DvF and Mitch: lovers once, buddies forever!

As we sloshed, caked with snow flurries, into the Mandarin Oriental for the 2012 Phoenix House Fashion award dinner last Wednesday evening, we couldn’t determine whether it was the way-too-early winter outside, the Sandy-forced relocation or the early start after an endless election season, but at first glance, things looked a bit quiet. (In retrospect, we appreciated the venue upgrade, considering it was originally slated to take place at Pier 60.)

“Well there’s Linda Fargo, at least ...” we uttered to a weary-eyed publicist as she sashayed passed us in a crisp black sheath dress, before we sauntered downstairs to cocktail hour.

Below, on the 35th floor, the considerably more lively and notable fashion crowd imbibed, heedless of the blizzard-like winds that howled without mercy on the commoners struggling to get around Columbus Circle.

With the exception of Glenda Bailey, this didn’t feel like a typical fashion event; nay, it was considerably more corporate—a bit cliquey, but not necessarily in a bad way. Dashing executives (well mostly dashing) in flamboyant tailored suits sipped scotch and red wine, while a more demure population of women squawked about recent highs and lows.

This reeked of powerful retail and media industry figures rather than overcompensated stylists and over-photographed fashion mavens.

The Observer wasn’t feeling particularly social, but we decided to meander aimlessly about the lobby, gorging ourselves with vegetable spring rolls every time they passed.

Eventually, someone had the brilliance to ring the dinner gong and get the show on the road.

“You’re stuck with me,” laughed Rose Marie Bravo, the fashion branding and commerce star, as she welcomed the Phoenix House patrons now enjoying their first plating around candlelit tables. She apologized for emcee Ali Wentworth, who was “lost somewhere in the city.”

“This past week has been a tragic one,” she continued. “Many of our friends have been left homeless or without power.” She went on to explain what Phoenix House does: it helps thousands of people struggling with substance abuse and addiction through its pioneering treatment program. For a second or two, The Observer stopped sipping. But only a second or two.

Seated before us was honoree Jim Gold, president of The Neiman Marcus Group; Tory Burch, evasive and on high alert with her pending lawsuit against ex-husband Chris Burch still ablaze; and Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa. The weather was most likely to blame for the empty seats, and there was substantial mention of Hurricane Sandy and its affect on the Phoenix House community.

“Substance abuse is an epidemic that plagues the USA,” began Phoenix House CEO Howard Meitiner.

He was followed by a young client of Phoenix House, who spoke of his history with drug abuse, dealing and violence. It was simple, honest and very effective. He said he is now rightly on track, working toward a degree in social work.

“Drug abuse can happen to anyone’s child,” said Mr. Meithner, then diving into the politics and ethos of the drug culture in America.

“But recovery is achievable and sustainable,” he concluded, just as Ali Wentworth, our long-lost emcee, finally stampeded in.

“I’ve got a husband who said, ‘I’ve just done 36 hours of ABC election coverage! You’re gonna get into bed with me!’” she blurted to our disbelief, about her hubby, George Stephanopoulos.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, not only was the fabulous hostess late because she was having a roll in the hay, she announced it to us all! Our kind of gal. And poor George, election aside, he must have still been shell-shocked by his co-host’s odd drunken-like behavior on election night—Cheers, Diane!

“They messengered this to me,” Ms. Wentworth continued, exposing a shiny Olivier Theyskens for Theory blazer that kept her décolletage in check.

“I thought I was chic, but maybe I’m just a shoplifter!”

We decided right then and there that we all wanted to leave and go home with Ali Wentworth.

Our hostess extraordinaire thankfully kept the pace brisk as we cruised into the awards segment. Monsieur Theyskens gave a poignant and astute speech before plopping a Phoenix House award in the hands of Andrew Rosen. The CEO of Theory then delivered a heartfelt personal story of his own family’s struggle with addiction and praised the Phoenix House for its wonderful work.

Tina Brown, editor in chief of Newsweek/The Daily Beast, made an anticipated handoff to Diane von Furstenberg. We never got to pester her with our gossipy questions about her publication’s demise.

“Diane is a vision broker,” Ms. Brown professed.

Once DvF accept her award, she dove into a tale of how she first met Phoenix House Founder Mitchell S. Rosenthal. Apparently Ms. von Furstenberg had mistaken the addiction innovator for ’80s star Chris Sarandon, whom she mistakenly referred to as Chris Rock. “He was hot,” she said.

“Then I got to know more about Mitch Rosenthal. I’ll spare you the details ...”

The romantic jaunts of the fashion queen brought the crowd great delight.

“This young, smashing man who looked like Chris Sarandon—created this place where shame was not an issue,” Ms. von Furstenberg gushed.

“I really want to make sure that we all raise our glass to this special man!”

At that flawless declaration, we lifted our glass, emptied it, and dashed downtown, to partake in rowdier action at Le Baron—alas, without Ali Wentworth.

