>> After all the rumors on Gawker today that Anna Wintour was going to be replaced as editor-in-chief of Vogue by Carine Roitfeld starting in January 2009, Si Newhouse decided to put the talk to rest.  After receiving a copy of the original Gawker item via fax in Europe, he denied through a spokeswoman that anything was amuck: "It’s the silliest rumor I ever heard. There is no truth to it."

When asked about the possibility of her mother Carine replacing Anna a couple of weeks ago, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld also dismissed the possibility: "I don’t know how that rumor started.  She loves Paris too much — she’d never leave."

The general consensus seems to be that Carine wouldn't be a good fit for Vogue — unless there were some massive changes in the prioritities of ad sales, circulation size, and creative appearance made — but as for Anna being on the outs?  Who knows . . . what executive would do anything but deny a rumor before he's ready for it to be outed?

UPDATE: Over at Fashion Week Daily, they've heard another editor's name floated around as Anna's possible replacement — British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, who as the clues indicate, trains the incoming Vogue editors and is "not too tall, not too short, 'deplores plastic surgery' and is sporting a fresh new fringe."  My best guess for promoting someone within Vogue would have to ride with Sally Singer.
*image: source