Condé Nast Pour Cold Water On Ex-Fashion Ed’s Extreme Fire Vogue Comments

The hot tea that Lucinda Chambers, ex-British Vogue Fashion Director and general style powerhouse spilled this week – where she roasted the publication for advertiser-led cover shoots and saltily claimed she hadn’t read the publication “in years”, is in the process of being cleaned up by Vogue’s parent company Condé Nast.

ICYMI, online journal Vestjo published a scathing first-person interview with Lucinda, in which she lays into British Vogue and the fashion magazine industry as a whole. To give you an idea of the level of saltiness, here’s a choice excerpt.

“Oh I know [my shoots] weren’t all good – some were crappy. The June cover with Alexa Chung in a stupid Michael Kors T-shirt is crap. He’s a big advertiser so I knew why I had to do it. I knew it was cheesy when I was doing it, and I did it anyway.”

British Vogue did post a lengthy Instagram pic of Lucinda back when she left, that gives glowing praise to the long-time Fashion Director. But now that the Vestjo piece is out, what seemed like an amicable farewell has turned into some major drama for Vogue and Condé Nast.

Lucinda Chambers is to step down from her position as fashion director of British Vogue. She will depart this summer after a career spanning 36 years at the publication. “Lucinda has been the most wonderful creative collaborator, as well as friend, throughout my whole editorship,” said Alexandra Shulman today. “She has produced many of the most influential and inspiring fashion shoots in the world during her time as fashion director of this magazine as well as a huge number of our most remarkable covers. It is impossible to overstate her vision, commitment, imagination and her ability to bring the best out of teams that work with her.” Read more via the link in bio. Photograph by @garconjon for @britishvogue

A post shared by British Vogue (@britishvogue) on

The whole kerfuffle centres around new Editor-in-Chief, fashion bigwig Edward Enninful. He starts at the mag on August 1, after gaining major cred in the industry during his time at W Magazine as Fashion and Style Director. 
He’s ruffling fashion feathers after axing Lucinda, who had been at the title for 36 years, and the departure of Deputy Ed and rumoured contender for Ed-in-Chief Emily Sheffield in the space of a few months – although Emily is quick to clarify she made her own decision to leave, and looks forward to the “new and exciting vision” of British Vogue under Edward’s leadership.

Love this girl @gigihadid xoxo (missing @bellahadid)

A post shared by Edward Enninful, OBE (@edward_enninful) on

Condé Nast has issued a statement on the whole thing, saying Lucinda’s recollections of her sacking were inaccurate, particularly the bit where she implied the decision was entirely Edward’s, and was not known to the rest of the senior staff – including her direct Editor.
“It’s usual for an incoming editor to make some changes to the team. Any changes made are done with the full knowledge of senior management.” Conde Nast’s statement emphasises.

Whatever the truth is, it sure is some spicy gossip for anyone with a remote interest in the fashion world. This is like IRL Devil Wears Prada shit mates. 

Image: Instagram / @britishvogue.
Source: WWD.

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