Pilati and Golbin.

“You can find greatness everywhere. You just have to look for it,” said Harper’s Bazaar editrix, Glenda Bailey, quoting former Yves Saint Laurent creative director Stefano Pilati in a brief, prepared introduction. Ms. Bailey had been charged with welcoming the recently departed YSL designer to the stage as a part of French Institute Alliance Française’s Fashion Talks program. (Other fashion stalwarts this year include former president and executive creative direct of Coach, Reed Krakoff and designer Dries van Noten.)

With considerable buzz about Mr. Pilati’s exit after ten years at Yves Saint Laurent—one which had been the subject of many rumors—it was inevitable that the elephant in the room would be addressed. A throng of eager YSL devotees crowded Florence Gould Hall to witness Pamela Golbin, chief curator of Paris’ Musée de la Mode et du Textile, in conversation with Mr. Pilati.

The dashing Milanese, clad elegantly in a blazer, neck-foulard and thin-rimmed sunglasses, was greeted with much applause as he took his seat on stage. Mr. Pilati’s comfortable grin gave the impression that he had little to hide behind his shades… Thankfully Ms. Golbin started right away with the big question. Four weeks have passed since Mr. Pilati broke ties with the PPR mega-brand and Ms. Golbin inquired about how he was holding up. “I have a great state of mind! I’m really good, which is very unusual for me,” Mr. Pilati replied earnestly. He said that with his new found freedom, he has his “career in his hands.”

The Observer didn’t get too much more on the situation, except that the designer seems content with his numerous accomplishments and not having to dwell on the future: “I haven’t planned anymore,” Mr. Pilati told Ms. Golbin about his next professional step.

The designer with Glenda Bailey.

Most of Tuesday’s talk focused on Mr. Pilati’s quick ascension to the top of the high fashion world: From his internship with Nino Cerruti to his work at Giorgio Armani in men’s ready-to-wear (1993-95) and then a stint in Prada’s fabric research department, before becoming Miuccia Prada’s right hand man at Miu Miu (1995-2000). Mr. Pilati demonstrated a natural talent for selecting fabrics and navigated the politics of the design world well. It came as second nature for him— common sense—as if “to cook pasta without water!” Mr. Pilati credits Signora Prada as one of his major inspirations and mentors. The atmosphere at Prada though, was more familial than at Yves Saint Laurent, the designer stated. Prada was about the meaning whereas YSL was about managing an image. Mr. Pilati started at the famed French maison in 2000, working under Tom Ford, an experience he called challenging, but which gave him great confidence. Mr. Pilati was charged with reviving declining sales at the fashion empire and making YSL profitable, which meant creating “what the market was asking for.” Accessories became the principal solution and to this day, some of Mr. Pilati’s most memorable creations are iconic shoes and bags. He said the learning process of making coveted accessories as a highlight of his tenure at YSL, where he served as creative director from 2004 until this March.

Mr. Pilati describes himself as a passionate and complex person who loves to be spontaneous. These characteristics certainly influenced Mr. Pilati’s prêt-à-porter designs at Yves Saint Laurent and his work was not always adored by critics or the legendary founder himself. “To be controversial makes people think… there is always criticism… A controversy makes people stop… they can think what they want.” However, the passing of Mr. Saint Laurent in 2008 “gave me freedom,” Mr. Pilati confessed.

“If fashion was elegant it would be nicer to walk around and see people,” Mr. Pilati concluded with élan. When asked how the fashion world should remember his decade at Yves Saint Laurent, the designer commented that he doesn’t need any fanfare to commemorate his work,” Fashion is a privileged place.” Mr. Pilati’s words highlight his contentment with his achievements and the generous lifestyle he leads. It seems that despite all the fuss of calling it quits at Yves Saint Laurent, Stefano Pilati has found great peace.

Anna dello Russo (GETTY)

We arrived early for Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti at the Avery Fisher Hall. Plenty of time to take a breather and people watch. A familiar flank of top-level editors began to trickle in… Roberta Myers, Virginia Smith, Glenda Bailey—all the glossy women’s magazines were covered.

“Who’s hotter? Robbie Myers or Joanna Coles?” The Observer asked, sotto voce.

“They both look fab!” answered a model-esque writer.

Benone! Editor-at-large for Vogue Japan and Italian style-empress, Anna Dello Russo, is fast approaching.

Posso chiedere qualche domanda in inglese?” we asked.

“Certo!”

“What’s been your favorite show this season in New York?”

“Listen! Listen! It’s the second day of fashion week! You cannot tell me that one! I need to see more shows!” dello Russo rebuked in a thick Baresi accent.

Whoa! She burnt us!

(We didn't dare correct her that it was actually the second to last...)

“So you’ve just arrived?” we hesitantly continued.

I mean no! It’s just starting… it’s like two days! I mean… It’s not possible to say the best shows. Of course I saw Marc Jacobs… beautiful…but there’s no time to give a – a… you know--- Let’s see!

