Vogue

Candy Pratts Price Laid Off at Style.com; More Conde Cuts Coming Today
Vogue

Candy Pratts Price Laid Off at Style.com; More Conde Cuts Coming Today

>> It's been almost two weeks of rolling layoffs at Conde Nast — including at Vogue and W — which have mostly been done without releasing names, but now comes news that Style.com has let go two contributors: executive fashion director Candy Pratts Price, who Anna Wintour last year dubbed "Queen of the Internet," and senior features editor Laird Borrelli-Persson.Pratts Price's Style.com contract will not be renewed after it ends in Spring 2010, though she will remain listed as a contributing editor at Vogue, where she is rumored to have spent as much time as she did at Style.com's offices.
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>> It's been almost two weeks of rolling layoffs at Conde Nast — including at Vogue and W — which have mostly been done without releasing names, but now comes news that Style.com has let go two contributors: executive fashion director Candy Pratts Price, who Anna Wintour last year dubbed "Queen of the Internet," and senior features editor Laird Borrelli-Persson.

Pratts Price's Style.com contract will not be renewed after it ends in Spring 2010, though she will remain listed as a contributing editor at Vogue, where she is rumored to have spent as much time as she did at Style.com's offices. She will likely make the magazine and its counterpart her primary outlet after her Style.com contract ends; Borrelli-Persson, meanwhile, is expected to remain at Style.com through the end of the year.  The layoffs may have to do with Style.com being folded into the new-and-improved Vogue.com, although there has been no confirmation of that possibility.

Unfortunately, these cuts aren't the last at Conde Nast — word is, more are coming today.

Vogue

>> Vogue Lays Off At Least Six —It was rumored yesterday that Vogue had let some staffers go on the business side, but now comes news that at least six staffers were let go today.
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>> Vogue Lays Off At Least Six —It was rumored yesterday that Vogue had let some staffers go on the business side, but now comes news that at least six staffers were let go today. No names or positions were released, but Conde Nast spokeswoman Maurie Perl issued the following statement: "We announced last week when we closed the four titles that there would be companywide expense cost reductions and some workforce reductions in association with the 2010 budget process. These Vogue layoffs are part of that and we have no further comment on the subject." [MediaMemo]

Meet the 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists
Vogue

Meet the 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists

Although we mentioned the star-studded cover story, our personal favorite sitting from the November issue of Vogue, on newsstands today, is that introducing the ten 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists.
by coutorture

Although we mentioned the star-studded cover story, our personal favorite sitting from the November issue of Vogue, on newsstands today, is that introducing the ten 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists.

In its six years, the fashion fund has nurtured and championed young, American design talent such as Proenza Schouler, Doo-Ri Chung, Alexander Wang, Rodarte and Philip Crangi.

Today Vogue.com has interviews with each of the 2009 finalists—Sophie Theallet, House of Waris, Ohne Titel, Wayne, Esquivel Shoes, Monique Péan, Gary Graham, Spurr, Patrik Ervell, and Alabama Chanin. “We had very strong applicant pool this year, particularly among the jewelers,” said Vogue's Anna Wintour in a statement. “The ten finalists we selected are a talented, diverse group, who are building healthy independent businesses in challenging times.”

The winner, who will be paired with an industry mentor and receive a $200,000 cash prize, and two runners-up will be announced at an event on November 16 in New York.

Alexa Adams (left) and Flora Gill with artist Tauba Auerbach.

Source: Norman Jean Roy/Vogue

Vogue

>> W, Vogue Budget Cut Updates —Although it was rumored last week that W might be going bimonthly, the magazine's chairman and editorial director Patrick McCarthy says the cut in frequency won't be happening.
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>> W, Vogue Budget Cut Updates —Although it was rumored last week that W might be going bimonthly, the magazine's chairman and editorial director Patrick McCarthy says the cut in frequency won't be happening.  Vogue, however, has supposedly started undergoing staffing cuts — on the business side. [The Cut, @FashionInformer]

A-List Overload in November Issue of Vogue
Nicole Kidman

A-List Overload in November Issue of Vogue

On location in London, Plum Sykes visits the star-studded cast and crew of the movie-musical, Nine, where she falls under the spell of Daniel Day-Lewis and has a surprise run-in with Mr. Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti.
by coutorture

On location in London, Plum Sykes visits the star-studded cast and crew of the movie-musical, Nine, where she falls under the spell of Daniel Day-Lewis and has a surprise run-in with Mr. Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti. Read the article in its entirety at Vogue.com.

Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, Fergie, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Sophia Loren photographed by Annie Leibovitz in London.

Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, and Kate Hudson photographed by Annie Leibovitz in Malibu for the November cover of Vogue.

Source: Annie Leibovitz/Vogue

Friday Fab News Roundup!
Link Time

Friday Fab News Roundup!

