Edward Leida

>> Following the departure of longtime W creative director Dennis Freedman comes the exit of Edward Leida, the magazine's design director and a 25-year veteran of Fairchild Publications. Leida will continue to operate his own firm, Edward Leida Design, through which he has worked on projects for Dolce & Gabbana, Celine, and the New York Times.

But it seems that as the magazine loses one editor, it's gaining another. WWD reports that Lynn Hirschberg has left her post as editor-at-large of the New York Times Sunday Magazine and T, presumably to join W in an entertainment director role. W has been without a full-time entertainment editor since last June, and Hirschberg's skills at celebrity wrangling and interviewing would mesh well with Tonchi's vision for the magazine, which includes landing bigger and more timely cover stars.

>> While the new W editor-in-chief could be announced as early as today and Stefano Tonchi seems to be the man for the job, the New York Post reports that former W fashion director (and current Elle creative director) Joe Zee is "in a neck and neck race" with Tonchi. Meanwhile, Fashion Week Daily has a full list of potentials for the job — Tonchi, Zee, Carine Roitfeld, Kate Betts, Katie Grand.

But what about the rest of the W staff? The Daily reports that the departure of W editor and editorial director Patrick McCarthy came as a shock, and so far, there has not been a formal staff meeting about all the changes.  The Daily's sources are convinced that creative director Dennis Freedman, design director Edward Leida, and fashion director Alex White will all leave the magazine — and possibly deputy editor Julie Belcove, who is said to be "a wreck," as well.

Meanwhile, The Daily is surmising that W senior contributing fashion editor could stay on as fashion director, and Tonchi's close friend Anne Slowey, Elle's fashion news director, is a top contender for executive editor at W (or perhaps Tonchi's position at T).