“We agree… What did you love about the men’s calendar in Milan? We saw you at Ferragamo—”

“No! You know what I like about men’s now? What Riccardo Tisci is doing! I think Riccardo Tisci for men’s—is doing very, very modern and strong. I think he has the leadership now!” she asserted.

(GETTY)

We loved Signora Ferretti’s gunmetal, sand and platinum super-luxurious creations–fantastic daywear couture. Her bi-color and multi-material wonders used patent leather, crystal appliqué, fur, and even translucent PVC.

…But in the end, it was our run-in with Anna Dello Russo that kept us merry.

Wu…) It was a scene! KCD danced around St. John's Center with their iPads ensuring that everyone was seated appropriately. Bryan Boy that means row two for you! Next to Princess Keltner de Valle… Starlets were refreshingly missing this season, but we had plenty of downtown fixtures and editor-in-chiefs to satiate our chic palate: Amy Fine Collins, Brad Goreski (irresistibly cute if he hadn't cried on that dreadful Rachel Zoe show… get some balls darlin'!), model Coco Rocha, Gagosian's babe Shala Monroque, LRP, Poppy, a ravishing Joanna Cole, Bazaar's Glenda Bailey, and Lincoln Center powerhouse Stephanie Winston Wilkoff. W magazine's Italiani, Tonchi and Battaglia, beamed inexplicably… Do you have Edward Enninful locked in a closet? We have yet to see him!

Alas, Michelle Obama remained in D.C. (or elsewhere…) If Americans weren't so cheap, she could feel free to grace our peacock parade and bestow admiration on the designers she rightfully adores, like Bruni-Sarkozy at Dior. Humph!

Now for the clothes: Thundering music commenced, followed by a hiss of smoke-- we love drama-- before Wu's fortress-like red doors opened to his Forbidden City. Chinese glamour, Marlene Dietrich (à la Peter Som! She lives on!), and the Qing Dynasty received inspirational credit. Wu's feminine warriors marched intensely through the fog in such exquisitely constructed and decadent couture that we actually noticed the clothes! Militant green quilted fox-embellished wool vests, black/gold Qing brocade, and an amazing cascading red Shantung fan lace drape dress, were highlights.

"I thought this Wu Warrior was very glamoress--sexy, edgy… There was a masculine side to the collection, which was interesting for Jason, because usually Jason is girly and feminine. I though there was a lot of power. Red is a power color. Maybe he was inspired by Lady Obama wearing his clothes! I am women! I am powerful! I am sexy. I think it was a very sellable collection…The fur on the arm is gorgeous!" commented sweetie Mary Alice Stephenson. So true...

Time Inc.'s People StyleWatch was the first half's big winner, increasing ad pages by 60 percent. 

Time has been increasingly confident lately. After a very rosy first quarter earnings call, the publisher announced that it would begin guaranteeing reader recall rates on certain advertisements. 

There was no change at Glamour, ASME's Magazine of the Year, as first half ad pages held steady from 2009. Meanwhile things continued to change for the worse at W as pages took a 14 percent fall. Stefano Tonchi and Bill Wackermann have plenty of work to do.

Most titles have still not been able to bring their ad pages back to 2008 levels. From Memo Pad:

Marie Claire also posted a strong first half, up almost 22 percent to 584 pages; Harper’s Bazaar was up 17 percent to 755 pages, and Cosmopolitan and InStyle were both up about 10 percent, to 702 pages and 1,103 pages, respectively. Meanwhile, Vogue was up almost 8 percent to 987 pages and Allure posted a 7 percent rise during the first half, to 536 pages. Elle reported a 5 percent rise in ad paging to 939 pages, and Lucky was up almost 2 percent to 516 pages.

Desipite gains in the first half, Memo Pad reports that Harper's Bazaar editor Glenda Bailey will combine this summer's June and July issues to cut costs.

Ms. Scaglione is svelte, pretty and has that charming way about her that foreigners often have where she never seemed to understand what anyone was saying and seemed to always be saying things that came out funnier than she had intended them.

She was introduced to The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg, the designer Ralph Rucci, Harper's Bazaar editor Glenda Bailey and persistently peppered with questions.

Has she seen much of New York? She has not, as most of her time is spent either rehearsing, performing or sleeping.

Where is she staying? In the Theater District, but she's currently looking for a place in the West Village.

Has she seen God of Carnage, or Our Town, or Jane Fonda in that, um, whatever it's called?  No, no, and no.

"Well, have you seen Mary Stuart?" demanded Peggy Siegal, the publicist hosting the event.

"No, but I have seen Mary Poppins," the demure Ms. Scaglione replied across the table as everyone listened intently.

This is Ms. Scaglione's first time in New York. She was cast for the role of Maria by director Arthur Laurents and producers Kevin McCollum, James Nederlander, and Jeffrey Seller, through a video she made for YouTube. 

