

with George Wayne

plus!

stefano tonchi deborah needleman Anne Fulenwider nina garcia alex gonzalez linda wells paul cavaco Carol Smith emily smith Robin Givhan Connie Anne Phillips ariel foxman annette weber justine picardie virginie mouzat Dan Wakeford

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Designer-ese!

A Moment with…

Stephanie Seymour It’s not every family that goes to shows together!

Do you ever go on picnics?

Of course we do!

We’re a regular family. We go to football games, baseball games, and Jason Wu shows!

You’re in Jason’s current campaign, no?

Jason’s people called and said they’ll pay you in clothes. I was so excited. I was honored to do it. I’ve always followed Jason. I keep my eye on the young designers, and he’s my favorite.

You’ve got food in front of you in the campaign. Did you eat it?

No! That was a prop. It would be icky to eat a prop. My feet were next to the asparagus.

“The woman who inspired my collection, she is so beautiful. If we touch her, we could get killed. It’s like a cobra, you know, or exotic flowers. You want to have them, you want to smell them, but they are dangerous at the same time.” —YIGAL AZROUËL ON HIS MUSE FOR FALL 2013

JASON WU

your daily dose

A Moment with…

Allison Williams

What was your firstthought when you woke up today?

Is it a snow day? Is anything canceled? Nothing was. It’s so New York, so New York Fashion Week. Come rain, or sleet.

What if you didn’t have a driver?

I’d walk with my Hunter boots on and my umbrella turned out to get to the shows. I almost piled all the people on the sidewalk into the car with me.

What’s your most memorable blizzard moment?

Snow angels on the freshman quad at Yale.

A Foodie Moment with…

Mary Alice Stephenson You’re pals with Padma! Do you cook together?

She invited me once to help her be a Padma judge on Bravo. Padma was so good Lakshmi about describing, in the most senMary Alice Stephenson sual way, every taste and spice in the meal—what was I gonna say? I was like, “Cheers!”

What’s your go-to dish?

I’m only good at cooking for my sevenyear-old son. Believe it or not, he loves my lasagna. And I think you’re a good mom if you can cook a mean lasagna.

Did you ever cook to woo men?

Ha! I used to actually go buy dinner at Dean & DeLuca when I was busy styling shoots and being a fashionista.

I’d put the meal in a skillet and fake like I was cooking it. So Sex and the City! That’s my secret, and no guy ever called me on it! And the dessert was always sooooo good, if you know what I mean. No one ever cared about the food.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

SCENE

Nemo! It seemed like a biggie, but in the end, you were unscathed. DISCUSS! “The show must go on. We figured if we lose some of our audience, we’d lose some of our audience. We had our models booked, hair people, team members from all over the world are here.

We had people waiting for it.” —Tommy Hilfiger “The estimation was so broad.

Between 3 and 30 inches! It’s like, really? I’m between five and eight feet tall. Thanks, weather people!” —Leandra Medine, the Man Repeller “What’s wrong with you people?

I’m from Russia! We’ve seen worse. This is nothing for me.” —Anne V “Snow is so great in theory, like when you’re by a roaring fire with a glass of wine. At any other time, it is highly undesirable. I’ve blocked it out emotionally. OMG! I have to wear boots?” —Laura Brown, Harper’s Bazaar

YIGAL AZROUËL

ARD! OVERHE shnie et Ochs

Backstage at Cu I know you?

Random 1: Don’t u probably don’t yo t bu Random 2: Yes, use we met recognize me beca y fat. all re s wa when I w are you?

Ho t! gh Ri 1: om Rand

Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer Maguire at the MADE CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund event; pal Leonardo DiCaprio stopped by to say hello!

The Winklevi with Peter Facinelli at Nautica Men

getty images ( 1 1 ) ; bfanyc . com ( 3) ; vital agibalow ( 3) ; shutterstock G E T T Y I M A G E S ( 3 ) ; B FA N YC ( 3 ) ; C O U R T E S Y B A Z A A R ; S H U T T E R S TO C K

INSPIRATIONAL — SHOPPABLE

—

OH-SOCOVETABLE

ELLE ACCESSORIES ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 26 ALSO AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ON THE iPAD™, NOOK®, OR KINDLE™ VISIT ELLE.COM/ACCESSORIES TO SHOP THE ISSUE

Gorillas in taxis at Kate Spade

Rashida Jones, at the DANNIJO presentation

Today’s Pick Think you can out-do J.Crew’s Jenna Lyons? Submit your own look using the hashtag #vfbestdressed on photos you post to Instagram and Twitter or upload photos to vf.com/bestdressed.

A Moment with…

Coco Rocha at Helmut Lang

your daily dose DISCUSS!

Director Ben Affleck was snubbed for Argo.

What should he do on Oscar night?

“Catch up on lawn work. Plant some bulbs. That’s what I do on a Sunday.” —Evan Lysacek “He should just think there’s always a next time.

There’s always a next time.” —Crystal Renn “Show up and be a gentleman.” —Rebecca Minkoff “Have a great night in?” —Kate Lanphear “I don’t know! I stay out of everyone’s business.” —Angela Simmons

What’s your latest social-media obsession?

Vine. It’s better than Instagram, especially for the shows, because you can kick out more content. If you want to have huge numbers, be at the forefront. Get it right now.

You’ve also been using the app Pose.

Pose is pretty much like a Pinterest for clothing. And you would never think you needed that, but fashion is definitely its own thing.

Where does that leave Instagram?

I mean, Instagram is still there. In the morning, I wake up, and it’s not “Good morning, James.” It’s Instagram, then Twitter, then Facebook, then Tumblr, then Vine. Then, “Good morning.” And I don’t really check Google+ much. That’s bad. [Laughs]

Front-Row Beauty:

Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

Deborah Lloyd and Jaime King

You Saw It At… Jason Wu Rebecca Minkoff

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

How do you know the girls?

I first met Danielle and Jodie Snyder because I’m a fan. They should have really bad attitudes because they are so talented, but they don’t!

Little-known fact! You’re tight with Naomi Campbell. Was she destined for reality TV? I’ve known Naomi Naomi Campbell for 20 years. She is such a character.

She is a unique human being with a very big heart.

I’m excited for people to see the real side of her. What people think they know of her is not who she is. She’s funny and charming in real life.

Your dad, Quincy Jones, is very close with her.

She’s like our family.

A Moment with…

Deborah Lloyd at the Kate Spade 20th Bash

Your Inspiration: Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

Who would’ve thought that blue shadow would make a comeback? But the vibrant shade is starting to (literally) pop up at the Fall shows. At Jason Wu, the entire top lid was covered in a cobalt pigment, then paired with purple kohl. At Rebecca Minkoff, the look was more graphic, with just a thick line on the top lid for a more kitten-ish feel. Be bold, chicettes, and try it this week with Maybelline New York Eye Studio Color Tattoo® Metal 24HR Cream-Gel Shadow in Electric Blue.

A Moment with…

What do the next 20 years hold for Kate Spade?

Bigger, bigger, bigger. But not by losing the credibility or the sensibility.

How did you adapt your look for storm Nemo?

My Wellington boots, which every proper British girl has. A leopard hat and big overcoat, and it’s fine.

What’s your favorite party element?

I particularly like our gorillas [points to a guy in a gorilla suit hanging out by a taxi].

That was a personal request. I wanted something a little funny. I didn’t want it to be too serious. When I came to New York in the ’80s, if there had been a gorilla driving a taxicab, no one would have even noticed.

Jason Wu

Rebecca Minkoff g etty i m a g e s ( 6 ) ; b f a n yc . c o m ( 6 )

The

Di Sh Fix

A Moment with…

Peter Davis, EIC, SCENE Mag (and Daily alum!)

Are you enjoying the party?

Yes, I love the cake! I love Maybelline. I don’t wear makeup even though I should.

What’s your favorite cover?

Carine and Fabien in bed together. I can only fantasize…

Carine would be in charge. She’s a top.

Who would you like to see on the cover?

Brandusa. I call her the Wizard of Oz. Or Tom Ford, with a huge smile on his face.

Scene:

On Friday night, intrepid chicsters descended on the Library Bar at the Hudson Hotel for the launch of a double exhibition: “10 Years of Covers” from The Daily, and a celebration of eight seasons of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week beauty from Maybelline New York. The photos from Kenneth Willardt, showcasing makeup artist Charlotte Willer’s genius, were to die!

Champers flowed, and the cake was truly decadent.

Stephanie Newhouse, what’s your favorite Daily cover?

The Zac Posen one. I’m feeling romantic. Zac’s sweet, and so is his mom.

What would you wear on a Daily cover?

Nothing.

A Moment with…

Anthony Cenname, Publisher, WSJ. How’s it going, Anthony?

Kristina O’Neill’s March issue is going to take the fashion industry by storm! We position ourselves as the world’s leading luxury magazine.

Do you get along with Kristina?

It was love at first sight. We put a March issue together in very little time; she became editor in chief around Hurricane Sandy.

A Moment with…

Connie Anne Phillips, Publisher, InStyle InStyle’s been booming since you arrived in 2009!

What’s the trick?

It’s all about having a secret sauce! My Italian grandmother put a stick of butter and extra basil in her sauce. The secret to my success? Hire really top talent.

Are you a den-mother type at work?

I’m at the intersection of driven and maternal. It’s about getting the most out of people and inspiring them daily— and doing it with some cookies, milk, and hugs.

Are there really cookies?

Sometimes! And there’s definitely Diet Coke—that’s my version of milk.

What’s your management style?

I’m an “optimistic catastropher”; I lie awake at night coming up with solutions for worst-case scenarios. One day, when I get married, no matter what the forecast is, my outdoor wedding will have a tent.

Let’s talk numbers, s’il vous plait.

In four years, I’ve doubled the March issue paging. It’s the fifth consecutive year of growth at InStyle.

How does InStyle compare with your days at Vogue?

A good way of summing up the difference of working at the two companies is that some of the publishers at Time Inc. are my besties.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

p h i l l i p s : g i o r g i o n i r o ; pat r i c k m c m u l l a n . c o m ( 5 ) ; b fa n yc . c o m ; c o u r t e s y m ay b e l l i n e

front row Brandusa Niro Editor in Chief, CEO Guillaume Bruneau Creative Director Deputy Editor Eddie Roche

Executive Editor Christopher Tennant

Managing Editor Tangie Silva Features Editor Alexandra Ilyashov Senior Editors Maria Denardo, Sarah Horne Grose Fashion News Editor Paige Reddinger Contributing Writer Jenna Sauers Art Director Teresa Platt Photographer Giorgio Niro Senior Designer Dawn Sebti Photo Editors Jessica Athanasiou-Piork, Shane Cisneros Production & Distribution Director Allison Coles Imaging Specialist George Maier Copy and Research Editors Joey Meyer, Stefanie Schwalb, Christy Walker, Matt Weingarden Production Manager Timothy McVicker Imaging Assistants Megan Herlihy, Mihai Calin Simion

Vice President, Publisher Louis A. Sarmiento Advertising Director Hannah Sinclair Marketing Director Fred Miketa Social Media Director Ashley Tschudin Digital Director Daniel Chivu Publishing Assistant Anjali Raja Distribution Manager Shawn Brennan Distribution Supervisor Benjamin Woldoff To advertise in The Daily, call (212) 467-5785 Or e-mail: sarmiento@dailyfrontrow.com

DAILY FRONT ROW, INC. The Daily Front Row is a Daily Front Row Inc. publication. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Requests for reprints must be submitted in writing to: The Daily, Attn: Tangie Silva, 135 West 50th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10020.

On the cover: Graydon Carter and George Wayne shot by Giorgio Niro.

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Makeup Ma Mak eup ar eup a tis tistry try by y Ch Cha arrl a arl r ott otte e Will Will i er. © 2013 2013 3 May M bel bellin lin ne L LLC LC. LC C..

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runway

Fall 2013

jason

wu

Pleats, please! Wu went swinging into Fall with wispy pleated skirts on floor-length column and cocktail dresses in the pervasive black-white-red trend. One shoulder dress?

Empire waist? Rings a bell?

rag & bone

Haute for houndstooth. Marcus Wainwright and David Neville know a thing or two about knits, which appeared this season on exaggerated ’60s-style houndstooth sweaters paired with leather jackets and minis. But the best of all was their mannish herringbone pantsuit.

