Despite our excitement about Elle’s The CW reality show Stylista, and fashion news director Anne Slowey playing the evil villainess, our behind-the-scenes spies are painting a less entertaining picture. At least for those working on the show.
As Jossip was the first to tell you last month, staffers have been roped into participating in the series unwillingly, being forced to ditch weekend plans to attend tapings at the show’s faux office.
Now we’re hearing two senior editors, Joann Pailey and Kate Lanphear, were blatantly lied to about their involvement on the show, originally being told they’d be extras, which they begrudgingly allowed, and then bait-and-switched into prominent roles as judges. “Both were completely humiliated and wanted nothing to do with it but were basically lied to by the powers that be,” says an insider.
As for the overdramatic Slowey? “Where do you start,” says our source.
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Here’s a preview of the upcoming Elle reality show Stylista (nee Fashionista?), starring fashion news director Anne Slowey as the evil villainess who will RUIN YOUR NAME IN THIS INDUSTRY.
She arrives via town car! She wears dark sunglasses! She dons four-inch heels! She expects her lunch plate to be feng-shuied! THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF GLAMOUR, PEOPLE.
She’s clearly trying too hard to be Miranda Priestley, but those who know her might, uh, say the act isn’t an act. Whatever. We’re going to love it.
Below, dos mas clips. One almost features tears!
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Although Elle always had “no comment” for us when we asked them to confirm they were working on a TV project aside from Nina Garcia’s involvement in Project Runway, it’s clear they’ve finally found a skein to latch on to.
As we were the first to report in December, Elle EIC Robbie Myers and creative director Joe Zee were running around town meeting with various TV outfits, including Ugly Betty and America’s Next Top Model.
Now it seems Myers’ minions have sealed a deal with the latter, with Zee and Anne Slowey signing on to a Tyra Banks-Ken Mok-produced project for The CW that’s billed as The Devil Wears Prada meets The Assistants. Rumor has it, the show will be called Fashionista, with the contestants all gunning for the grand prize of a gig at Elle.