>> After almost being edged out by New York and Milan Fashion Weeks last season, the British Fashion Council has launched a major push to bring London Fashion Week back on solid ground.  Already, in conjunction with the event's 25th anniversary, Burberry, Matthew Williamson, Pringle of Scotland, Jonathan Saunders, Clements Ribeiro, and Jasmine de Milo — with Amanda Wakeley and Jeremy Scott, who's never shown in London, as the latest converts — have pledged to show in London for the Spring 2010 season in September. 

Now, the British Fashion Council has announced it hired Kelly Cutrone's US-based PR company, People's Revolution, to promote London Fashion Week and British designers stateside. The goal is to drive buyer and editor traffic, according to BFC joint chief executive Caroline Rush: “The appointment of People’s Revolution aims to increase awareness and exposure of British designers amongst US media and buyers with the goal of supporting the growth of designer businesses and increasing the attendance of these audiences at London Fashion Week.”

And there's always the added advantage of TV visibility — cameras for Kelly's upcoming Bravo show, Kell on Earth, will be shooting all through London Fashion Week. 

>> Elle hired Los Angeles talent agency CAA earlier this year to help them dig up more film and television partnerships — now that Stylista is over, they no longer sponsor Project Runway, and guest stints on Ugly Betty haven't turned into anything more permanent — and it looks like the agency is working their magic.  Creative director Joe Zee, who made a cameo on The City last season, is rumored to be expanding his role for the upcoming second season with a six-episode run, but an Elle rep wouldn't comment.

Diane von Furstenberg, meanwhile, who did have a decently substantial role in the show, since star Whitney Port was in her employ, looks to have put an end to her flirtation with reality TV: Whitney was passed over for a promotion at DVF, and is said to be filming scenes for the second season in the digs of previous employer People's Revolution.
*image: source

>> INSIDER WIRE —The appearance of scorned call girl Ashley Dupre front row at Yigal Azrouel caused confusion this morning; apparently it wasn't just us — the designer "didn't know she was there" and was "shocked" to find out: "I'm not somebody who's following and focusing on celebrity. I'm concentrating on making beautiful clothing."  Supposedly, Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution, who handled Yigal's front-of-house, invited Dupre to another show, but she showed up to Yigal's instead; Yigal was "not really happy about it" and has decided to fire People's Revolution "for mismanagement." [The Cut, WWD]
*image: source

>> INSIDER WIRE —Sometime Hills and The City guest star Kelly Cutrone has found a home for that reality show she's been shopping around.  She'll be joining fellow fashion insider Rachel Zoe on Bravo — the network has ordered up eight episodes for a reality show based on her PR company, People's Revolution; the focus is said to be "strong women in the workplace." [Page Six]

*image: source

>> Rachel Zoe put celebrity styling on camera with The Rachel Zoe Project, and now Kelly Cutrone has signed on to show another behind-the-scenes fashion sector to the public: fashion PR.

Cutrone, who founded firm People's Revolution and previously appeared on The Hills with a continuing mentorship role on Hills spin-off The City, has been planning a TV show of her own for a while now.  Although no network has been announced as attached — the pilot is being shopped, and NBC has a first-look deal — the reality show will follow Kelly and People's Revolution as they try to get clients into coveted publications, shoot lookbooks, hold meetings and photoshoots, work with celebrities, and produce fashion shows.  As Kelly explains, it's "going to showcase the nitty-gritty side of fashion publicity."

Filming is expected to start as early as February — just in time for Fashion Week — and Cutrone is serving as executive producer along with Magical Elves, the original producers of Project Runway.
*image: source

>> It's clearer and clearer that fashion magazines, labels, and personalities are looking to television to strengthen their brand — The Rachel Zoe Project, Project Runway, Stylista, The Hills, and upcoming Hills spinoff The City are all proof — so why would Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution get off the train and let Diane von Furstenberg pick up where she left off?