GETTY IMAGES (10) FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

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runway

Fall 2013

helmut

nicole

miller

Who’s got you covered? Nicole’s standout collection included her rocking new outerwear in bright prints and mix ’n’ match fabrics that will keep you looking cool, and haute.

lang

Picasso overload. Taking cubist cues from the modernist master, statement pieces like a tailored suit or a patent and wool shift dress will have gallerinas going gaga.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

CUSHNIE et ochs

Shape shifters. Volume added new dimensions to the usual mix of sexy body-con dresses with bell sleeves, wide-leg pants, and pleated A-line skirts with plenty of downtown sizzle.

suno

From Russia with love. Suno’s girls were like marching nesting dolls in folky prints, embroidery, and A-lines, all a tad odd and a lot chic.

getty images

Spring 2013 Issue

TINA FEY photographed by Paola Kudacki

Get it now: Available on iPad®, Kindle Fire™, NOOK Tablet™ and Google Play™, or visit time.com/springissue to order your copy.

Get more original style with substance every day at TIME.com/style

For orders outside the U.S., please call 813.979.6828. ©2013 Time Inc. TIME is a registered trademark of Time Inc. All referenced trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Wayne’s world

Magna carter

After 20 years at the helm of the hautest media brand on the planet, Vanity Fair’s fearless leader requires little introduction. The Oscar party, the restaurants, the haircut, the Rolodex—you know the drill. But do you know the man? We sent the inimitable George Wayne—VF’s resident jester and the undisputed master of the wicked celebrity Q&A genre—to give the biggest name in the mag game a taste of his own delicious medicine. BY GEORGE WAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIORGIO NIRO

GEORGE WAYNE: Twenty incredible years and counting, GC—and hopefully 20 more at least! This interview will be an instant classic. Let us start with fashion: What is it you enjoy so much about a Carolina Herrera show, where you are a front-row perennial season after season?

GRAYDON CARTER: I go to Carolina’s show because of Carolina herself. She is a dear old friend and I happen to love my wife in her clothes. Plus, I get to see Reinaldo play the role of majordomo in terms of seating everybody and ordering people like me around. Reinaldo, in fact, would make a perfect maître d’. If he gets offers from this suggestion, I would appreciate a head-hunting fee.

What other shows are must-see for you?

I also like going to Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg and any others I can squeeze in during the week.

What year did you move to New York, and from where, GC? In 1978 from Ottawa, Canada.

Ah, yes, Ottawa—the most boring big city in the world.

If you say so, GW. I’ll tell you, it was a pretty wonderful place to grow up. I left there at the end of the summer of ’78 to work for Time.

As a 10-year-old growing up in provincial Ottawa, what did you dream of becoming?

Well, most of all, I grew up wanting to be a New Yorker.

Even then?

Pretty much. And later, when I was in my teens, I envisioned myself as a painter or playwright.

Growing up in provincial Ottawa, did you have Sitka spruce and red cedar trees in your backyard?

Yes, it’s a very woody, snow-filled part of the country. We had a FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

skating rink out back.

How glamorous! You used to be E. Graydon Carter. What does the initial stand for?

Edward—but my father went by Edward. I was always Graydon, or Gray, to my family and most of my friends.

And who is your favorite tailor, GC? Anderson & Sheppard, ever since I could afford them in my early thirties.

And your favorite author?

P. G. Wodehouse.

Favorite poet?

W. H. Auden.

Favorite pop star?

That would have to be Mick Jagger.

And your favorite movie of all time would be?

The Philadelphia Story—it’s a crisp, brilliant film. I do love the fact that Jimmy Stewart plays a reporter for a magazine called Spy. It was one of the influences for us choosing that name for our magazine in the mid-’80s.

Where does GC get his signature coif styled and feathered, and how often?

A friend from Connecticut by the name of Craig Linley comes over to my house every two to three weeks. He sometimes cuts my kids’ hair, too.

And what will be the title of your memoirs?

Friends have suggested Magna Carter—oh, God. I was thinking more along the lines of Do I Have to Dial 9 to Get Out of Here?

Thank you for giving me a headline for this interview, GC. I’m looking forward to reading those memoirs and having you recall in fullest detail your meeting Princess Diana for the first time at a reception hosted by you at the Serpentine Gallery. There are classic images from that event that will

forever be part of your video hagiography.

It was a seminal moment in her life. She wore that gorgeous, short, sexy black dress, and it was her first public appearance after Prince Charles declared he was guilty of infidelity. What do you remember from that night, GC? Yes, I think that dinner was the very same night that Prince Charles went on television to admit he was having an affair.

But Diana kept her word and came to the dinner and was as lovely and as charming as ever. You know, she was a very normal person outside of all of that. She did, however, seem emotionally brittle that evening, but she managed to maintain her composure. On that night and others, she expressed her fascination with Jackie Kennedy. I think she felt she was having the same experience with the Windsors that Jackie had had with the Kennedys.

Where does GC like to venture when wanderlust takes hold?

Europe. A new favorite spot is the Mayr spa in southern Austria. My wife and I went there in late November to sort of unwind and rejuvenate. The Herreras love it as well.

There won’t be any sweltering through the Serengeti for you, I suppose?

Given the pressures of the magazine, I need access to the Internet and a constant flow of packages from FedEx. So the Serengeti will have to wait.

You’ve never wanted to visit Bhutan, or see a desert moon?

I’d love to visit Bhutan. I don’t know so much about the desert moon.

How often does GC have lunch with Emperor Newhouse?

Usually every ten days to two weeks.

You know, GC, those of us who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work at your behest over all these years have come to realize just how brilliant you are. You are the modern master of pop-erature—pop literature— and you possess the most uncannily prescient mind. As you know, that is the gift all great editors possess, and you have it in spades.

Thank you, GW, but you still won’t be getting a raise.

Since I have your undivided attention, I have to tell you, GC, that I was rather miffed after reading Vanity Fair #628—the Kate Moss cover—and finding that the writer made no mention that it was I who first introduced Kate Moss to Johnny Depp. Naomi Campbell and Roy Liebenthal will attest to the fact that I introduced them in 1994 at the celebrity-infested boîte of the moment, Café Tabac. As you’ll no doubt recall, GC, Naomi and Kate were an inseparable duo back in those days. Naomi’s nickname for Kate was “Wagon,” for some reason. So Naomi and “Wagon” showed up to Café Tabac one night, and I instinctively grabbed Kate’s hand and walked her over to Johnny Depp, who I didn’t even know, and said, “Johnny, meet Kate.” Who could have known that, because of me, they would go on to trash hotel rooms across the globe for years and years to come?

I will make sure to alert the writer, James Fox, to what you have just declared, GW. Café Tabac was where all the supermodels went to let their hair down back then.

Yes, I am aware of that.

I’ll also never forget the night at Tabac when Bono showed up with Christy

Turlington and got her so sauced on shots of whiskey...

That’s quite a story, GW. Have you taken a private tour of One World Trade Center—the future home of Condé Nast—yet?

I haven’t been on a tour yet, but others here have. I’ve been to the office building beside it to see the view from our floor.

Are you excited about the move downtown?

I wasn’t at first, but I’m excited now. People are saying it’s going to be the 21st-century Rockefeller Center, and the more I go down there, the more I think they’re right.

But don’t you think Ground Zero is haunted?

If it’s haunted, then the entire island of Manhattan is haunted.

Croque-monsieur or Jamaican beef patty?

Well, I’ve never eaten a Jamaican beef patty, but I do enjoy croque-monsieur.

Edith Piaf or Charo?

Piaf, of course, though I actually met Charo some 30 years ago when I was at Time.

GW’s favorite Vanity Fair Oscar-party moment ever was holding Gwynnie Paltrow’s statuette the night she won.

Remember that breathtaking pink Ralph Lauren gown she wore, GC? What are the most memorable moments for you over the many years of your world-famous party?

I always take my children, and if there was ever one moment, it was the night they were introduced to Muhammad Ali. For some reason, it’s always struck me as something they’ll never forget.

Any special surprises planned for this year?

We always try to do something special. Of course, we also try to keep it a surprise for as long as possible.

And who will have the distinct honor of sitting to your right at your überexclusive pre-dinner party?

Sitting to my right will probably be Fran Lebowitz. She usually draws the short straw.

What do you always order at the Beatrice Inn? Well, we just changed the chef there, but I usually order the iceberg wedge and the chicken.

Who is the new chef?

That cannot be disclosed at this time, GW. Will there ever be an outpost of the Waverly Inn at the Wynn resort in sunny Las Vegas?

A Waverly Wynn? No, I don’t think so. We’ve been approached a number of times, but we’re not sure how well it would translate.

I don’t believe that the lesbian woman is truly ready to be the next mayor of New York City. GW is backing Joe Lhota. Who would you like to see in Gracie Mansion?

Aside from Ray Kelly and Christine Quinn? Fran—I think she’d make a fabulous mayor.

And lastly, because it’s The Daily, are you happy with your new creative director?

Chris Dixon is a marvel and a joy to work with. Plus, he’s Canadian, so he gets all my hockey jokes.

Well, the reviews are unanimous: GC still rules! Thank you, my liege.

“As you’ll no doubt recall, GC, Naomi and Kate were an inseparable duo back in those days. Naomi’s nickname for Kate was ‘Wagon,’ for some reason.”

Fran Lebovitz Si Newhouse Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera

Johnny Depp and Kate Moss Gwyneth Paltrow

Mick Jagger

bfanyc . com ( 3 ) ; getty images ( 2 ) ; patri ckmcm u llan . com

Office politics Anne Fulenwider—the former Brides editrix who rose through the ranks of The Paris Review and Vanity Fair—might seem like a counterintuitive choice to run a major fashion monthly, but she’s up to a challenge... and very much in charge.

By Sarah Horne Grose PHOTOGRAPHY BY Giorgio NIRO

Go Ask AnnE!

Y

ou left Marie Claire, where you were executive editor, to edit Brides for a bit. Now you’re back as editor in chief. Any surprises?

The biggest surprise about being an editor in chief, wherever you are, is how little of the job is actually editing the magazine. When I came back to Marie Claire, I had to say, Okay, I’m carving out part of the day to look at manuscripts, because I do love to edit.

Is there pressure to put on the glitz?

Certainly we’re a fashion magazine, but we’re also about talking to women about living their real lives, and the DNA of Marie Claire is that authenticity. If I were sort of constructing a persona of an EIC, I think that would feel really inauthentic.

Do you have any managerial quirks?

Instead of looking at everything on a board, I like to look at it on a table. It’s more collaborative, so everyone who is working on it can gather around.

What was your foray into the world of fluffy white gowns like?

I learned about making decisions quickly at Brides, and not getting bogged down in whatever decision I make. I was there for a little over a year so I didn’t really get to see that project through. But this exciting opportunity came up, and I couldn’t refuse.

Did Joanna Coles give you any pointers? How are you two different?

Well, I don’t have a British accent, I don’t sing in the halls. What I learned from Joanna is the importance of talking to your staff, and really the importance of at least seeming like a democracy.

fa s h i o n w e e k d a i l y. c o m

“Seeming” is an interesting word choice.

I came from 10 years at Vanity Fair, which is one management style. And Joanna’s is very different.

I’ve learned from everyone I’ve ever worked for.

George Plimpton, my first boss in New York City, was on the one hand seemingly very stuffy and uppercrusty, but was actually very democratic and curious about everyone.

Are you anti-hierarchical?

I’m pretty direct. I’m definitely not a diva. I think the era of the EIC being the absolute authority is over. In an age of social media, it’s just gone. But that said, I think every magazine benefits from a strong editorial direction, and that has to come from the top.

What’s your earliest memory of magazines?

Definitely me in my bedroom, tearing out pages and plastering my wall with the pictures. I was obsessed with magazines. I was editor of my high school newspaper, and so I definitely thought I would end up on the staff of a magazine some day.

What was your first job in media?

The Paris Review was really my first job in New York.

When we first got email, we all shared the same address. I think that was particular to George Plimpton, but it was hilarious. It was like, can I get on the computer?

If your assistant were talking to her therapist, what might she say about you?

She would say so many things. I made a point to tell her, “Just because I email you in the middle of the night, doesn’t mean you have to respond.”

At Vanity Fair, where you launched “Fanfair,”

there’s a lot of emphasis on long form. Do you miss having more room to tell stories?

I think the real secret to any great magazine is to create a universe where everyone understands the zeitgeist of that particular magazine. Let’s say, for example, there’s a story on women in bullfighting. At The New Yorker it would be this long, atmospheric piece. If it were Vanity Fair, it would be about the most glamorous society family who owns all the bulls. For Marie Claire, it would be about the woman who is fighting against the practice of bullfighting. I love telling a story. Do we have to spend 10 pages on a story in Marie Claire? No, we don’t. We can do it in four or five pages.

What’s your personal relationship with style?

