It comes down to this: Nina Garcia and Anne Slowey played for separate teams under the same owner. Garcia, the former Elle fashion director who's now connected to the magazine in name only, was a protege of creative director Gilles Bensimon, who did not time to check his wristwatch for incoming Elle editor Robbie Myers, who arrived in 2000. Slowey, the fashion news editor and star of Elle's new fall reality show Stylista, is in the Myers camp, though perhaps only because she wasn't in the Bensimon camp.
Which isn't to say these two never got along — they did — but in the end, it explains why we've heard handfuls of stories, about both sides, trading gossip about each other. CONTINUED »
What is this impostor doing sitting front row at Lanvin?
Taking her seat, actually. Comedian Mademoiselle Agnès, made up to look like Vogue's Anna Wintour, was entitled to her own high profile seating assignment. So why the garb? "It’s an homage, we are doing a story on it and every season we do an episode called See Anna. We talk about the life and work of Miss Wintour and I think it was funny to do this."
But not everyone saw the comedic value. "I don’t find it humorous at all!," said a distraught Gilles Bensimon. "She’s a good friend of mine! I like Anna and I don’t like when people falsely make fun of her."
Then again, perhaps Gilles needs some new friends; he's been eschewed from any involvement at Elle, where he's supposedly the "international creative director," and is biding his time shooting J.C. Penny campaigns.
• According to Harper's Bazaar, two out of every three "chic" stylish women has had sexual relations with Gilles Bensimon.
• Charlie Rose is "Larry King for Mensa members." And the best place for presidents to give length one on one interviews without saying anything.
• NY Times shareholders demand a shake-up. When asked to elaborate, investors said they have no problem with "boring, elitist crap," just so long as it's turning a profit.
• Geraldo Rivera launches one-sided feud with TVNewser's editor, calling him a "pubescent rejectionist."
• NBC execs are nostalgic for the days when people actually watched their television programming.
• Which may or may not explain why My Name Is Earl is bringing "new car smell" and eau de "obnoxious cologne" into your very own living room.
• Perhaps the lack of coke offerings was why Mike Tyson split the Meadows clinic after just five days of $4,000 per night rehab treatment. [P6]
• People beat out the other rags for rights to Donald and Melania Trump's first pictures of their new baby boy, Barron. Twenty dollars versus 10, we're assuming. [P6]
• Lloyd Grove reports Hachette Filipacchi head Jack Kliger is working to get int't creative director Gilles Bensimon booted — a story that's been floating around for months. [Lowdown]
• Maybe Lindsay Lohan will actually be able to follow through with this modeling job for Versace, unlike her brief encounter with Louis Vuitton. [FWD]
• Just when he was getting hot – landing Cargo covers! – Jeremy Piven is expected to get axed on Entourage. [P6]
• If he's got a decent accountant, April 15 could see Nelly writing off his golden teeth on his tax return. [Us Weekly]
