New York Post Accuses Anna Wintour of Fiddling While Conde Nast Burns
The New York Postreports that Vogue has no plans on cutting back expenses for the annual trek to Paris Fashion Week. Struggling media giant Conde Nast is currently undergoing a brutal review by consulting firm McKinsey & Co., which is going to propose lots of cost-cutting and firings after it turns in its final report. No one is safe from the upcoming restructuring and cost-cutting and many perks at Conde Nast publications have been cut, from dinner expenses to catered lunches to bottled Fiji waters in the fridge.
With ad sales at Vogue down for the usually ad-heavy September issue and with McKinsey inquisitors roaming the halls looking for victims, one might think that Vogue would be at least trying appear cost-conscious. According to the Post, one would be wrong.
According to sources, Wintour's European entourage, which is usually about 10 people including her creative director, fashion director, several top stylists, European market editor, beauty editor and Publisher Tom Florio, is estimated to cost the company close to $250,000 in travel expenses.
A source said Wintour stays at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, while underlings are sent to the Crillon and the George V.
What's more, there are afternoon teas in the Hemingway Room at the Ritz and expensive dinners at Caviar Kaspia. Younger staffers can enjoy meals at the bistro Benoit.
Furthermore, most of the top staffers get chauffeured around Paris in brand-new Mercedes sedans that are booked for the entire week.
"Regarding the fall collections, our plans are precisely as they have always been," said a Vogue spokesman.
Said one former Condé Nastie who has made the trek: "There are amazing dinners planned every night. All important Condés have a driver for the week, usually a new, black Mercedes."
The article goes on to snipe that Glenda Bailey, editor of Harper's Bazaar, stays at the artsy Hotel Montelambert on the Left Bank, instead of the Ritz and that this year Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive may move from the Ritz to somewhere else. The article accuses Anna, Leon Talley and the gang of living like emperors while Conde Nast drown in red ink, which is ridiculous.
First off, Anna Wintour does not eat, so there's no way her restaurant bill is in any way burdensome. Secondly, only Anna stays at the Ritz. Underlings are banished to lesser hotels. And thirdly, we don't believe for one minute that Vogue isn't cutting costs, regardless of what the PR people say. Anna Wintour is many things, but stupid isn't one of them.