Ever since I started working at the Condé Nast building, when I was 25, I did, of course, notice who got into the elevator every morning, and what they were wearing. There was this funny moment when Vanity Fair shared an elevator bank with Vogue and Allure. Then we moved into the same elevator bank as Wired and The New Yorker, and went from being the least fashionable people in the elevator bank to the most fashionable people in the elevator bank. I’m aware of the way clothing arms you as a woman in New York, but I don’t like to think too much about it.

Your office is overrun with white roses. From anyone in particular? Those on my desk are from Reed Krakoff and these ones are from Calvin Klein.

Calvin sent the bigger bouquet!

Well, Heidi Klum was wearing Calvin Klein on our February cover, so they were very happy with us.

I

s it bit of a tug of war between you two? How are you finding the somewhat unusual arrangement of having both a creative director and an art director?

Nina: Oh, I don’t find it unusual at all. It’s been very seamless, very enjoyable. He deals with the bigger picture, and I deal with more of the details. We have fun together. I think we’re very similar. There’s nothing unusual about our working relationship.

Alex: I’ve known Nina’s trajectory very, very well. I have followed her career. First and foremost, I came to Marie Claire because a woman like Nina Garcia was attached to it. It’s very boring; there are no catfights.

Was it like when an actor up for a role asks “who else is attached”?

Nina: I’m hardly a movie star, sadly.

Alex: Though you do represent a certain kind of woman that is very in keeping with the brand. Nina called me, asked me to have lunch, introduced me to Anne Fulenwider, and both women represented a sort of ideal—a modern woman who has a career, who’s a mother, who has a passion for art, design, and fashion, but who has a 360-degree view. That was the impetus.

Nina, so how do you, the creative director, and Anne, the EIC, split tasks ?

Nina: My element is very visual and fashion focused.

Anne deals with the overall content.

How does Anne work with the visual team?

Alex: She has a very astute visual eye. We communicate constantly, but she gives Nina and I enough space to work out our ideas.

What can you tell us about Anne that people might not know?

Alex: She has a really fantastic sense of humor.

Alex, is there anything you can’t do at Marie Claire that you could do at W? It’s more rarefied air over there, certainly.

Alex: Oh, completely. W is a totally different animal.

It exists for a completely different reason. One of the reasons I love this job is it is so absolutely current. This magazine has a very intimate dialogue with its readership. W had a very intimate dialogue with its creative team. We have both.

Nina: What is incredible about Alex is he’s somebody who can do both art and commerce, and Marie Claire is both.

Is the Marie Claire woman into ball-gowns-atVersailles-style shoots?

Nina: I never rule anything out. We can do ball gowns at Marie Claire. Maybe we wouldn’t be shooting the Housewives, though. That is off limits and sort of goes against everything we represent.

What do you make of all the recent upheaval at fashion houses all over the place and on mastheads here in New York?

Nina: Oh my god, I’m excited about the Americans going to Paris! I’m excited about all the change. For so many years, we didn’t have that, and now it’s like the new frontier. And seeing the musical chairs play out in the design world, as well as the editorial side...it’s good to see things get shaken up from time to time.

Alex: It’s far less the ivory tower now. It’s very refreshing to see new talent, and new talent that’s been empowered.

Now every kid in America seems to want to be an editor thanks to Project Runway and shows like it. Is all that celebrity a distraction?

Nina: Listen, I think it was bound to happen regardless of me. I don’t think of myself as a celebrity.

It is now a multi-platform situation as opposed to the magazine in print by itself. Now all editors are required to be on TV and to have blogs and to have Twitter accounts and to engage socially. The business has changed completely.

Side Dish With

NinA and Alex

When Joanna Coles jumped from Marie Claire to Cosmopolitan, Anne Fulenwider was poached from Brides to fill her slot. But what about Nina Garcia, the mag’s telegenic fashion director?

She got a snazzy new creative director title, and the chance to reel in a big fish of her own, W’s acclaimed art director Alex Gonzalez. Talk about a triple threat!

Alex, are you horrified about the thought of TV? Alex: I’ve never thought about it really.

Nina: That’s what I said once, “Never thought about it.” [Laughs] Alex: I love Monsieur Gunn, but I don’t know if I could follow in his footsteps. I’ve always loved being the puppeteer behind the scenes.

So the March issue is the big reveal, right? The fruits of your combined labors?

Alex: I think the relationship is still young. We just finished the March issue, which was very exciting because I had been brought in to jump on board for one of the more important issues of the year. That will be the first issue that I’ve signed. It’s a very well-cooked product.

It’s almost an easy gig, to kind of come in and paint a pretty picture and tie all the loose bows.

Nina: You’ll see a difference. It’s not that Marie Claire is changing, but there is more of a polish.

How do you marry fashion editorial with meaty stories about women’s issues?

Alex: I became a full-fledged art director under Art Cooper at GQ, so I loved magazines that were able to do both. I’ve had a ball doing what I call picture books. I adore photography, I love fashion, but really what gets me going is that combination of doing a fantastic fashion editorial and then jumping into a strong feature.

What’s your new day-to-day rhythm like?

Alex: I’m a pretty structured guy. I’m always 15 minutes early if I can be. My son is 10 and my daughter is 7, so I wake up and get them ready. Work becomes, in a funny way, time for myself. This I do for myself. I see Nina or Anne first. It’s an immediate thing, like a daily fix.

Nina: We are the most in communication, Alex and I. We work very closely together.

Alex: One of the biggest surprises is how transparent Nina can be, nonverbally. When she walks into my shoots, I see her with a cartoon bubble over her head, and I go, “Give me five minutes, I’ll resolve it.”

Nina, what’s your management style like?

Nina: I love an open-door policy. You don’t need to make an appointment with me. If I had to sit in the closet with the assistants, I would still do it.

Do you feel the fashion and media world has become more cutthroat?

Alex: I didn’t find the cattiness when I was coming up in the business. Of course, it’s competitive. You could say that about Hollywood and finance as well. What has changed is that it’s a much bigger business; it’s global, and the players need to be much more tuned in.

Nina: You need to be very passionate to stay in this business. But I also think you need to be a little more focused, because there’s so much overstimulation out there. I am an obsessive consumer of information. That keeps me relevant and that is the future, so I would be crazy not to. I find inspiration in Pinterest; I love Instagram. That keeps me curious. It’s something that wasn’t out there 20 years ago.

On sites like Pinterest, you see how many people have a good eye. If they didn’t live in Nebraska, they might be up for your jobs! Does that make either of you nervous?

Alex: That’s where the focus comes in. I do see in young graphic designers, the ones that are incredibly hungry and ambitious. They have an old-school approach, so the research is very hands-on and very personal.

But what’s happened now—because the world is so democratic—it’s almost too much and too easy. You can make an inspiration board in 10 minutes, and it looks like something. Even if it’s not that original. Not to sound so old-school, but it used to be that you had to really dig it up, you had to have the instinct. It’s almost more difficult now with young designers, because there’s so much out there, so much noise, they have to really hone their personal vision.

Nina: And that’s what we, as editors, do.

It ain’t easy putting out a fashion magazine for the richest people on the planet, but if anyone knows how, it’s Stefano Tonchi. His superluxe readership loves what he’s doing, and if you’re honest with yourself, you know you do, too. He invited us up to his art-filled aerie to talk twins, reinvention, and the importance of aspiration.

By Christopher Tennant PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIORGIO NIRO

Inside man

THE

TALENTED

MR. TONCHI

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

How’s fatherhood treating you?

It’s great. Really great.

What’s been the biggest adjustment?

I would say living with help, especially with two newborns. You’re used to being very independent and now you have all of these people in your house!

Any tips for finding good nannies?

Listen to friends. I took advice from a lot of friends, because they have lived with these people and they trust them. You avoid a lot of mistakes that way.

Are you exposing the twins to fashion?

I think when they get to a certain age they will have a style of their own. I will take them to work, to fashion shows, and to events sometimes, but right now they go to bed at seven and wake up at seven. They have three meals a day, and they are very happy. Routine is important. I have to say when people ask me about this I wonder if it’s politically correct. Would they ask a woman these questions?

We would, but point taken! How much traveling do you do?

We travel a lot because as the editor of a magazine like W you have to follow the fashion and be where the action is, which means Milan, London, and Paris two times a year for couture. You have to keep informed. We also follow art, which means both Art Basels and also Hong Kong in May. We do it to meet people and find stories. To understand that life you have to infiltrate a little bit, and with art there is a lot of that. In the last year we have also done a lot of coverage of Hollywood. The movie industry is important to the magazine, so we do Venice, too.

What’s W’s mission right now? Mr. Fairchild dinged you a bit last year for your emphasis on the art world.

The focus and DNA of this magazine is fashion—great fashion photography, and a great narrative to these images. That is about 70 percent of the magazine—you see a lot of great fashion images and narrative, different from Elle, Marie Claire, and Bazaar...

And Vogue?

And Vogue, which has a great mix. I admire their mix and their narrative. But as Mr. Fairchild said, [W] is a magazine that wants to chronicle people—the rich and the famous, the old and new, and what is happening in society today. To do that you need to follow the interests of these people. In his day, it was Jackie O. and the swans and that whole group of Upper East Side ladies, and he followed them wherever they went. Today, who is society and what do they do? Well, go to Miami during Art Basel and that is where you will find these people. We cover art because art is the social currency of today, and our mission is to chronicle the time we live in and the interests of our readers. People like to collect and know about it; they like to see what other people collect and go inside their houses. They like to meet the artists so they can talk about them. It’s become much more popular than it was 20 years ago.

The term “aspirational” used to get thrown around a lot more in the magazine world. Do you feel like you’re manning the barricades?

I think it is very important to keep the dream alive. I think you need that dream. That is what this industry is based on—always wanting to be somebody that you are not, and letting people know that you have become that person.

It is like a visual text message. But you can’t just be exclusive. You have to be inclusive. And I think what we have also done with the magazine in these two years is to make it more accessible. It is much more personal and there are many more voices. When I arrived here, at the front of the book there was one or two stories and a few single pages and that was it. They would stretch a story onto three pages! Now, the front of the book is really packed with lots of information. There is so much of the same out there when it comes to magazines. If you are going to have tons of pages with still lifes of red dresses, or blue dresses, or sparkling high heels people will not read your magazine. Anyone can go online and see themselves. You need a point of view.

Do Europeans do it better?

It’s the difference between a French or Italian café where you don’t have many choices versus Starbucks where you can have your coffee that tastes like chocolate. I think a lot of magazines have lost that mission. Editing is painful. You can’t make everyone happy.

At the same time, advertisers have never had more leverage. How do you strike a balance?

To start with, a fashion magazine can’t just be about clothes that are only available in three stores. You have to think about the things that are available everywhere. I want to give things space in the magazine, but it is also doing a disservice if that dress or whatever is not available to the reader. You don’t want to create false expectations. You call it the pressure of the advertisers; I call it a reality check. I want to put stuff in the magazine that is actually on the market.

There is so much talk about the corruption that is going on in the fashion world and I think we should be a little bit careful. I don’t think other businesses are much cleaner in that sense, like the movie or sports industries. There are always insider deals, let’s face it. What is important is how you do it.

Your creative director, Alex Gonzalez, just left for Marie Claire. Was that a blow?

Alex has been a friend of mine for 20 years. I was looking for an art director and he heard about it and called me up. He came up with a consulting contract and was helpful with focusing on the fashion DNA of the magazine. He also gave me a lot of confidence. I have been very thankful for Alex, and I’m happy for him and his new gig. We’re going to have lunch next week, in fact.

But Johan [Svensson] is going to do a wonderful job.

Any chance he could up the font-size in the FOB? I think he’s going to make everything bigger—bigger product, bigger pictures.

He has a great aesthetic.

“

That is what this industry is based on—always wanting to be somebody that you are not, and letting people know that you have become that person.”

You have a reputation for bringing in ad pages. What’s your secret?

I come from Italian Condé Nast where you are very responsible for your magazine. You need to make it successful or else you shut down. I think now the reality is also hitting the American magazines. If you are not profitable, you are not going to keep your job. Profitably makes you free, and then you can do whatever you want in your pages. I have a mind-set that is very market-oriented, and our advertisers are also our readers, so it is a partnership in a way. It doesn’t mean that you are corrupted. The relationship has changed, and it is no longer possible to have that church and state kind of mind.

Why didn’t T work out for Sally Singer?

I think they misled her. And not everybody is made to be an editor in chief.

To be an editor in chief is to really be a brand manager. It is not enough to be a good editor and get great stories and get photographers you think are great.

You have to run a business behind it, and you have to run the personnel stuff.

You have to make yourself a leader and inspire them. When Sally was at Vogue, Anna [Wintour] really managed and dealt with a lot of bad things. When you are second in command, you are much freer and you can make statements and be more of an idealist. You don’t have to dirty your hands. That being said, they hired her to do the opposite of what they said. They pushed her to do the opposite of what I was doing, and then later they accused her of not doing what I did.

