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Anna Wintour was overheard at Paris Fashion Week voicing her dismay that Nina Ricci wasn't renewing designer Olivier Theyskens's contract after his magical fall 2009 show. In her April editor's letter, she expresses her discontent to the masses.

Olivier Theyskens's recent departure from Nina Ricci suggests to me that the vital role of artistic talent has been obscured in the current economic climate. My staff and I were shocked to learn that Theyskens's contract would not be renewed; and I am very concerned that the business of fashion is undervaluing the most important asset our industry requires: creative visionaries. There's a reason we continue to see Theyskens's influence everywhere, from catwalks to the mall. He'll be back, but fashion must hold its nerve.

We assume that last sentence means she's helping him get another gig. We hope he gets backing for a namesake label, and it's hard to see why he wouldn't, since the only people who aren't supporting him right now seem to be the heads of Puig Fashion Group, which owns Ricci. How foolish do they look?

Anna's Stance [FWD]