"I was performing Hairspray in Argentina at the time and I had recorded a video of a tango dance for YouTube," Ms. Scaglione told the Daily Transom. "It was circulating around and I guess when Arthur Laurents was looking for Maria his friends in Argentina told him, 'Well, look at this video and what do you think about this girl.' It was crazy!"

But, Ms. Scaglione said she didn't feel pressure performing the classic despite being one of the only actors, performing alongside Matt Cavenaugh and Karen Olivo, plucked from overseas.

"It's a challenge, but I don't feel pressure like something heavy. It's more like something amazing," she said.

Ms. Olivo was also a last-minute find for the producers. She was playing one of the lead roles in In the Heights—also produced by Mr. Sellers, Mr. Nederlander and Mr. McCollum—when the role of Anita remained vacant with rehearsals just a week away.

"I was one of the only women in New York that they hadn't seen. They said, 'We haven't found anyone. Can you just come in so that we can rule you out and say we've seen everyone?'" recalled Ms. Olivo. "In the back of their minds they told me they always thought I would be perfect, but they didn't want to take me from one of their shows to put me in another. But they had already gone overseas to find Josefina and they were afraid they would have to do that again. Then I came in and, for actors, you don't go into an audition room unless you're going to get it, so I went in there to get it."

Ms. Olivo said she was nervous at first about playing Anita.

"When I originally heard about the show, I didn't want to do it because no one would be Chita [Rivera] and no one can be Rita [Moreno]. They really achieved the role," said Ms. Olivo. "But when I met Arthur Laurents, he said he didn't want to do a version of West Side Story that anyone's ever seen before. If I actually tried to do an impersonation of one of these ladies, it would have been out of place."

Mr. Seller was nearby sipping a margarita. How did he think the musical was going so far?

"We didn't fuck it up!" he exclaimed. "That may have been the scariest thing for me is that we don't fuck it up. My history as a producer has really been doing new musicals. It's a hard task, but you're not having to live up to someone's expectation of what it used to be—their ideal. But everyone who comes to West Side Story has a preconceived idea of what it should be based upon their own romantic notion of their memory from the movie or seeing the show on Broadway as a child."

But it seems to be working out, according to Mr. Seller.

"The audiences are fantastic for musicals right now." he said. "In this world where Internet piracy has ruined the recording business and is taking huge chunks out of the movie business, there is one business that thrives as well as it ever has and that is the theater, where you still have to buy a ticket, show up, sit in a seat and watch the show."

Truth-challenged publicist Liz Rosenberg is denying reports that Madonna and Guy Ritchie have already reached a divorce settlement. Meanwhile, Madonna reportedly told a friend that Alex Rodriguez, whom she is rumored to have been dating this summer, "is physically a great specimen. And if she is going to have another child, he would be the ideal man." [NYDN]

Sasha Petraske's Milk & Honey is going members-only starting in November. [Gothamist via Down By The Hipster]

Not Chuck Bass: Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick got shut down by a "leggy brunette" at a Thompson LES party. [R&M, third item]

Fashion critic Mr. Blackwell, who was responsible for the annual worst-dressed list, died Sunday at 86. [US Weekly]

Haper's Bazaar editor Glenda Bailey told Project Runway runner-up Kenley Collins that she'd favored her to win. [P6]

York Sun, New York City's conservative-leaning, next daily newspaper,

officially announced itself to the world as a defender of, among other things,

"lower taxes and school choice."

But while many pieces of Sun

gossip were publicly confirmed by the announcement-boldface investors like

Conrad Black; Ira Stoll and Seth Lipsky as the paper's editor and managing

editor, respectively-it failed to mention when the paper might be coming out.

Sources told Off the Record that The Sun was hoping for a mid-March arrival,

but Mr. Stoll was more vague. "We're saying spring," he said. "It's kind of

like the special forces moving into Afghanistan. You don't want to exactly say

when you're coming in."

The paper has hired some reporters, however: Rachel P. Kovner, a

2001 Harvard Crimson editor who has written for Mr. Stoll's New York Times -critiquing Web site

Smartertimes.com and is the daughter of Sun

investor Bruce Kovner, as well as Ben Smith, a former stringer for The Wall

Street Journal Europe , who also has contributed to the Web site.

"We've hired four people," Mr. Lipsky said. He said the other two

were his longtime personal assistant, and someone to help set up the computers.

"But we've been inundated with résumés, hundreds of them. We're in the process

of working through them."

Sources said, Mr. Lipsky and Mr. Stoll have also reached out to

Seth Mnookin-the former Inside.com

media writer who worked for the pair at their previous incarnation, Forward . Neither Mr. Mnookin nor Mr.

Stoll, however, would comment on the situation.