You weren’t always in the top slot. How did you learn?

You have to have a point of view and believe in your point of view and get a group of people who also believe in it, too. It’s not just about the salary, getting a title, or sitting in the front row.

INSETS: COURTESY

Edit test

T

T

alk to us. What the heck happened?

Everything that was written about it sort of wasn’t right! I was approached about this job two years ago, had a rather awkward meeting with Bill Keller and Jill Abramson, but felt I wasn’t ready for it. I didn’t have a clear idea of what I could bring to T. This time, when Jill approached me, there was no “maybe.” But I also wanted to take care of everything at the Journal first and finish all the things I’d started. I wanted to feel like I was leaving WSJ. in a good place.

How’s the vibe at the Times? Less corporate?

The Journal never felt corporate, surprisingly.

I always felt free and entrepreneurial—I didn’t anticipate that. Which is kind of why I ended up staying there.

Do you fit in better at the Times?

I feel more comfortable here, certainly. I know a lot of people. I’ve known Jill for about 20 years through journalism and living in Washington, D.C. It sounds kind of dorky, but I feel super proud to work here. I’ve never felt that sort of institutional pride in a place.

Never?

I always felt like a little bit of an outsider at Condé Nast and News Corp. I don’t feel like that here. People have been so incredibly nice and supportive.

Why did it feel like the right move this time?

T is a more serious fashion magazine, but I didn’t feel like RAD’ NEW LOOK: Needleman’s first issue

time With

deborah needleman

It’s been five months since this Domino-trix fled Murdoch’s WSJ. for the friendlier folds of The New York Times. Her mission?

Restore the struggling paper’s onetime cash machine, the Singer-ized T magazine, to its Tonchi-era glory.

Here, the print world’s most indemand turnaround artist opens up about, well ... everything.

BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIORGIO NIRO I had the experience or a point of view to bring to fashion two years ago. I feel much more comfortable now. I know the industry so much better. I just didn’t have any sense of what I could bring to it that would make it successful at that time. There are people who’ve been going to shows for 20 years, and there’s still a ton for me to learn, but I think my whole insider-outsider thing is good. I didn’t grow up in this industry, so I get to see things a little bit more freshly.

What did you think of T before signing on?

Stefano [Tonchi] built such a strong brand. It stood for cutting-edge information and beautiful photography. It felt like something you just couldn’t ignore. I want T to feel like that again.

Why work on yet another mag tucked into the pages of a newspaper?

Oddly, this is actually my third newspaper magazine, and my second as editor. Something about

fa s h i o n w e e k d a i l y. c o m

that tension of not being completely entrenched in an industry appeals to me, I guess. It’s the tug of proper journalism and investigative reporting. I like constraints. I like the idea of making the best possible product within a framework.

If someone gave me a load of money to go do whatever I wanted, I wouldn’t know what to do! There’s also a great freedom in not doing a newsstand magazine. You don’t ever have to talk down to the reader or do the lowest-commondenominator stories that editors have to do to sell on newsstands. T has a smart, devoted large readership. You just get to bring them the best.

The best as opposed to what?

Putting a dumb slutty celebrity on the cover!

[Laughs] I’m able to choose people to put on the cover because they’re interesting or talented, as opposed to how many copies they can move.

Is that why you chose Lee Radziwill? Are you going for more mature celebs?

It’s not about appealing to an older demographic. If an 80-year-old is cool, that’s fucking cool!

It’s cooler than a cool 20-year-old being cool. If you’ve weathered life and tragedy and you’re still amazing, that’s really interesting to me. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be twenty-somethings on the cover. Our job is to edit the cultural moment, and to me Lee feels right for right now.

Someone who’s a minimalist, sure of herself, and sure of her style for 50 years seems timely.

Your predecessor, Sally Singer, seemed to skew a bit grungy. What’s your aesthetic vision?

My sensibility is cleaner, with bigger pictures.

I like white space and all those old-fashioned magazine things.

What other sorts of changes are you implementing?

This might be a total disaster, but I have a poetry editor. It might just come off as pretentious and ridiculous. She chooses a poem, then we give the poem to an artist to make something sort of inspired by it.

We like it! What else?

Another weird thing is called “Take Two,” which are quick reviews. For the first round, we did Oscar de la Renta and Chelsea Handler and had them review the same cookbook and pair of Nikes. Oscar said he’d never worn sneakers until he tried them on for us. We also have this new section, “Lookout,” which is all quick, newsy cultural bits. Then, there’s this section called “Of The Moment,” which captures a styling moment.

It’s not about buying the products, though. It’s a filter for the season. I kind of hate the “It” bag or the “It” girl. There’s no “must-have” anything.

When you took the job, you were pretty open about your to-do list.

I’m not very calculating! Those were the ideas I had. A reporter asked, and I answered. I didn’t

c red i t h ere

I’ve never had the experience of coming in, tweaking at the edges, and just carrying something through. Even at WSJ. I felt like we completely revamped it. With T, we’ve changed every section, every rubric, every column—even the logo!

want to come to T if I didn’t think I could make the best product possible. It’s not like anything I’m doing is a direct response to anything that was happening before, and yet I think I have made what will probably be considered big changes.

Can you share any others?

Sure, I don’t care. The frequency, the paper, the trim size, and the broadening of the themes. A big part of why I came here is because I like starting and rethinking things. It’s a different magazine in many structural ways and yet it’s not like we reinvented it.

Talk to us about the logo.

I’m excited about it, but I think it might freak people out. This T is a very elegant, clean, modern variation on the T that stands for the New York Times. That T represents the Times—on its app, in the newspaper—but it doesn’t really represent the magazine. T is not the most interesting letter.

It doesn’t have a lot of sexiness to it, which is why I think our version is pretty great. But people always hate redesigns of anything they’re used to.

How would you describe the new look?

Patrick [Li] has designed a special typeface—it’s elegant and spare, but not cold. He’s been tweaking different little serif things that I don’t understand.

There is a lot of crashing. He’s very into crashing! It takes a knowing eye to see it, but if you don’t understand it, then it doesn’t matter.

How are you handling fashion?

We’ve got this amazing fashion director, Joe McKenna, who’s, like, my hero. That’s an amazing thing about the Times. Being able to just ring Joe up and have him say “OK” just kind of blew me away. The whole hiring process has taught me a little bit about the power of the Times. Or, maybe a lot a bit! I don’t want him just in the fashion issues, though. I want Joe’s input and sensibility all the time.

What about the rest of your team?

I restructured the magazine, so I needed a different set of staffers with different competencies. I want people who share my vision.

That’s the great fun in making a magazine—it’s a collaboration between people who are way more talented than I am. People were saying, “Oh, she so wants to bring in her own team,” like I only wanted [to work with] my buddies, but it wasn’t like that. There are lots of people that were here already TEAM T: (from left) Kate Lanand are crucial to phear; Patrick making this Li; Needleman and Whitney magazine.

But everyone needs to be essential to making what I’m trying to make.

How different will the masthead look?

When I got here, it was filled with a lot of stylists.

We’re still styling fashion shoots, but we’re not styling every single person and turning everything into a fashion shoot.

What are your thoughts on Kristina O’Neill, your successor at WSJ .?

I have no idea. She seems very nice.

Is your old protégé, Ruth Altchek, going to be WSJ .’s shadow EIC? I have no idea. I probably know less than you do!

Any advice for Kristina?

I gave her some off-the-record advice yesterday.

Back to your new staff: Did you poach Kate Lanphear from Elle?

No. She completely felt she was finished there, for whatever reason.

Where does she fit into your dream team?

I just love Kate, and we really needed someone to run the fashion department and there wasn’t anybody to do that. Michelle Kestler Sanders had that role, but she left early on and was never replaced. I had a really strong desire to know everything going on in every segment of the market. Kate is someone who knows everybody and has a great sense of style.

You and Cathy Horyn go way back, right?

I’ve known Cathy for so long. I knew her when I worked at the Washington Post, when I was, like, 10years old!

Have you talked to her about her recent

battles with designers?

A bit. She’s just doing her job, you know? The great thing about Cathy is that she has thick skin, which isn’t true of all journalists or critics. There are a lot of people who can dish it out but can’t take it.

Have you smoothed things over with the Times Magazine?

Yes. My job is to make something that isn’t being made here already. Hugo [Lindgren] has a magazine about policy, economics, entertainment, sports, and all kinds of things that T isn’t about.

How are you feeling lately about Debbie Needles as a nickname?

Someone made me that Twitter handle, and I thought it was fine and ironic, but then people started to think I actually liked being called Debbie. I’ve started getting pitches addressing me as Debbie. I don’t really care, but I kind of do. That’s what I was called in New Jersey. I ran fast and far from there, and [Debbie] kind of drags me back down.

How’s your personal style evolving?

I kind of just want to dress like a man. Or a really chic lesbian.

Why do you think that is?

There’s something about comfort, style, and simplic-

A spread from Needleman’s first issue,. featuring Alaia

ity. Beautiful blouses, crisp pants, and I’m really into the idea of flats. Every look I’m liking now is a little bit manish.

Who’s your current crush?

We have a different one every season. [Vanity Fair France editor] Virginie Mouzat was the big one in September. She’s ballsy, beautiful, and smart.

What do you think you’d be doing now if you hadn’t gone to WSJ.?

For a while I was trying to start a Web business and what I learned about myself is that I’m a super business-minded editor but a terrible business person. This job allows me to feel entrepreneurial but not actually have to be. But I don’t know. I used to think I would open a flower shop.

Vargas

all c o u r t e s y

The talented team behind the world’s most powerful gossip column is always getting up in your business. Isn’t it time you got up in theirs?

EMILY SMITH, Editor

y o j e th f

x i S o

Hometown: Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England Alma Mater: University of Liverpool STAR Sign: Leo Previous Gig: U.S. editor, The Sun First MEDIA Job: Reporter, then editor, of the University of Liverpool’s student paper Daily Grind: “Identifying and reporting out stories for both print and web.

We close at around 8 p.m., then head out to dinners, events, and cocktail parties.”

ADVICE from an Ex-Page Sixer: “The best advice I got was from Richard Johnson: ‘If someone throws a drink in your face, smile.’”

Best Rumor She’s Heard About Herself: “That I’m secretly pregnant.”

The Golden Rule of Gossip: “Never discuss sources.”

All great columnists have…: “A fierce sense of competition, a multitude of sources, a propensity to listen rather than talk, and an ability to remember things verbatim that were whispered to you very late at night.”

Biggest misconception ABOUT THE ‘SIX’: “People think that stories are handed to us every morning. In fact, we work incredibly hard to get scoops and to make sure our reporting is accurate.”

FAVORITE BEAT: “I enjoy covering sports stars, because some are so unpredictable.”

FUNNIEST reaction to being A SixER: “Eddie Murphy said I had warm hands for a gossip columnist. We only shook, just to be clear.”

Second-funniest reaction to being A SixER: “When a top New York publicist, who I had previously spoken to many times, refused to allow me into an important event because I was ‘too short to be Emily Smith.’”

FANTASY JOB SWAP: “I’d love to switch places with Margaret Russell at Architectural Digest for a week. Her magazine is such a pleasure to read.”

“We work incredibly hard to get our scoops and to make sure our reporting is accurate.”

BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV PHOTOGRAPHY

BY GIORGIO NIRO

IAN MOHR, Deputy Editor

Hometown: Brooklyn Alma mater: University of Denver STAR sign: Gemini Previous gigs: New York bureau chief, The Hollywood Reporter; box office editor, Variety; VP of development, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas Productions First Media job: Copy clerk at The Chicago Tribune Most useful takeaway from the Hollywood beat: “I’d be a ringer for someone’s Summer Movie League.”

Best scoop: “The one I had today.”

Trick of the trade: “The ability to talk about any topic for three minutes at a cocktail party.”

ADVICE from an ex-Page Sixer: “I once read that Richard Johnson said, ‘Never eat lunch standing up.’”

Tips RECEIVED per DAY: “Too many to count.”

STRANGEST source: “I’d never reveal a source.”

Desperately seeking sources: “…in Silicon Valley.”

Biggest surprise of the JOB: “That we all got Page Six tattoos that one night.”

Favorite Beat: “The art world, which is as intriguing as Hollywood, if not more so.” doES HE actually read the REST OF THE PAPER? “Yes. Religiously.”

Gossip nugget HE wishES wERE true: “Jack Palance accidentally reading Marisa Tomei’s name at the Oscars.”

ON friends’ holdING their tongues or SPILLING excessively: “Depends on the friend.”

ON Emily as BOss: “She’s the best! We make a great team.”

