Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage.comAnna Wintour. Fashion's scariest and most influential broad. Or not?
Now that Tim Gunn has been ballsy enough to go after Wintour (claiming she got carried down several flights of stairs, not wanting to tire her bony ass), as well as the fashion institution that is Vogue, we smelled Seventh Avenue blood. So we did a little digging while we were in New York for Fashion Week and checked in with folks who know both chic parties.
What's really going on with the infamous inspiration of The Devil Wears Prada?
1. Project Runway Stars May Have to Take Sides: With Gunn's recent incendiary remarks, the major buzz about the fallout isn't what fashion events he'll be banned from—it's what Heidi Klum and Michael Kors are going to do! Our Wintour insiders insist to us Anna is "very displeased" with Gunn going after Vogue (no surprise there) and that it may affect her views of Heidi and Kors if they show any loyalty to Tim.
However, Anna was front row at Michael's amazing show Wednesday and rushed backstage after, so hopefully they are in the clear for now. Fellow judge Nina Garcia has already spoken out praising what Wintour has done for fashion and said she "didn't" see her get carried anywhere.
2. Anna Most Likely Did Get Carried Down Five Flights of Stairs: While America's Next Top Model guru Miss Jay wouldn't comment on the Gunn vs. Wintour battle, Jay Manuel gave a politically correct rundown of what he thinks happened since he knows both Tim and Anna:
"Here's what I can say: I obviously wasn't there when this supposed event went down, but if Tim Gunn witnessed something and he's being very honest, good for him, that's what I'd have to say. But yeah, he really does now need to be in the fashion protection program for sure."
3. Anna Doesn't Eat and Spit Out All Her Assistants: We've heard from a source at Condé Nast that while Wintour is "feared yet worshiped" at Vogue, she isn't terrible to everyone. One of her former assistants ages ago raved to us about the opportunities she received after being Wintour's right-hand woman and claimed Anna personally opened other doors for her within the company.
4. You Can Screw Up in Front of A.W. and Still Have a Career: At the Z Spoke by Zac Posen show, a model went down on the runway—and it wasn't the girl's first time slipping up. "Listen, she fell once in my showroom for Anna Wintour," Zac told us at Bertolli restaurant in Lincoln Center. "It was great, she walked so well, Anna said I had to cast her in [this] show."
5. Anna Still Thinks Rachel Zoe Is Despicable: Remember when Zoe insinuated a few years ago she was more influential in fashion than Wintour? Well, Anna has not forgotten. "She despises Rachel, and Rachel despises her," says a source who has worked closely with both fashion icons. The two have been crossing paths at a few of the shows and have not been hanging. But so far, no fur (real or otherwise) has flown. The two even went backstage separately after their mutual pal Michael Kors gave his fab spring presentation.
But they avoided each other like only two people who truly despise each other do. Ya know, like Tim and Anna?