Sources also said the paper might turn to some outside columnists

to help fill their pages. One name mentioned was Caroline Baum-a columnist

covering bonds for Bloomberg News. A longtime Federal Reserve watcher, she was

once described by Alan Greenspan as "the only person who can make the

flattening of the yield curve sound pornographic."

When asked for comment, Ms. Baum said, "I really have no idea.

You'd have to ask Seth Lipsky or Ira Stoll about it." Mr. Lipsky confirmed his

appreciation of Ms. Baum's work, but declined to say if her byline would appear

in the paper.

"I'm a huge fan of Caroline Baum," Mr. Lipsky said, "Huge. But we

haven't hired her and we haven't subscribed to her column."

In the meantime, there are plenty of other issues left to solve.

The skeleton staff has barely moved into the paper's offices at 105 Chambers

Street. Mr. Lipsky said they were still unsure where the paper would be

printed, how many pages an average issue will be and how much it would cost.

The Sun's team of investors are reportedly putting up $15 million to launch the

paper, a figure some skeptics have found paltry for a daily start-up.

"All I can say is that it's

risky and it's worth the risk," Mr. Lipsky said of the financial naysayers.

"I'm here and I'm doing it."

-Sridhar Pappu

Throughout the dot-com boom, Jason McCabe Calacanis

played the part of P.T. Barnum, hyping New York Internet companies to the high

heavens in the pages of his magazine, Silicon

Alley Reporter , and his handful of e-mail newsletters.

When it came to self-promotion, Mr. Calacanis was no slouch,

either. But there is the possibility of doing something too well. For example,

take an Oct. 8 story in The New York

Times . The news was that Mr. Calacanis had decided to stop publishing Silicon Alley Reporter and instead

launch Venture Reporter , a magazine

that would chronicle venture-capital deals and trends. It's a canny move; after

all, with nearly every dot-com strapped for cash, learning who's got the money

has become that much more important.

"The story's over," the quotable Mr. Calacanis told The Times of his decision to shut down Silicon Alley Reporter. "You can't have

a magazine about unemployed people. You can't have a magazine about people who

are taking time off."

But when the story appeared, with the headline "Requiem for a

Cheerleader: Silicon Alley Magazine Is Dead," the piece backfired on Mr.

Calacanis: Many people in the industry (including this reporter) assumed that

Mr. Calacanis and his trade publishing company were going out of business. They

weren't going out of business; they were simply folding one magazine and

launching another.

Soon after the story was published, Mr. Calacanis complained to

Tim Race, the Monday business editor at The

Times , and asked for a correction.

"I'm furious about this," Mr. Calacanis told Off the Record. "I

lost advertising over this. I can't tell you how many sales calls I've been on

where people say, 'I thought you shut down,' and then we spend the first 10

minutes explaining how The New York Times got it wrong."

Still, it was a muddy situation, because the story about Mr.

Calacanis' plans, written by Amy Harmon, was factually accurate.

"The Silicon Alley Reporter

… has published its last issue," Ms. Harmon wrote. But later, she noted that

"Mr. Calacanis, 30, plans to begin publishing a magazine about venture capital

investment called Venture Reporter

beginning in December."

If anything, the confusion might have been caused by

headlines-along with the "Requiem" headline, there was a teaser on the digest

of the Business Day section which used the headline, "The Silicon Alley

Reporter Closes."

So now, as Mr. Calacanis touts his new title, he's been sure to

take a few digs at The Times .

Recently, he sent out an e-mail announcing the first issue of Venture Reporter had come back from the

printers. "What, you thought we were out of business just because the New York Times said so?!?!?! Please," he

wrote.

That was enough for Mr. Race to write back, "Whatever it takes to

be off your list of gratuitous swipes at the Times , please do."

Mr. Calacanis replied, "You're not on a list Tim … was a personal

email from me."

Mr. Race thinks The Times

did nothing wrong. "As I've tried to tell him any number of times, anyone who

read our Oct. 8 article and came away with the idea that he and his company had

gone out of business doesn't read well enough for their opinions to count for

much in public discourse," he told Off the Record.

Mr. Race said he feels The

Times didn't err because Mr. Calacanis had in fact been planning a mock

funeral for Silicon Alley Reporter .

"He had been planning to hold a mock funeral for the publication, until the

events of Sept. 11 made Jason conclude that such an event might be in bad

taste," he said. "For having that much good sense, I give him full credit."

-Gabriel Snyder

The New York Times Book Review has

decided to start placing original poetry alongside its reviews, best-seller

lists and page-long ruminations about how it's really O.K. to hate your books. Book Review editor Charles McGrath said

the decision was a natural one, given the fact that the review had published

excerpted poems in the past. "It won't be every week," Mr. McGrath said. "I

don't want to be in a position where we have to fill a slot that we can't

deliver on."

-S.P.