Pre-Page Six...: “I was an avid reader.”

Fantasy job: “Shortstop for the Yankees. Isn’t it everyone’s?”

OH, IAN! I KNOW HIM! He’s also Elisa Lipsky-Karasz’s husband.

STEPHANIE SMITH, Reporter Hometown: Chicago Alma mater: Northwestern Star sign: Cancer Previous gig: Memo Pad reporter, WWD; reporter, MediaWeek; writer-reporter, Money First media job: “Contributing to Playboy.com.

Stories, not photos!”

Best Scoop: “I had the story about Chelsea Clinton’s husband, Marc Mezvinsky, quitting his job to become a ski bum in Jackson Hole, WY. Other media outlets were so afraid it was wrong that no one wanted to pick it up the next day. But the day after, it exploded everywhere.”

Trick of the trade: “Work the phones every day.”

EARLY SIGNS OF PROMISE: “People told me all of their dirt in high school. I was never a big party girl, but I always knew who went to what parties, who hooked up with who, who was breaking up with who, and who got arrested. People would tell me all of their business on Monday morning!”

A great gossip reporter...: “Knows how to read a room. There are some situations where you just want to watch and observe for a bit before approaching.”

Favorite Beat: “CEOs and tech types. When Paris Hilton goes wild in a nightclub, it’s not newsworthy. But if Bill Gates had a dance-off at a bar mitzvah with a bunch of 13-year-olds? Now, that’s a good read!”

FUNNIEST REACTION TO BEING a Sixer: “People always say, ‘But you’re so nice!’ when they find out I work here.

We’re actually all nice! There’s a lot of laughter here.”

Page Six in six words: “Lohan, Bloomberg, Jay-Z, Clooney, Weinstein, and Wintour.”

MELISSA CRONIN, Web Editor Hometown: Abington, MA Alma Mater: Harvard Star sign: Cancer Previous gigs: Deputy news editor, Star magazine; senior editor, In Touch First Media job: “I started at Star magazine almost exactly five years ago! They sent me out on a lot of adventures all across the country. It was definitely a great way to get to know the industry from the ground up. It was also an opportunity to visit the Britney Spears Museum in Kentwood, Louisiana.”

Why you Bookmark PageSix.com: “We’re posting fresh exclusives throughout the day. We broke the news that Beyoncé had lip-synched at the inauguration!” print vs. online: “It’s actually easier to cover gossip online, because I can post stuff immediately and don’t have to worry about other people breaking a story first. For a journalist, that’s the most stressful feeling in the world! It sometimes takes a few minutes for stories to show up on the website—whenever I have something big, I sit there refreshing like a maniac.”

Not-So-GOSSIP SOURCE: “Twitter, duh.”

MARA SIEGLER, Reporter

LORRAINE CHOW, Web Reporter

Hometown: Novelty, Ohio (“40 minutes outside Cleveland”) Alma Mater: Ohio University Star sign: Scorpio Previous gigs: Editor at AVENUE and GuestofaGuest.com and “a ton of freelance writing and reporting” for the Daily News’ Gatecrasher column First Media job: Covering the events industry for the trade mag BizBash Reporting tip: “Keep your eyes open at all times. I’ve heard crazy things from smokers or in the bathroom. And always ask the follow-up question: You rarely get a second chance.”

Biggest rookie mistake: “Not making sure you have the exclusive. It’s terrible to have something you think is great, only to find out everyone else has it, too!”

Lesson from the trenches: “If you have to ask something tough, make it your last question and be polite. The first gossip assignment I ever had, I was so nervous I barged up to a big movie star’s table while he was eating at some super-fancy benefit at Cipriani. America’s favorite action star told me to go f*ck myself. I cried in the bathroom, but his blow-up ended up being the story!”

Hometown: Los Angeles Alma Mater: Loyola Marymount Star sign: Sagittarius Previous gigs: Assistant editor, HollywoodLife.com; intern-turned-associate editor, iVillage.com First Media job: An internship at CNN WEB 101: “The celebs we cover online are different than the ones in print: More Lohan and Kardashian.

The web audience is different. There’s a reason why the Al Roker story went viral!”

DAILY GRIND: “We’re up early because that’s when most people are on the Internet. The feeling of immediacy and posting stories before they break on other sites is a real rush. We know how to write headlines for SEO purposes to make sure it’s on top of a Google search.”

EARLY SIGNS OF PROMISE: “Growing up in L.A. I was always fascinated by the entertainment industry. I think I watched a little too much E!” Best Scoop: “Nicki Minaj being denied entry to her own album release party at Greenhouse. I left the event bummed that she never showed up. We found out the next day that she wasn’t allowed in because she showed up at 3 a.m. with an entourage 30-deep.”

Off-duty gossiping: “I try to turn it off when I leave work, but I inevitably find myself obsessively dissecting Lindsay Lohan’s latest stunt with my friends.”

DREAM JOB: “I really admire Malcolm Gladwell.”

What time do you wake up?

If I work out, 6 a.m. If not, 7:30.

What’s the first thing you see?

My phone. Then the view of a neighboring building’s water tower.

What’s the first sound you hear?

I actually wake up naturally.

When do you pick out an outfit?

After I’ve showered in the morning. It’s spontaneous.

What do you eat for breakfast?

An iced coffee and a banana.

How do you take your coffee?

Unsweetened and black, from Pret A Manger.

How do you get to work?

I normally take the subway. But if I’m late, I hop in a taxi, which ironically always takes longer.

How many emails do you get before 10 a.m.?

Probably between 20 and 30.

Who do you respond to immediately?

Everybody! Well, not generic or spam emails, but everyone else. I try to stick with a policy that if I’ve opened and read an email, I have to deal with it right away. If I know I can’t respond, delegate, or delete, I don’t open it.

What time do you have lunch?

If I have a lunch appointment, once or twice weekly, around 1 p.m. If not, the day rolls by until my assistant emails me about lunch, between 2 and 4 p.m.

What do you eat?

Diet Coke, something veggie at lunch meetings, or Pret’s vegan wrap alone.

Who do you eat with most often?

Fashion PRs, or friends of the magazine.

How many meetings do you have each day?

Anywhere between 10 and 15.

What’s your assistant’s name?

Brooke, with an “e” at the end.

How would you describe your relationship with your assistant?

Codependent!

Do you ever go into the InStyle beauty closet?

I don’t hang out there—nobody really hangs out there, since it’s basically under lock and key, and it’s kept very organized. Once in a while, I’ll ask Brooke to grab me a tweezer or moisturizer from the beauty closet.

How many reader letters do you read in an average day?

Between 20 and 40. One of the first FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

things I do each morning is read a red folder full of reader letters that Brooke prints out for me. We also get a lot of mail from high school and college students who want to learn about the publishing industry.

What’s your favorite cover?

The one that’s out right now, with the women of Oz. Our first triocover ever!

What was your biggest seller?

The March 2008 issue, with Eva Longoria on the cover. It sold 889,000 copies.

What time do you leave the office?

I don’t get out of here until 7 or 7:30 p.m. Most nights, I leave here to go to an event, like a screening, cocktails, or something, and then a dinner. I rarely eat dinner before 8:30 p.m.

What time do you go to bed?

Not before midnight.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse?

I’ve done a few of them. I’ve enjoyed doing cleanses; I like a challenge!

What’s your nightcap?

I’m a Sancerre guy, and in the winter I like a Dark and Stormy.

Do you watch reality TV? I watch all of The Real Housewives.

I’ll watch anything on OWN, and I’m obsessed now with this new TLC show, Neat Freaks—and Extreme Cougar Wives!

How often do you tune in?

I don’t have time to watch TV every night, but one night each week I’ll watch a bunch of stuff.

How’s your German?

Nil! Actually, my father speaks Yiddish, as did my grandparents, who’ve passed away. There’s a lot of overlap between Yiddish and German, so I can understand every third word when I hear German friends speak the language. But I can’t piece together everything.

What’s it like to oversee German InStyle?

One of my monthly highlights is seeing the new international editions before they go to press. It’s fun to see which words are used on German covers.

They wouldn’t seem strange to a German person, but to me they look so animated. The covers are sent with translations, thank God. My art director always asks me to use shorter words on our covers; I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a German art director!

Where did you go to college?

I went to Harvard.

What’s your Zodiac sign?

Aquarius. I feel like we’re dating right now...that you’re going to set a profile for me on, like, German OkCupid.

Do you follow astrology?

Absolutely! But only Susan Miller. I check every day. She’s usually right.

What’s your nickname?

People call me “Foxy.”

What designers are in your closet?

Tom Ford and Dries Van Noten.

When were you last in Berlin?

Six or seven years ago.

Are you on Twitter?

Yes, of course! I live on Twitter.

If I work out, I’m up at 6 a.m.

If not, 7:30.

ariel foxman

Two InStyle Editors,

Two Very Different Days

An Ar di

BY

s,

s

Parallel

lives

In the morning I don’t do makeup or my hair. I just rush to my wardrobe.

annette weber

Annette runs German InStyle; Ariel helms the U.S. edition. How different could their lives be?

BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV & EDDIE ROCHE

What time do you wake up?

6:00 a.m.

What’s the first thing you see?

Either my son or one of my boyfriends.

How many boyfriends do you have?

At the moment, one.

What’s the first sound you hear?

Horns! It’s awful. I’m awake in a flash.

When do you pick out an outfit?

In the morning I don’t do makeup or my hair. I just rush to my wardrobe.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Hot full-fat milk, toast, and an apple.

How do you take your coffee?

Sometimes I have a spoonful of instant coffee in hot milk.

How do you get to work?

I have my own SUV. How many emails do you get before 10 a.m.?

No emails at all. I hate email. I have three secretaries, and they take all the email for me. I hate, hate, hate email. I am on Facebook, but I only check it once a week. If something is really important, you call or meet someone. And I hate the cc!

Millions of emails that aren’t of any interest, just because people want to make sure everyone is informed.

My secretaries tell me what is important.

What time do you have lunch?

1 p.m.

What do you eat?

I normally go out and have business meetings. I go to an Italian espresso place. I usually eat potatoes, white cheese, and vegetables.

Whom do you eat with most often?

I go with my deputy editor, Marianne.

How many meetings do you have each day?

I have a lot! At least five.

What are your secretaries’ names?

Ute, Natalie, and Irene. They call me Mrs. Weber; I call them by their first names.

How would you describe your relationship with your assistants?

Very good; professional. I rely totally on them. They organize my life.

Do you ever go into the InStyle beauty closet?

No! How many reader letters do you read a day?

It depends on the subject. Certain topics receive a lot of mail.

Do you write back?

If people write me, I write them back.

I’m a great fan of handwritten letters.

What’s your favorite cover?

It’s always the last one.

What’s your best seller?

Our tenth anniversary issue. We wrapped it with red foil. It sold more than 520,000 copies, which in Germany is a record.

What time do you leave the office?

6 p.m., sharp, to be with my son. I make sure he does his school work.

In Germany, we love to have business meetings in the evening; normally, we start at 8 p.m.

What time do you go to bed?

I want to be in bed no later than 11:30 p.m. because I wake up so early.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse?

No. What’s your night cap?

I go out a lot during the week. I’m such a party animal. I start with champagne, but the later it gets I have vodka and cranberries; at the end of the night, I drink beer. The business meetings are very, very boring, so I have to go out afterward with my fan club.

Your fan club? Please explain.

Some of my boyfriends.

Do you watch reality TV? No. I have a problem with TV. I sometimes watch the news, though.

How’s your English?

Bad! It should be better, but there is no time to improve that. My daily routine is a nightmare. I couldn’t take lessons.

Where did you go to college?

I went to a little school in Germany’s second oldest city, in the middle of nowhere.

What’s your Zodiac sign?

Pisces.

Do you follow astrology?

Not at all.

What’s your nickname?

Netti. It means that I’m a nice girl.

What designers are in your closet?

My uniform is jeans from Closed, silk blouses from Rena Lange, a lot of Prada and Christian Louboutin shoes. Also, I wear a lot of Akris and I love Cavalli.

When were you last in NYC? September.

Are you on Twitter?

No. Why not?

I’m not too into that electronic thing.

I’m so old-school.

Do you know Ariel Foxman?

Of course I know him! Ariel is also the director of the international InStyle. He’s also my partner. He gives approval for all of my covers and cover lines. He’s very good looking! He’s very precise, intelligent; he knows exactly what he wants and what he doesn’t want. He’s a very good editor! Also, he has the most beautiful skin I’ve ever seen. Every woman envies him for his skin! It’s amazing. Maybe he can tell me who his dermatologist is.

