The May issue of Hong Kong's Prestige magazine includes a profile of Nina Garcia. The magazine interviewed Garcia before she lost her job as fashion director at Elle (she continues to mull over the magazine's offer of a lesser title). Prestige explains things got rocky for Garcia post-maternity leave. New creative director Joe Zee had sashayed in and racked up his very own column "Style A to Zee" (which we feel paled in comparison to Nina's column "Fashionina"). Can't someone who's not a famous actress have a kid these days and keep their career intact? Anyhow, we know Nina to be a very nice, humble lady, and though she's not the type to talk trash or pretentiously blather about fashion and herself, she does explain why the fashion industry is so vicious:

Looking back on our conversation, Garcia must have known her position was precarious. “Yes, there is a lot of pressure,” she concedes. “But having my son is a very big source of strength. You have to keep it all in perspective. Some people can be very jealous, competitive or mean. But I think that happens in every business. It’s a little more highlighted in the fashion industry, because it’s a creative business. What happens when it’s creative … nobody knows how long they’re going to be there. The turnover is very quick. So people get even more insecure about their jobs and positions, the hierarchy. It’s silly! But you have to keep it in perspective. It’s only fashion.”

Yes, it's only fashion. And it's only Project Runway LA (half the season, anyway). So let Elle have it and you enjoy playtime with your new son.

The Cutthroat Life [Prestige]