It’s a tumultuous day in the world of fashion editorial. First Sally Singer leaves Vogue for T, and now word comes that W’s new editorial director, Stefano Tonchi (late of T himself), has cleaned house even further. When former editorial director Patrick McCarthy left, one editor described the top of the masthead situation as “dysfunctional.” Now all three of the top editors under McCarthy are gone: Bridget Foley to edit WWD full-time, Dennis Freedman when our own Jody Quon was brought on as creative director, and now today Julie Belcove has been laid off. Belcove was among six editorial layoffs today. The Daily reported that the others include Dana Wood, fashion features editor, Brian Sullivan, the editorial manager, and Lauran Kill, his deputy. We hear that photo editor Nadia Vellam and Freedman’s assistant, Meghan McElheny, round out the list. “The place is drowning in packing boxes,” says a W staffer in the midst of all this. In hiring news, Tonchi brought on Newsweek’s executive editor, Ted Moncreiff, who a source says will be valued for his managing and assigning skills as well as deep rolodex of writers.