FOX M A N : G I O R G I O N I R O ; W E B E R : C O U R T E S Y G O R A N G A J A N I N / T M & (C) T U R N E R B R OA D C A S T I N G S Y S T E M

Beauty beat

Alluring proposition

Editor-designer partnerships are often fraught, but Allure editrix Linda Wells and her creative director, Paul “the C in KCD” Cavaco, seem to have it all figured out. Thirteen years together, and they’re still cracking each other up. And they said it couldn’t last…

BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIORGIO NIRO

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

How did you two meet?

Linda: Before Allure even started, we called Paul and asked him and his KCD team to talk about doing PR for the magazine.

Paul: Linda described Allure—she was going to lift the veil on beauty products: what really works, what doesn’t work, and what’s a lie. It was such a new thing to approach beauty from a reported point of view. I just looked at her and said, “Sorry, I don’t know how to do this.”

Linda: I love the fact that you turned us down and then you came to work here.

Paul: I couldn’t figure it out! I was flummoxed by the whole thing. And then, of course, the magazine came out and it was great.

Linda: I was sort of shattered when Paul said that.

I thought he was so shortsighted. I felt terribly hurt and insulted! But I also thought he was wrong. It might be a statement of how inarticulate I was in explaining the concept.

Paul: No, no. You were very articulate. It’s more of a statement of how I always say no before yes—until I can wrap my mind around it.

Linda: Then Paul covertly styled a cover of Allure that we photographed with Steven Meisel and Linda Evangelista. He styled it completely on the sly.

Wait, what?

Paul: I was shooting an ad with Steven and he said, “Can you just call in some stuff for this Allure cover?” I said, “OK, fine, whatever.” Steven told everyone not to tell Linda; I thought it was probably a conflict of interest. I lived in a brownstone that didn’t have a doorman, so don’t ask me how the biggest bouquet of flowers got into my apartment the next day, onto my dining room table, with a note that said “To my secret editor.”

When did you not-so-secretly join Allure?

Linda: In 1999, Polly Mellen retired, and there was only one person I wanted to work with.

Paul: I was getting ready to do the next thing, anyway. Linda approached me, and we went to a bar.

Linda: It was somewhere in the Sixties on Third Avenue, where no one would find us! We agreed that the magazine should be beautiful, because it’s about beauty, while still giving information. Before Paul, we’d been fighting to be not beautiful, to prove that we were tough, strong, and journalistic. We realized that was a really ridiculous approach.

It worked out, I take it?

Linda: We often do stories about the biggest beauty mistakes—but Paul pointed out, very brightly, that you don’t want to see the ugly. You don’t want to see the sunburn! You want to see the skin look great. Even if you’re showing what’s wrong, we make sure it’s still a beautiful photograph.

Paul: We were also coming off the ’90s, with grunge and everything.

Linda: And heroin chic, too—stringy hair and no makeup. It wasn’t the most beautiful time in fashion history. We worked with Michael Thompson on most of our covers, and focused on the close-up face cover—that became our branding, our stamp.

What do you squabble over after 13 years?

Paul: We only clash about deadlines. I never think I’m going to make my deadlines, and I come to Linda’s office and tell her that. Then I always do.

Linda: I find it funny! I tell Paul, “You know what?

Deadlines come around. It’s the same thing every month—it’s not a surprise.” Besides, I don’t issue the rules about the deadlines.

Paul: But I still complain to her about them.

Linda: But really, we agree much more then we disagree. If you don’t believe in the same vision, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to suffer through working together.

Paul: Sometimes we’ll look at two covers; she’ll like one and I’ll like another—and they’re so similar. It’s, like, photo 19 and photo 20!

Linda: Then we’ll mud-wrestle. I always win, ’cause I’m bigger.

Paul: But really, we try to be adults about everything. We fight enough with our children. We don’t have to fight with each other!

Do you think that’s the norm?

Linda: People always say we’re laughing more at shows than anyone else—we have a really fun time.

Paul: Linda’s reputation is flawless, so I knew this would be fun.

Do you hang out outside the office?

Linda: We do!

Paul: We go to dinner, normal things like that.

Linda: We’ve also gone to see concerts. [Laughs] Paul: We went to see TLC, believe it or not. We also saw Madonna—it was the most mortifying thing in the entire world, because everyone stands up to dance. You can’t sit at a Madonna concert.

Who has better dance moves?

Paul: We didn’t move! We weren’t about to, like, go dancing! Oh, God. Linda: Paul can dance. You do not ever want to see me dance.

Paul: I’m Latin, so…

Onto the mag. How’s Allure enduring?

Linda: Sales are up enormously in both drug stores and department stores—beauty is really relevant right now. We’re a much more image-oriented society, and beauty is relatively affordable compared with other forms of indulgence.

How closely do you work with the ad folks?

Linda: We’re working in a totally different way—it used to be so church-and-state at Condé Nast. We realized that there was a way to work together! We come up with very basic, strong editorial ideas, then the advertising department sells those ideas—and it gives advertisers more marketing possibilities. Our publisher, Agnes Chapski, can really take these ideas and make them reach their greatest potential.

Have other women’s titles ripped off Allure on the beauty front?

Linda: Almost every magazine has increased its beauty editorial coverage, including more reported pieces. No harm there! Everyone now has a “Best in Beauty” issue of some sort. Ours is recognized as the leader, though. Our seal has become an incredible licensing business on products and in advertisements.

Did you ever worry about Allure not working?

Linda: I was more worried before we launched. We had this prototype of the magazine for advertisers to see. Two days after it was printed, Mr. Newhouse decided to shred the entire batch of prototypes because they weren’t right. They weren’t good

enough. We had to get a whole new art department and start again. I was a little worried!

Paul: You were also just a baby!

Linda: But they had their support behind me, for whatever reason. One of our first issues had maybe nine pages of advertising—it was pathetic. But from that moment on, Allure completely took off and hasn’t stuttered since. Sure, I’ve worried about losing my job, but I’ve never thought the magazine was going to fold.

Did you have a Plan B, though?

Linda: No! I just felt so lucky to do it. I was so busy, too. I’ve never had time to think about what I’d do instead of this!

How about that Keira Knightley cover everyone was in a tizzy over?

Linda: We did not remove her nipple! That’s a shadow from the jacket. We were kind of shocked by the reaction.

Paul: Let me show you. [Whips out a magnifier.]

Just follow the line of her jacket! She’s very flatchested.

Linda: It’s OK to say that. She’s the first to admit that she’s flatchested.

Paul: I mean, people have nipples!

“We try to be adults about everything. We fight enough with our children. We don’t have time to fight with each other!”

i n s e t c ov e r s : c o u r t e s Y

Elle

and back Publishing’s most affable category chameleon, Carol Smith hopscotched from Elle to Bon Appétit to her current home of the past year and a half, Harper’s Bazaar. A fashion homecoming of sorts? You betcha! The secret to her success?

Some familiar faces from her six-month tour of Condé—and, yes, working weekends.

BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIORGIO NIRO

H

ow’s Bazaar treating you?

It’ll be two years in June—it’s one of the fastest rides I’ve taken in terms of rethinking a magazine. 2012 was our best year ever, and we’re 145 years old! March 2012 was our biggest March ever. It billed more revenue than September! It was a total surprise; I didn’t even notice until my bosses told me.

Were you thrilled or bummed to cut frequency?

Being out 10 times a year, by combining our December/January issues, means I take vacations twice a year. In October, when everyone’s stressing over that January issue, I’ll be away! I’m debating between Greece and Israel right now.

What else does 10 issues mean for Bazaar?

We saved a lot of money doing that, and David [Carey] is letting us spend it all. He could’ve taken it and put it toward the bottom line, but instead he gave it to me to invest in production value—better paper, bigger pages, and an even more beautiful product.

Don’t editors usually make those calls?

I married an editor, so I think I have edit in me. We needed the best production values: Bazaar was never going to be the biggest, so we had to be the best. We don’t want to be W, with a circulation of 450,000; I like being around 700,000. I’d even like to be a little bit bigger.

Should more mags cut their frequency?

July and January are horrible! There are no ads. If you’re making money, stay at 12 issues. But when I got to Bazaar, it seemed like a no-brainer.

How about that six-month Bon Appétit stint—did you think it would last?

Of course I did! But I’m very happy to be back in fashion.

I belong in fashion. I was so excited to be in food; a hamburger and fries is my idea of a delicacy. The good news is that half of our [publishing] staff is from Bon Appétit.

Why so many Bon Appétit alums?

Me! They followed me. It’s a different perspective to bring talent from outside, as opposed to pulling from the fashion pool. When I came from Parenting to fashion in 2001, diapers was all I knew.

You’re a quick study!

I used to carry this Post-it with me, listing all the brands fa s h i o n w e e k d a i l y. c o m

HEARST’S

TOP

COMPETITRIX

Carol Smith is back in the fashion game, and winning it. at PPR and LVMH. I had no idea what any of it meant. It was my little cheat sheet.

But in fashion, people are more than happy to teach you. If you love fashion, you want to be taught.

You’re a fashion lover, I take it?

My mom was one of the first Long Island retailers to have Donna Karan in-store, and my dad made ladies’ hats—Jackie Kennedy-pillbox-type stuff. It’s in the genes!

Do you still work weekends?

Yes, I have a weird habit of working on Sundays. I go through my inbox, getting it below 100 unread e-mails. I often get below 50! It’s hard to get to zero. It’s a very nice Sunday ritual.

So, enlighten us: What’s Bazaar’s niche?

Fashion first, beauty second, then life.

Bazaar’s DNA is in art, culture, and even literature. We published some of the best fiction; Andy Warhol was our shoe illustrator for almost 20 years, and Dick Avedon started right out of college here! Diana Vreeland brought risk-taking to Bazaar, and Glenda is taking some of that back.

Did you hit it off with Glenda?

When I arrived, I imagine she thought, “OK, another publisher.” But we showed that our team can really produce: We made more money in 2012 than Bazaar had made in

over 25 years. In 10 years, Glenda had never seen a bottom line like what we produced in December. Glenda also has so much knowledge that she’s willing to share. She’ll call anyone on my behalf.

What’s the deal with Shop Bazaar?

In 1997, I left publishing for a year to launch two content-to-commerce sites: Beauty Jungle and Baby Style.

Neither worked. I didn’t get very rich.

I still have 263,000 shares of Beauty Jungle if you want any! In 2009, I tried again at Elle; I still didn’t have it quite right. When I got here, I presented my idea to David [Carey] and Michael [Clinton]. Hearst Corporate funded it. People say that’s sort of amazing.

Why was Bazaar a good guinea pig?

Bazaar has more fashion edit and is more commercial than any other core fashion titles. It’s the most shoppable, too; that does not mean affordable!

Is Shop Bazaar a success?

My mother has been a retailer since 1967, and she tells me I’m successful!

Will you be masthead-hopping again soon? Should we just set up the next (fourth!) Carol Q&A now?

Ha! My plan is to end my career here. covers all courtesy

S:10.25”

Work what your engineer gave you.

S:13”

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Catching up

F

irst things first: what happened at there was one of the most Newsweek/Daily Beast? enlightening experiences I’ve Any questions about what happened ever had. with News Beast—and its future direction— What did you learn? should go to Tina Brown because only That I’m a writer at heart. I love being she knows. able to tell stories about the industry, but OK! How did you feel about the way the always with transparency for the reader, news broke? which often means telling the good with It certainly meant I didn’t have to send a the bad. In magazines, the mission is group email letting people know what was about celebrating the good and putting going on! the industry’s best foot forward.

Did you plan to leave Tina’s tribe anyway?

Did you leave Vogue too soon?

I knew I needed a book leave at some point; I I was there long enough to get a sense was still trying to figure out the best timing. of what it meant to write for Vogue, but So, what’ve you been up to lately? not so long that personal frustration had January was a whirlwind of inaugurationclouded my relationships with people related projects—I contributed a couple of there. You have to give things enough pieces to The Washington Post about it. I time to know if there’s really a level of also did a lot of television stuff. Once that discomfort, or if it’s just new and was over, I was like, “Wow, that book! I’ve different. got to get to that book.”

Do you ever get sick of discussing your 2006 Pulitzer?

One Night at Versailles, correct?

I don’t really know anyone who’d get Now’s the first chance I’ve had to devote a tired of talking about their Pulitzer! significant amount time to book research.

Where do you keep it?