The events of last

fall led lots of suddenly heartfelt, earnest magazine editors to put less

"relevant" projects aside. Esquire

editor David Granger canceled the magazine's annual "Dubious Achievement

Awards." GQ eliminated its "Man of

the Year" award show. And, as it turns out, Vanity

Fair 's Graydon Carter put a completed, special issue of the magazine into

publishing purgatory, where it remains to this day.

The doorstop in question is a

prototype of a Vanity Fair devoted

entirely to design, according to Spencer Beck, the man who put it together. Mr.

Beck, formerly the editor in chief of Los

Angele s, said he spoke to Mr. Carter about the project for a couple of

months before he moved back to New York in January 2001 to work on it. Over a

period of several months Mr. Beck toiled on the project with the art department

and a few senior editors.

Mr. Beck declined to comment on the contents of the issue, saying

only that it was "devoted to design A-Z, but with a Vanity Fair point of view." After Sept. 11 Mr. Beck said he and Mr.

Carter spoke about the project, but that "Graydon's attention is now on stories

about terrorism."

A Vanity Fair

spokesperson said Mr. Carter was unavailable for comment. When asked if the

prototype would ever emerge in actual, distributed form, the spokesperson said:

"We don't know. Right now we're not sure what we're going to do with it."

-S.P.

There was something reassuring about the party Harper's Bazaar threw for itself on Jan.

14. The magazine had decked out the large space of Eyebeam Atelier, a sprawling

event space on West 21st Street, in red carpeting, red couches and red light in

honor of Glenda Bailey's first "official" issue at the helm.

In reality, Ms. Bailey, who had come from Marie Claire , had been hired last summer, and her hand could be

seen at work in the magazine's pages since the November issue. But Bazaar Nation was in full

self-congratulatorymood, rolling out staple party props like a giant blow-up of

the new cover withGisele Bündchen, a logo-filled backdrop in the posing pen for

the paparazzi,and pieces of chocolate with Bazaar

printed on them. In a time when magazines have seen advertising revenues

plummet and party budgets have been severely cut, it all felt so very, pleasantly

… 1999.

Standing up front, Bazaar 's

creative director Stephen Gan was doing receiving-line duty while telling Off

the Record just how much time he's been spending redesigning the fashion

magazine.

"Life is busy again," he said, " I started work and then 10 days

after I started work, the November issue had to go to print. So we had-" he cut

off to say goodbye to a fashion executive who was leaving.

"What day's your show?" he said, referring to the upcoming

fashion week in Paris.

"The 25th," the woman said. "Are you going to be there?

"I will! O.K., call me."

After a four-month hiatus, the fashion crowd was back to being

busy, touting new projects, shimmying and jiving through the after-hours.

Later, Christy Turlington said, "I don't go to that many fashion events, so

part of it's reunion with a lot of people I don't get to see."

Ms. Turlington was busy these days, too. There was the yoga book

she had to turn in to Hyperion in March, and of course her cosmetics company,

Sundari, and then her role as editor at Yoga

Journal . "I have very little free time," she said.

Elsewhere, Moby-gosh, it seemed like a million years since we'd

gotten to write about a magazine party with an obligatory Moby appearance-was

complaining about a deadline for the music he was writing for the closing

ceremony of the Winter Olympics next month.

Ms. Bailey played the frenzied host, darting from guest to guest

to the point where it was nearly impossible to catch a word with her. Off the

Record first tried to talk with her as she was coming off the dance floor set

up in the middle of the room. We started with a question and she asked, "Do you

want a drink?" We went up to the bar and as soon as she had put our order in,

the Clash's "Rock the Casbah" came up. Ms. Bailey didn't bother to order a

drink for herself. "I've got to dance to this," she said, "I'll be back," and

then went back to the dance floor.

We caught up with Ms. Bailey a few songs later on the other side

of the room, standing with Susan Magrino, the publicist for the party. She at

first apologized (saying she had "passion for dance") and then launched into,

"We love fashion, and we're very, very fortunate. We live such a privileged

life because we're able to go to fashion shows, we're fortunate enough to see

the best designers in the world …. "

Before long, Ms. Magrino was introducing Ms. Bailey to Frank

DeCaro, a movie critic for The Daily Show

with Jon Stewart and writer for TV

Guide .

"Congratulations," Mr. DeCaro said.

"Thank-you," Ms. Bailey said.

"And thank-you for your note,"

Mr. DeCaro said. And Ms. Bailey was off again, heading back through the dance

floor.

That left us with Mr. DeCaro, who noted he had just finished a

new book proposal: Love Handles to Die

For: A Heartwarming Tale of Sexual Depravity . "It's sort of about how a boy

named Phyllis became a man named Frank," he said.

Dancing, Ms. Bailey was all elbows and hands, while shaking her

waist around. Bill Buford, literary editor of The New Yorker , who himself was staining the underarms of his blue

shirt while boogie-ing with Bazaar

senior features editor Jessica Green, called Ms. Bailey's moves "arrhythmic and

exuberant."

-G.S.

