Stephanie Seymour

>> Stephanie Seymour, Peter Brant Call Off Divorce —Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brant's divorce proceedings — characterized as one of the most bitter, high-profile divorces in years — were supposed to begin trial yesterday, but instead the two faced the judge hand in hand, announcing that they had called off the divorce and planned to stay together. Asked by a reporter what she wanted to get out of the hearing, Seymour replied, "Peace." The couple has since released a statement: "The parties have withdrawn their divorce action and are reconciling. They ask that their privacy be respected." [NY Post]

>> Since Stephanie Seymour filed for divorce from Interview owner Peter Brant in March 2009, the proceedings have, according to the New York Times, made it "one of the most bitter, high-profile divorces in years." The Brants or their lawyers have been in court at least five times, in front of three different judges, since Seymour sued to end their 15-year marriage. Most recently, on Aug. 6, they appeared in court to haggle over mandatory drug testing, which both has done for the past year, and whether Brant could end his testing.

Brant v. Brant goes to trial on Sept. 20 — by that time more than 12,000 pages of public divorce documents (with thousands more sealed) will have been generated, and millions of dollars in lawyers fees racked up. Brant, whose net worth is an estimated $500 million, did not sign a prenup.

Why the drug testing? »

Mario Testino photographs a naked Stephanie Seymour for the December issue of Vanity Fair, proving beauty (and looking this good at 41) is the best revenge. [Vanity Fair]

Source: Mario Testino/Vanity Fair

>> INSIDER WIRE —The turmoil for Peter Brant continues, in both his personal and professional lives.  While Brant was in Europe last week, one of his bodyguards was arrested for shoving Brant's wife, Stephanie Seymour, into a door. Brant and Seymour are in the midst of a messy divorce, and police have reportedly been called a number of times for disturbances on their property, ranging from a car windshield being smashed with a bat to a complaint from Seymour about a GPS unit placed on her car.  Brant's magazine Interview has also seen a lot of upset recently; editorial director Fabien Baron and creative director Karl Templer left after a few short months, and now Baron's co-editorial director Glenn O'Brien is said to be leaving after his relationship with Brant has deteriorated. [Greenwich Time, WWD]

>> Stephanie Seymour sat out the Costume Institute Gala earlier this week as a gesture to Alaia, but there may have been more to it: she's in the middle of a divorce from husband of 16 years Peter Brant, billionaire owner of Brant Publications and Interview.

Seymour filed for divorce two months ago, and although she and Brant are still living under the same roof in Greenwich, Connecticut, she told a friend:

"It's OK. I'm sleeping in the maid's quarters.  I'm doing the best I can to keep things amicable. I want to be the bigger person. But it's tough. He's playing very dirty with me."

Apparently she's already come home to find the locks changed, and the proceeding, which begins Monday, is expected to be less than facile — Brant is challenging her for custody of their three children by accusing Seymour of being an unfit mother.

The couple began dating when Brant was married to his previous wife (by which he had five children), who he eventually left to marry Seymour in 1995.  Guess this whole thing means she'll no longer be conducting interviews and appearing on the masthead of Interview?
*image: source

>> THE MODELIZER —After Azzedine Alaia asked her not to wear the dress he made for the occasion, Stephanie Seymour is joining Naomi Campbell in sitting out the Costume Institute Gala tonight. “Azzedine has made my dress for every single ball.  I had a fitting in Paris. But then he called me over the weekend and asked me not to wear the dress. I will still make my donation to the Met, but I won’t be going.” [On the Runway]

*image: source

>> Anna Wintour received criticism yesterday for co-opting the Met's reputation for her own means, but new Costume Institute Gala-related developments snuff out those complaints in a second.  Seven models — including Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, and Linda Evangelista — were to wear Azzedine Alaia creations to the gala tonight, but the designer has asked them not to wear the dresses because his work, though strongly tied to a number of the supermodels' careers, has no place in this year's exhibit, save for one photograph.

As a result, Naomi Campbell — as rumored — plus some of the other (unnamed) models will not be attending tonight in a gesture to the designer. A spokeswoman for Campbell confirmed this afternoon: “As Naomi has been the muse of Azzedine Alaia for 23 years, she feels she doesn’t want to attend unless she can represent his work.”  No word on whether Seymour and Evangelista will do the same.

Alaia blames Anna Wintour for the omission »