It’s daunting. The book is a cultural history It’s on a bookcase in my home office. of the 1973 Versailles fashion show. It’s due Was winning a Pulitzer on your this fall, with a tentative 2014 pub date. I’ve bucket list? been working on it for the past year. Many of the main people have sadly passed away, No. People put things in the realm of but I’ve ended up with a really interesting possibility on their bucket lists! But it mix of memories. was a fantasy, in the dark, primordial Where are you writing the book? part of my brain. The first hurdle was beI did some interviews on trips to New York ing at a place like The Post that thought Just two months ago, Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion and Paris, but as anyone who’s written a fashion coverage was in the realm of scribe Robin Givhan was unceremoniously stripped of book knows, at a certain point you have to the Pulitzers. her position within Tina Brown’s complicated empire. shut everything else out and just focus! I Are any other fashion critics out there write from my apartment, and I live walking deserving of Pulitzers?

But fret not: After a twirl on the inauguration circuit, distance from the Library of Congress. It’s an That’s an impossible question to answer! she’s back at work on her next project, a book on the extremely grand place. Their reading room?

It’s so subjective. It’s about a moment in Versailles show of 1973, that’s guaranteed to be as frank time. There are some wonderful critics, It’s like reading in the Sistine Chapel. but that has to be parsed by the wiser, Swanky! Is your book different from the and fearless as she is. BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV recent doc on the topic, Versailles ’73? mysterious minds on the Pulitzer board.

It’s similar ground. The filmmaker was inWhat’s your proudest story? spired by the luncheon at the Met a year ago, I’m only allowed to pick one? Well, I’m and the documentary is mostly about the African-American models involved. There’s particularly fond of my piece on Dick Cheney in his parka, while he was representing a chapter in my book about that, but I’m focused on comparing the tenor of times then the U.S. at an Auschwitz anniversary ceremony. All these world leaders were dressed to where the fashion industry is now. I’ve had a great conversation with the filmmaker, for a somber occasion, and Cheney was sitting there in hiking boots, a parka, and a knit Deborah Riley Draper, just commiserating about the project’s hurdles. ski cap. My piece was about symbolism resonating much more than words can. I like Did you get scooped? that story because it wasn’t about observation within the fashion community. Cheney If you’re writing about Lincoln, can you be scooped? No! I’m not sure who started workdefinitely wasn’t wearing a designer garment. ing first, but I know she gave herself a pretty wicked deadline.

Are you a fashion criticism trailblazer?

So what’s your relationship with The Washington Post?

I was attracted to the idea of having a specific writing niche. I’m a casual observer of It’s casual. I don’t know whether it’ll become something more formal, but right now dofashion. Politics seep into everything in Washington, including my thinking ing anything full-time beyond the book is not really an option. about clothes.

Did you like doing the online thing for Tina?

Are you fond of the front-row grind?

When I was there, the print version of Newsweek still existed. That’s predominantly At first, the shows were a very unnerving experience. I’ve always felt a certain amount what attracted me. I never fully purged print from my heart! of quiet desperation in the weeks leading up to the shows. But I do like going. Amazing You once did a six-month stint at Vogue. What was that like? shows give me a lot to write about.

My biggest takeaway is that people are really fascinated with Vogue! I left because I Let’s talk about your own closet: what’s in there currently? had a list of stories that were not appropriate for them, but that I wanted to do. I wasn’t Ha! I do have a rule that I will not sit around and write in sweatpants. No elastic waisttrying to reveal the dark inner workings of the fashion industry or anything, but my time bands! They only cause you trouble.

What Gives,

Givhan?

fa s h i o n w e e k d a i l y. c o m

getty imageS (3)

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Paris

shake up

Le

mystÈre

mouzat After nearly 18 years at Le Figaro, fierce fashion journalist Virginie Mouzat is decamping to Condé Nast, where she’s taken the top job at the soon-to-bow Vanity Fair France. Aloof, sexy, and cooler than cool, she’s sure to keep her readers guessing. Here’s everything you need to know about the siren with the razor-sharp pen. By SARAH HORNE GROSE

She’s from the suburbs!

Virginie grew up in the staid western suburbs of Paris; her parents worked in the pharmaceutical industry. She has said she hated it: “Tennis, golf, all these sporty, healthy bodies. Frankly, it’s just not for me.” In 1985, she moved to Paris to study art history.

She got her start in PR! She’s called her tenure at the French luxury firm Cora-Revillon her “seven years of boredom.” She joined Le Figaro when she was 30, as a beauty editor. Her very first fashion feature was a piece on Justine Lévy (Bernard-Henri Lévy’s daughter) and her wedding.

She lives near the Arc de Triomphe…

Home is a minimalist apartment decorated with help from Lebanese designer Chahan Minassian. Live-in lovers are not welcome. In 2011, she told Vogue, “I stay by myself the whole weekend and read and write.” The only clutter allowed is a pile of magazines and books by her bed.

STATS

Birthday: June 11, 1966 Chinese Zodiac Sign: Year of the Horse Novels: 2009’s Une Femme Sans Qualités and 2010’s La Vie Adulte

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

She’s a woman of discipline (and appetites)!

She’s a twin!

In 1992, Virginie’s twin sister, Emmanuelle, was seriously injured in a car crash.

Today she is handicapped.

“It might seem cruel, but my sister’s accident gave me a sort of whiplash. I started to find my place,” Virginie has said.

She once confessed to The Daily that she survives on “lots of Diet Coke, Japanese green tea, and no finger food anywhere.” But she will cave for caviar. Author Patrick Besson devoted a chapter to her in his book Le Sexe Fiable (The Reliable Sex).

He wrote: “When I saw the speed with which she ate a box of caviar, I said to myself she is a mortal weapon. She deals blows without a thought.”

…

She never panders!

She was up for EIC of

French Vogue

Instead, in 2011, Emmanuelle Alt ascended the masthead, replacing Carine Roitfeld.

Virginie vs. Emmanuelle

“Virginie’s style is more classic [than Emmanuelle’s]. She is happy with a pair of vertiginous stilettos and subtle blonde highlights, sure to attract looks.”

- L’Express, 2011

She’s a muse!

The writer Jean-Marie Rouart is said to have been so inspired by Virginie that he made her a character in his book Le Voleur de Jeunesse.

She’s a model-turnedwriter-turned-model!

Before she began her career as a writer, the 5’11” Virginie worked as a fit model in Paris. In her forties, she’s stepped back in front of the camera. She starred in J.Crew’s Fall 2012 ad campaign and snapped a nude selfie for Purple back in 2010.

Haters gonna hate!

“Women who don’t know her take her for a rival.” —Virginie’s friend

In 2011, Virginie shredded Tom Ford. The deliciously nasty highlights? l “Thus began the slowly unfolding nightmare.” l “The models were literally spackled with foundation, glossy lipstick in Ferrari red, and sooty black eyeshadow.” l “After this inventory for Kim Kardashian, Tom Ford appeared on the runway. He walked out. And stayed there, in the middle of the catwalk, wordlessly awaiting his standing ovation.

Perhaps people would oblige out of anguish, or sympathy, or because all of this is supposed to be fun, after all. But everyone just looked at their feet.

The music kept playing….So this Texas playboy, whose praises reporters sang in the Gucci years, has become the man for whom nobody stands. If not the man one actively flees.”

Charlotte Gounard, to Libération

She can’t have children and doesn’t want them…

Virginie, who had a brush with disease in her youth, is also infertile, according to Libération, much like the protagonist of her 2009 novel, Une Femme Sans Qualités, who says, “I don’t have children. I don’t want them— ever…I don’t aspire to conjugal happiness, concubinage, the grandeur of adoption, subjugating myself to care for another person.” In the book her character is also well aware of her good looks. “I am beautiful, tall, the type of woman you see in the street and say ‘She’s a bombshell.’” Still, don’t dare call it a memoir. When asked about the parallels, Virginie said, “When you remove a mask, nothing says that there is not another below. This is a novel.”

Virginie vs. Carine

“Virginie Mouzat, a very gifted writer, is more cerebral and less ‘cool’ than Carine Roitfeld. But she defends her opinions with force, without fear of causing a scandal.” —Sylvain Michaud

She’s not interested in an underthe-covers romp!

“Violence in sexuality…that’s something that fascinates me.” —Virginie Mouzat, to Libération

She inspires gossip!

Last summer, during the couture shows, the fashion world was atwitter after a certain now-defunct iPad magazine reported that Virginie was stepping out with a major fashion power player. The mystery Mr. quickly issued a denial and squashed the reports. So Virginie is still on the market, lucky lads.

She has magical powers!

In 2006, to fête his 30th anniversary in fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier staged a magic show in Paris. In a crowd-wowing finale, Virginie played his winsome assistant, levitating above the stage in a long black gown and ultra-high heels.

Karl is a dear friend. In W, she recalled their first meeting: l “I have known Lagerfeld for more than two decades.

In the early eighties, when I was in my 20s working as a model, I met him during his tenure at Chloé. He was heavier, his hair was longer and already in a ponytail, his eyes were masked by dark glasses, and he held a fan that evoked the Versailles court.

(Of course, the fan has since been replaced by the signature fingerless gloves—there’s always something to hide with him—but we’ll come back to that.) When he first met me, he exclaimed that I resembled Françoise Dorléac, Catherine Deneuve’s older sister, who died in 1967.

The comment was at once flattering and peculiar.” l “Black is my color most of the time.

But that’s why I’m such a fan of Chanel. Because the bible of Chanel is very simple: ivory, cream, beige, black. Pearls.

And camellias. It’s purely this. Nearly no colors.” —Virginie Mouzat, Vogue PAT R I C K M C M U L L A N . C O M ( 3 ) ; B FA N YC ( 2 ) ; E V E R E T T COLLECTION (1); SHUTTERSTOCK

How bazaar

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

LA NouvELLE

JustINE

Harper’s Bazaar UK’s new top chick is an old-school English journo with a twist of the Parisienne, A nimble wordsmith, she wrote the 2011 must-read, Chanel: Her Life, blogs for fun, sips tea by the bucket load, adores Diana V., and knows her fashion history cold. She wants to bring back long-form fiction and doesn’t care how fat you are.

Heed her siren call! BY SARAH HORNE GROSE We hear you wore Chanel to your wedding over the summer. First off, congrats. Now tell us everything.

It was the most beautiful dress. I had in mind a classic, ’30s-era look. The early ’30s were such an interesting era. Then, as now, it was a post-crash time. I had seen a short dress in the Chanel cruise collection that was inspired by the Hôtel du Cap, which was just perfect, and reminded me of my heroes, like F. Scott Fitzgerald, so I asked if Chanel could do something long. I wanted to wear a long dress, but not one that was inappropriately girly, because, well, I’m a grown up. We did a fitting in Paris and it was just the most magical moment. I felt incredibly happy and lucky on my wedding day.

Your went with a dreamy Sienna Miller for your first cover. Discuss!

January always feels like a new start, so it was appropriate that that was my first issue.

Sienna is wearing Chloé and it feels very timeless, but still very fresh and light. It was a good indicator of what I hope to do with the magazine. A good magazine should be aspirational, yes, but so many magazines have that voice telling you you’re not thin enough or rich enough. My hope was that it could be beautiful, and adult, and have stories that didn’t tell you you aren’t this or that. Storytelling is incredibly important to me.

And you also brought back Diana Vreeland’s “Why Don’t We...?” feature.

I thought back to those years when Diana Vreeland and Carmel Snow and Alexey Brodovitch were at Bazaar. It was a magazine that was so creative and visual, but with real literary ambitions. Vreeland was also very playful and audacious. I think people took her too seriously. “Why Don’t We...?” was just a way of saying there is something magical in the everyday.

What else do you have up your sleeve?

As a writer I have empathy and sympathy for writers and I’m keen on reintroducing fiction. Harper’s Bazaar ran works by Virginia Woolf and Evelyn Waugh and Truman Capote. And the March issue also has the first fashion story we’ve ever had by Carine Roitfeld [Bazaar’s new-ish Global Fashion Director.]

Tell us about some of the other new talent you’ve drafted.

There’s a photographer called Cathleen Naundorf who took the most wonderful photos of Valentino’s home in France. And we have a story by Tanya Gold, and a real investigative piece by Hannah Rothschild.

You have a uniform of sorts. Is it always stripes?

I do have a uniform. I wear Gap or Uniqlo jeans, often with a striped top or a silk

top from Equipment and Chanel pumps. I wear jackets I’ve had for 15 years to pull it all together. I did two years of publicity for my books and you’re always in some little bookshop and people are expecting you to look polished and presentable, so I feel no more pressure now than I did with all that flying about for the book.

How’s your relationship with Glenda?

I have a good working relationship with her. I was her first features editor at Marie Claire and we’re both Brits so maybe there’s a shared sensibility there.

Do Americans run magazines differently?

I’m not sure. I worked in New York in the ’80s for the Sunday Telegraph. Obviously there’s a lot of crosspollination. Think about it: Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Glenda Bailey—all British. So it’s hard to say if what they’re doing is British, or American, isn’t it?

Do you think London Fashion Week is becoming more relevant?