It was Teen Vogue which was originally tied with The Hills — they employed two of the show's stars, Whitney Port and Lauren Conrad, until they decided they wanted out, no reasons given, in January.  That's where Kelly Cutrone came in: "[Senior West Coast Editor] Lisa Love called me at Vogue and when I talked to them, I thought, There has to be a reason why Anna [Wintour]'s doing this. You know?"  She has employed both Lauren and Whitney for the past two seasons of the show, the first of which started airing in March 2008, but now, "I feel like I maximized that."

Whitney Port is getting her own show, but Kelly isn't coming with her: "I didn't really feel like it was a great idea to be on a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff. I felt like I already rolled the dice."  Plus, she has another show in the very early stages in the works, through the William Morris Agency: "I have another deal that I'm going to be an exec producer on — that I'll own part of.  I know some real talented people, and we want to be able to produce a show that we're not on as well.  I'll be the Ryan Seacrest of fashion."

And that's where Diane von Furstenberg comes in: She's employing Whitney on her new show, The City.  Will it pay off?
*image: source

>> Is Diane von Furstenberg picking up where People's Revolution and Teen Vogue left off? 

Fashionista reports that Whitney Port of The Hills fame is jockeying jobs again, which if true, means she won't be spotted helping Kelly Cutrone at any of the People's Revolution-produced fashion shows next month.  Supposedly, Whitney has moved on "to do in-house public relations for an unnamed designer," and the name that's being thrown around is Diane von Furstenberg.

A DVF spokesperson told Fashionista they "can't confirm" the rumor, but The Cut reports that sources have recently seen reality-TV producers at the DVF offices.

It's important to note that when Whitney left her post at Teen Vogue for a post at People's Revolution, Hills star Lauren Conrad followed her — so if the rumors are true, and Lauren follows Whitney to DVF like in the past, we're talking some major prime time coverage for the designer.  There's also a possibility that this is the beginning of Whitney's rumored Hills spin-off.  Either way, if DVF is involved, this could be big — the viewer market is right where she wants to be.
*image: source

>> Since we're going to be seeing a lot more of Kelly Cutrone — thanks, The Hills! — The New York Observer graciously served us up a little backstory on the People's Revolution founder and tooth-gnashing power publicist.

First, the mini-bio — it's quite a whirlwind.  She lives with her 6-year-old daughter, Ava, an Argentinian male model named Demian (who she's not dating), and a 7-year-old girl who is the the granddaughter of a former boyfriend.  She was married to her first husband, pop artist and Warhol affiliate Ronnie Cutrone, briefly in her early twenties (she's 42 now), and then seven or so years ago met Ava's father, an Italian in Paris, only shortly after leaving her second husband, an actor.  She promptly left Ava's father three months into her pregnancy, and has been dating music producer Jimmy Boyle for some years now.   

She left her first PR firm, Cutrone & Weinberg, in her late twenties because she wasn't happy and decided to become a tarot card reader on Venice Beach for a year and a half.  As for where she is today, People's Revolution reps 46 clients, including Longchamp, Yigal Azrouel, Vivienne Westwood, and Sass & Bide.  Kelly's happy with where the company is at, and curates her clients based on those she thinks deserve "a voice."

I wouldn’t want 80 percent of [powerhouse fashion firm and rival] KCD’s roster.  I would never rep Versace, I can’t stand her, I think she makes disgusting clothes. Calvin [Klein] is like, snore!  Who wears Calvin Klein?  I’m not dissing him. I think he’s built an amazing, respectable business, but I would never want to work for Calvin Klein, ever.

Oh, and good thing Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port aren't Kelly's assistants — althought it might make for better drama — she works until 1 or 2 am during fashion week, midnight many other months, and doesn’t allow her two assistants to leave before she does.

*image: source

>> After Teen Vogue dropped all connections with The Hills earlier this year, TV refugee Whitney Port turned to Kelly Cutrone and her fashion PR firm People's Revolution for new employ. 

Now comes the news that MTV is working on a Hills spin-off focusing on Whitney working bicoastally for People's Revolution, flitting between LA and New York, and befriending shunned socialite Olivia Palermo. 

Kelly Cutrone must be feeling the spotlight love — just like Elle — but I wonder who else will pop up on the show unexpectedly?
*images: source