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Photos of Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Fergie, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard For Nine Vogue Cover
Nicole Kidman

Vogue Gets a Dose of Nine's Gorgeous Gals

Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard grace the cover of Vogue's November issue in various shades of red to promote their highly anticipated Nine movie.
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Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard grace the cover of Vogue's November issue in various shades of red to promote their highly anticipated Nine movie. We saw them at the Annie Leibovitz shoot back in February, and the final product looks beautiful. Inside the magazine all of the film's actresses, including Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, and Fergie, posed together. The article gives us a glimpse at how fun filming was for the girls, and Kate even described the experience as "Summer camp." Here are some highlights:

  • Penelope on her tortured character in the film: "Luckily I don't have to identify with my roles, because if I did I would be dead by now! I've been working since the age of seventeen, and I really haven't stopped. I want to balance it a little more. Instead of making three or four movies a year, I will do one."
  • Nicole on coming back to work after Sunday Rose: "I had no desire to work after I had my daughter, but to lure me back, this movie was the only way. [But] I'm not playing Claudia Cardinale. Even when I played Virginia Woolf I didn't take the real woman into account."
  • Kate on getting a role: "I spent most of my childhood singing and dancing and just never had the chance to do it professionally. So when I got the chance to work with Rob, I was so excited, I was out of my mind."

To see what the ladies had to say about each other, just read more

Irving Penn, One of Fashion's Most Influential Photographers, Dead at 92
Vogue

Irving Penn, One of Fashion's Most Influential Photographers, Dead at 92

>> Irving Penn, one of the fashion industry's most influential photographers, died this morning at his home in Manhattan, according to a friend.  He was 92.
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>> Irving Penn, one of the fashion industry's most influential photographers, died this morning at his home in Manhattan, according to a friend.  He was 92.

Penn started out in 1937 as an unpaid design assistant at Harper's Bazaar, but it wasn't until he was hired as assistant to Vogue's art director Alexander Liberman in 1943 that his career started taking off.  His first assignment involved designing Vogue's covers: He sketched out several designs, but none of the staff photographers would oblige, so at Liberman's behest, he photographed them himself. His very first color photograph for Vogue, a still life of a gloves, belt and pocketbook, became a cover — October 1, 1943.  His photographs appeared on over 150 Vogue covers over the next 50 years.

His perfectionism comes through in his work — Liberman related a story of when Penn was asked to take a picture of glasses falling from a serving tray.  He apparently insisted that Baccarat crystal be used for authenticity's sake, and went through several dozen shattered glasses before the final picture met his standards.

In 1947, Penn was asked to make a group portrait of the twelve most photographed beauties of that era.  At that session, he met Lisa Fonssagrives, a few years older than he and credited by some as the first supermodel.  They fell in love and were married in 1950. The two collaborated together, producing what become some of Penn's most memorable pictures — including “Rochas ‘Mermaid Dress,’ Paris” and “Woman with Roses, Paris” — on his first assignment to photograph the Paris collections for Vogue. "I didn't know Balenciaga from a baseball player," Penn told Vogue in 2007. "But she was a real pro. And she was not offensive about teaching me."  Their marriage lasted 42 years, until she passed away at 80 in 1992.

View 41 Photos
Vogue

>> Anna Wintour Left Paris Fashion Week Early —Anna Wintour reportedly left Paris days ago — she was last seen at Dior on Friday — presumedly to deal with how she's going to cut Vogue's budget by 25 percent for 2010.  Her plan must be completed in the next two days so changes can be implemented quickly — layoffs (if that is how she chooses to rebudget) may be announced as early as Friday.
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>> Anna Wintour Left Paris Fashion Week Early —Anna Wintour reportedly left Paris days ago — she was last seen at Dior on Friday — presumedly to deal with how she's going to cut Vogue's budget by 25 percent for 2010.  Her plan must be completed in the next two days so changes can be implemented quickly — layoffs (if that is how she chooses to rebudget) may be announced as early as Friday. [FWD, FWD]

Teen Vogue Said to Be Making 25 Percent Budget Cuts, Some Editors Already Moving On
Harper's Bazaar

Teen Vogue Said to Be Making 25 Percent Budget Cuts, Some Editors Already Moving On

>> McKinsey is in its second-to-last week of its three-month examination of the workings of Conde Nast, and the New York Observer reports that in the last few days, Conde executives, under the direction of McKinsey, asked a number of magazines — of which Teen Vogue is believed to be among — to cut their budget next year by roughly 25 percent.
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>> McKinsey is in its second-to-last week of its three-month examination of the workings of Conde Nast, and the New York Observer reports that in the last few days, Conde executives, under the direction of McKinsey, asked a number of magazines — of which Teen Vogue is believed to be among — to cut their budget next year by roughly 25 percent.  It's unclear if Vogue or W will be similarly instructed.

According to sources, top brass is not being specific about how the cuts should be made, but potential options could be diminishing expenses, doing away with freelance, reducing magazine frequency, or layoffs. Conde CEO Chuck Townsend told the Observer a few weeks ago: “I can boil what I say to editors and publishers down to the simplest statement in the world and that is: You, not me, you have a responsibility to run this business in a responsible way. It’s your responsibility. I want to see your proposal of how you’re going to do it.”

Is folding a possibility? »