With the Jubilee and the Olympics, I think it was London at its best. Britain feels very vital at the moment. I’m all for self-deprecation, but I think it’s a real time for confidence. London Fashion Week is now so brilliantly well-organized, I think it’s time we stopped apologizing.

What do you do when you’re not wading through the Bazaar archives?

I’ve got a garden at my house in Scotland, up in the Highlands, and I love walking there. I just flew back from Scotland last night, actually, as I’m often there on the weekends. And I have two sons who are 23 and 18. One of them is in a band called the Bombay Bicycle Club, so I am something of a rock mom, going to see his shows.

How is writing a biography or a novel different than editing a magazine?

I’ve been a journalist since I was in my twenties so I’ve never lived in that ivory tower, just gazing out the window and writing books. With the Chanel book it was almost like a magazine in that it was very visual. I didn’t think the readers would be happy with a mean little plate section in the middle somewhere.

I’ve always been driven by that mix of words and pictures.

What’s your editorial mantra in a single sentence?

You have to know where you’ve come from to know where you’re going.

p o r t r ait : c o u r t e sy b fanyc . c o m ; g e tty ; ins e t c o v e r s : c o u r t e sy

Keeping tabs

Do you love your job so much you’d reverse commute to New Jersey?

Dashing Dan Wakeford does. As the editor of both Life & Style and In Touch, he braves the Holland Tunnel every morning just to bring you the latest Housewives dirt.

The Daily met him for an early breakfast at Balthazar to find out why.

BY EDDIE ROCHE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIORGIO NIRO

The Wakeford Files You edit Life & Style and In Touch. How do you manage?

I’ve got two amazing teams, and my day is structured very precisely. We have a meeting around 10:00 a.m., in which we run through the news and specific things going in the issues. I step in and out of both magazines throughout the day.

What is In Touch these days?

It’s your cheeky friend giving you an opinion and entertaining you at the same time. It’s the most newsy magazine on the newsstand. We pick up so much that the other magazines and the Internet miss. We’re a lot more perceptive. We’ll look closer into a photo and notice the bottle of vodka sitting under the star’s table.

Who had a bottle of vodka under their table?

Angelina Jolie had one under her table at an awards dinner once.

And Life & Style?

It’s a more dreamy escape into a stylish world. It’s for the reader that wants a little bit of the celebrity life themselves.

What are some of the recent stories you’ve broken?

We broke the Bethenny Frankel divorce, Tom Cruise’s new girlfriend, and Kate Middleton being pregnant. One of her best friends from school went on the record confirming it.

Sounds like a terrible friend.

Yeah, I wouldn’t be the happiest if I were Kate.

How does Kate sell?

Not as good as you’d expect. She doesn’t connect to the American fa s h i o n w e e k d a i l y. c o m

public in the same way she does in Britain. It’s not always about the star. There has to be an interesting story which resonates with the reader. You can have the biggest scoop in the world and it won’t sell. There has to be an emotional connection.

Didn’t Tom Cruise’s alleged girlfriend say it wasn’t true?

It was 100 percent true. We have reporters everywhere. If you read the story, we have the date, time, and place. All the details. We have a full description of what they are wearing. They were grinding on the dance floor at Le Baron and have been texting ever since.

Do you kill a lot of stories?

So many! What determines if a story runs is whether the reader wants to hear it. We have so many true stories that we don’t end up running because they don’t match the appetite of our reader. You get stars crazy bedroom habits or crazy diva demands. Really obnoxious behavior. We’re the good guys really with the amount of stuff we don’t print. The genre of celebrity weeklies is perceived as mean, but my magazines aren’t mean at all. Our readers want a joyful experience.

Do you ever get tired of covering marriages, babies, and breakups?

My job is to relate what’s going on in the celebrities’ world to my reader’s world and find the connection of what’s happening with JLo and Jane in Idaho. Those themes are: wanting to get pregnant, balancing work with a

family, and finding the love of your life.

Celebrities often cooperate with People.

Are you jealous of their access?

It’s important to tell the most captivating stories. I have no problem not doing those access stories at In Touch. At Life & Style, we do more access stories. Having a celebrity say everything is fine is not the most interesting story for the reader, though.

Weren’t you the one who got us into this Kardashian mess?

I was the first editor to print a photo of Kim, but you can’t blame me. You can blame Ryan Seacrest for that.

He gave them the show. Early on I realized the appeal of the Kardashians, and we have had a long-standing relationship with them.

If you emailed Kim, would she email you back?

She would. I was with her one of the first times she met Kanye. There was definitely an electricity between them.

Any sign of them slowing down?

Not at the moment. But they aren’t a surefire seller every time. It depends on the story. Khloé is the one the readers find appealing.

Why do you think that is?

She’s like them. They have curvier bodies. She’s open about her problems, whether it’s finding a man or weight issues. The fact that she doesn’t have any discernible talent is another thing they like. They feel they can have the life of a movie star, but they don’t have to act or sing. covers all courtesy

On

location

s n e p p a h t a wh

! h c t a W is diary a par

s y CBS about it b d ce u d ro p !, curne Watch er model and -style magazi rm ty fo ri g b n le ri ce tu y a ss fe The glo Murphy ry issue, editor Jeremy sed its Februa e, a le er re H . st n a ju h , a rs n sta Moy ds star Bridget rent Blue Bloo oot… ry from the sh shares his dia word ot, when I get

Jeremy

er sho e end of anoth d New York is six th g n 4/26/2012 ti ra b le hank Go Milan, ce x and we love fi Midnight: In ight needs to be changed. T sy ea n a ’s It en! fl that Bridget’s d the travel office is still op n a hours behind buzz is officially gone. y Bridget, but m the Mandarin to in k ec ch d n ay a in 4/27/2012 a rainy Saturd old and diamonds encased n o s ri a P in e g aid to , with 4 p.m.: Arriv sory overload n to photograph, but I’m afr n se l ta to ’s It l be fu Oriental. and floors. It’l s ll a w le rb a oset is real (it cl the m r ea sw en m cret ! touch a thing ver to Chanel to see if the se o k sneakers. e Mandarin’s p 5 p.m.: Snea o th -t t h a ig h ew f cr o h ir it pa w is). Settle for a orming session” (cocktails) g hard. Err, thinking. in st k n in yone is dri 7 p.m.: “Bra er ev t u b , et y t cep Bar 8. No con woman. Not er p u S s a et g d 12 t can deflect f Bri a o t th s m 4/28/20 ff a re cu d st g ri in t and w up hav 6 a.m.: Wake t like she has an invisible je ther reason for therapy. ite u no figuratively, b is is either a great idea or a ry. Both look amazing desp a h laser beams. T rrives with her publicist, G cut glass. a t, ld 7 a.m.: Bridget ye. Bridget’s cheekbones cou a Hughes and her assistan s th er -e n n d a ch desig taking the re ardrobe with stylist Sam n to a T: Fren L, Dior, o ti ec w ir t d ec r u sp o om YS llowed Noon: In to see they’ve fo re racks of vintage dresses fr t. y p p a H . n o Sim do ea 50 years. Ther etc., lent to us by Didier Lu r photographer, from the past r, no, Gaultie t the shoot. Ou led on a ia u ll o a G ch , et y sk ch en to ew Giv sett hrough with cr otel but hasn’t 2 p.m.: Walk-t r, has already scouted the h e’s intrigued, which means e h o th Keiron O’Conn my Superwoman idea and lancing Goyard trunks in a b im theme. I tell h aybe). We discuss Bridget (m zy I’m not cra nger. air with her fi

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

4 p.m.: Instea d, a finger bowl in Keiron decides to shoot Bri dg globe and a fin the hotel’s Royale Orientale et twirling a globe and ger bowl in Pa S ris on a Sunda uite. You try finding a Chris Ross an d y how I’m going Peter Jablonski track both d ! Amazingly, producers own, but I hav to explain the expense. e no idea 6 p.m.: Keiron h and shows Bri as sketched everything by h d a empowerment get his concept. She’s sold, a nd in a notebook nd angle. I’m sold , and order an loves the female other drink.

4/29/2012 9 a.m.: First sh o fierce in a Kab t of the day: Bridget by the u steel bar wall.

She looks 10 a.m.: Now ki black leather skirt. shooting in fr ont of the gian hotel restaura t sp nt, film. Bridget is which photographs like so ace door outside the m stunning in a eats it up. vintage YSL d ething out of a Kubrick ress, and the ca 11 a.m.: Hardes mera just t shot of the da the hotel’s outd y—Bridget wa lk o trouper. I’m m or fashion runway. The wate ing on water down ore concerned about the price r is freezing, but she’s a skirt. What wil less YSL chiffo l n caftan and Noon: Next tw Didier do to us if we return it wet? He kin o shots are in d the Mandarin told to use thei ’s spa, where ev a scares me. r er looks like a gia “spa voice.” We shoot Bridg et emerging fr yone is nt egg, and th om what en against a w is overwhelmin all of flowers.

The estrogen 1 p.m.: Lunch g, even for the gays. . I have no clu e what we just 3 p.m.: Finall ate y Place Vendôm venture outside and shoot B , but it was cheese-filled. e ri mark every ti in a velvet Galliano dress… dget jumping through me, and Keiro in the rain. Sh n bends himse e possible to get lf into every p hits her the shot. o sition 4 p.m.: On ru eS looks amazin aint-Honoré, shooting Bri g in a vintage dget outside G oy wo tote is SO goin g home with m ol Christian Dior suit. Tha ard. She t Goyard 5 p.m.: Last sh e. Priorities, p eople. ot of the day: Bridget in a b the Pont Alexa lack satin dre n ss o flowing the dre dre III bridge in the middle of Paris. The w utside ss right, so Bri it down the slit dget asks som ind isn’t eo modeling tric of her dress, which fixes the ne for a euro and slides k,” flow immedia tely. “Old 5:30 p.m.: I p she says. romised Bridg et and we are. T he shoot wrap we’d be done before Colette s, close Bridget away everyone hugs, . and a van wh s, isks

a l l p h oto s c o u r t e s y watc h !

Chic devil

hazy Shade of

Wintour

Meet Montreal’s fifth-best drag queen, a 25-year-old fashion superfan named Tranna. BY MARIA DENARDO Why Anna, Tranna?

She’s larger than life! I have a feeling she’s not really who she portrays, but I love the character. I love the evil bitch thing. The name is a homage, obviously, but it’s not really an alter ego. It’s more of a fabulous version of my everyday self. When I get into Tranna Wintour mode, a lot of people actually think I’m Lady Gaga. I think we have the same eyes. The Mirror voted me Montreal’s fifth-best drag queen. It’s sort of like the Village Voice in New York City. Unfortunately, it’s no longer published.

How do you channel her exactly?

I’m pretty convincing. I’ve never met her, but I’ve watched The September Issue too many times to count. I have everything Anna I can get my hands on. I can tap into her energy instantaneously. You know, sitting with my legs crossed and arms folded looking down, or looking up and batting my eyes blankly and not acknowledging the people around me. If I’m standing, I’ll look to the floor with my bob over my face.

Do you imitate her voice?

I can say “Stahbucks” the way she does. Her accent is a bit challenging, because it’s a watered-down British accent. The melody is fun to do, though. The boredom.

Pop quiz: When’s her birthday?

I think sometime in May or April.

Close! November 3rd. Do you make any money off your act?

I haven’t yet, so I have an uninteresting day job to pay my bills. I work at a customer service call center. It’s a nightmare!

How many Manolos do you own?

Zero. Designer brands are unfortunately out of my budget, but if I had the money to buy Manolos, they would definitely not be beige mules.

How do you get to work every day?

The Montreal public transport system.

Do you talk to people in elevators?

Every morning when I get to work and someone gets in the elevator with me, I get this rush of anger. I totally get Anna wanting to be alone in the elevator. If I see people making their way toward the door, I’ll walk faster, get in, and press the button.

Thoughts on the March issue?

I have a love-hate relationship with Vogue. I base my purchasing choice on the cover, and the covers have become a little generic.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

I feel they go for these plain Jane actresses that don’t inspire anything in me personally. There’s no sense of humor.

Have you ever met a Glenda Bailey impersonator?

No. Sometimes I see other Annas, but I’m pretty territorial. And I’ve seen Grace once in New York City. I actually met her at Fashion’s Night Out. The real one? What happened?

I went to the Balenciaga store knowing she was going to be there. Everyone was very chic, and here I was, this tranny on a budget. I was walking around the store, and when I turned around, I saw that bush of flaming red. I wanted to take a picture with her, but I was lame. I eventually made my move. She was lovely. I could see her looking at me, sizing me up a little. I think she knew who I was. a l l ph o t o s c o u r t e s y

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