The Jan. 21 issue of Forbes

features as its cover boy Tom Siebel, the head of software giant Siebel

Systems. Along with Mr. Siebel's handsome mug comes this cover line: "Betting

on the Comeback: Tom Siebel's software saw the downturn coming. Now he says

tech is ready to roll."

Fair enough. But open the issue and this is what you'll see: A

full-page ad for Siebel Systems, placed adjacent to another portrait of Mr.

Siebel on the contents page, as if it were a two-page advertising spread.

A spokesperson for Forbes said this wasn't a case of the

magazine's editorial and business sides getting all warm and cozy.

"The contents page was the last to close and this was a

production error," the spokesperson said, "which is always captured. But this

one is a big, red-faced 'Oops!' "

-S.P

After a few jokes, the new editor in chief assured the assembled that she wasn't planning to turn the venerable fashion monthly, historically Pepsi to Vogue 's Coke, into another Marie Claire –the boppy, sexually frank Hearst title whose circulation she has increased more than 50 percent since she arrived from England five years ago.

The response: awkward silence. It was as if Glenda the Good Witch, with her cloud of frizzy, reddish hair and vivacious manner, had descended in a bubble to wave her wand over the ailing Bazaar .

Indeed, the land of women's magazines was decidedly Oz-like last week. There went AnnaWintour's37-year-oldformerprotégée, Kate Betts, the Wicked Witch of Condé Nast, after plowing through countless underlings in a whirlwind two-year broom ride ("What I'm feeling today is a sense of vindication," breathed one of them the morning after the house fell). Meanwhile, Glamour 's recently exiled editor, Bonnie Fuller–who had burnished her name at Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan and had angled to return to Hearst in Ms. Betts' spot–emerged as a sort of improbable Dorothy, temporarily stranded between the two companies. Condé Nast spokeswoman Maurie Perl confirmed that Ms. Fuller had snagged some office space in the Grace Building on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues as part of her exit package.

Ms. Betts' ouster on Thursday, May 31, was reasonably civil, too. Contrary to rumors, Ms. Betts was not escorted from the building by armed guards, but by her husband, Chip Brown. "He showed up with his backpack," said a witness. "It was adorable."

Of course, her former employees had plenty of opinions about what went wrong ….

A deputy: "Kate doesn't really know about visual, but she doesn't want to give up that control to anyone. She didn't know how to manage people. She was a control freak, and she wasn't good with people. It makes me think that there was truth to [the notion] that she was too young."

A junior editor: "Anna kisses ass, but Kate is much more independent and a little bit doesn't-have-the-time. She never really played their game …. She was the hard worker, not the schmoozer."

A writer: "No one seemed to be able to please her. People would come in and she would put them through incredible stress to get a lot of new ideas developed, and nothing ever seemed to click for her …. She had never styled a shoot, and that was a big struggle for her … trying to rein in the world of the stylists and the art directors, who work in a very different way from writers and editors …. She put all her eggs in the basket of [creative director] Michel Botbol. He's like a 30-year-old guy, not a seasoned editorial leader; he's almost like a playboy." (By Monday, Mr. Botbol had been given his notice.)

Perhaps Ms. Betts' most serious error was failing to splice the cold, slicker Condé Nast-Fairchild culture into Hearst's hearty corporate patchwork, beginning with her own chilly, patrician, Princeton-grad persona. "She adopted every Anna Wintourism under the sun," said someone who has worked for them both, "down to mannerisms, posture, [a] way of carrying herself in the office, a certain way of crossing her legs, leaning on her elbow at a certain way at her desk. It was eerie, at times, how similar she acted to Anna–always sequestered in her corner office, with her two assistants perched there like little lion guard dogs."

Though cosmetically imperious, Ms. Betts didn't back it up with the requisite decisiveness, ex-colleagues say. Her masthead turned over continually. Unlike her predecessor, the late Liz Tilberis, Ms. Betts never found her Fabien Baron, someone who would articulate a clear, distinct design philosophy. Some felt the new cover logo was cheesy ("McDonald's-y," as one put it) and the typeface used for features painfully small. There were two complete redesigns in the space of a year and a half.

May cover subject Chloë Sevigny perhaps encapsulated the magazine's schizoid tendencies: too obscure for Middle America, but not enough of a new face to make a point among fashion snobs. Meanwhile, the August Bazaar –the last green-lighted by Ms. Betts–is slated to feature Britney Spears, a choice that rankled the staff's couture contingent.

Though Ms. Betts handily plundered her old employers to stock and restock her staff, her fellow transplants seem to regard Hearst as a kind of drab Kansas. "When we got there, it was always just like, ' Eccch , Hearst is the worst ," said one who passed through the revolving door. "Hearst is like Russia. There isn't even a headquarters. If your chair is broken, it's never fixed."

However, this environment seems to suit Ms. Bailey, who was born in working-class Derbyshire, England, and attended Kingston Polytechnic, where she got a fashion degree. Unlike Ms. Betts, she has assembled a close-knit team of fierce loyalists, mostly British, who have worked closely with her for years: deputy editor in chief Jenny Barnett, editorial director for features Michele Lavery, fashion director Mary Alice Stephenson and their woman in Europe, editor-at-large Susan Boyd. "They're not sycophants at all, but it's like the five-hour close machine with Jenny, Michele and Glenda behind the door," said a former Marie Claire staffer.

The fate of Marie Claire fashion editor Lucy Sykes, sister of Vogue 's Plum–who, it was said, was hired to raise the magazine's profile in the gossip columns–was hanging in the balance as of this writing. Ms. Sykes was said to be on vacation, returning Monday , June 11.

"I think in a business where there's a constant turnover of staff, she [Glenda] really inspires loyalty," said Ms. Lavery of her long-time boss. "Her sheer force of energy and enthusiasm is outstanding; it's never, ever waned. Her hours are pretty regular, but she always has homework and she always does it every night–nothing ever slips behind." Ms. Lavery waffled when asked about Ms. Bailey's vision for the new Bazaar but said firmly, "It's going to be fan tas tic."

Under Ms. Bailey, one might expect more international, investigative reporting to be added to Bazaar 's mix. The new editor doesn't really have a track record covering culture and the fine arts. Her ascent from humble beginnings and her offbeat approach to covering celebrities (she not only had Brooke Shields photographed in an igloo, she left her there to write about it) seems a possible victory for commoners who have tired of the constant twirl of Hilton and Lauder sisters through the pages of Bazaar and Vogue .

At any rate, even colleagues who have suffered at Ms. Bailey's hands describe her as hands-on and loaded with zeal.

"I would say her outbursts are countered by her mad passion for something," said a former Marie Claire editor, who remembered Ms. Bailey sitting at her desk with a lunch from Zen Palate. "She'll come through and say, 'Oh, I love that. Love love love love love !' Or, 'I hate that, I hate that, change it immediately!' She's never lukewarm about anything that goes in the magazine. She either loves it or it doesn't go in. Any of those real-people stories? Glenda has approved every single woman who appears in the story."

As for the new editor in chief's personal image, which was causing some consternation among the lower ranks of the fashion community last week, it could be said that Ms. Bailey follows in the exuberantly shabby tradition of the beloved Ms. Tilberis. Said one defender, "I think her hair looks best wild ."

Around this time last year, it seemed as if all of Time Inc. was getting a free tropical vacation. A few lucky staffers from Time and Fortune went for corporate retreats in Hawaii, and who could forget that the entire staff of Entertainment Weekly enjoyed some raucous, booze-addled, hot-tub fun in Puerto Rico?

Oh, what a difference a year and new techno-geek bosses from Virginia can make! This year, no company-sponsored tan lines or free Caribbean trips at Time Inc.

But they're still on the beach at Maxim ! Ad recession or not, the jiggly T&A strategy is still pulling in big bucks for Felix Dennis, so on May 21, all 30 or so of Maxim 's editorial staff–and a few lucky folks from the business side–got shipped off for a three-day holiday in Jamaica.

In the groovy environs of the Half Moon Bay resort, the Maxim staff kicked back and rethought their laddy mag. "I wanted to force a quantum moment so we could all take stock of where we are, and where we seem to be heading," Mr. Blanchard said, adding, "Success breeds complacency, and complacency breeds boring, crappy magazines. I won't name names."

And as for extracurriculars? "We escaped with one beer-bottle-related emergency-room visit, three totaled golf carts and only two indiscreetly-hooking-up staffers publicly busted," Mr. Blanchard said. "Not exactly Led Zeppelin throwing TV sets into the pool, but not bad."

–Gabriel Snyder

The Daily News ' business section is downsizing. Starting on Monday, June 4, the Daily News eliminated the third page of its business section, which had usually been used for briefs and often carried a half-page ad. This leaves "BizNews" with two main pages, as well as a third with stock tables that has been rejiggered to carry a column of briefs.

The News has never played business for buzz, sometimes opting to bury the section deep in the tabloid–in the June 5 paper, you can find it on page 50, right after "Big Town Chronicles" and "Your Neighborhood." While the rival New York Post has long used its insidery business coverage of finance, media and real estate (and recently, fashion) to bolster its upscale-downscale image, the News has focused on "news you can use" and more impersonal local coverage.

A spokesman for the News confirmed the cutback but suggested that its editorial impact will be negligible. Business editor Scott Wenger said: "It's still a great overview of the day's business news."

Still, sources elsewhere at the paper interpreted the shrinkage as a cost-cutting move at the tabloid, which in May cut more than a dozen newsroom jobs. To date, the News ' business desk has evaded pink slips–it remains steady at about 10 staffers–and though layoffs remain a concern, the spokesman said that no one was being fired.

–G.S.