>> INSIDER WIRE —The results are in and, as expected, it's not looking pretty.  A number of fashion magazines saw their ad pages drop by double-digits in 2008: W lost 12.7 percent, Teen Vogue is down 10.2 percent, and Vogue, which had a record-breaking year in 2007, declined 9.6 percent.  For the latter, the results burn even more, as Elle gained 3.2 percent over 2007, and Harper's Bazaar only lost 0.3%. 

Granted, in overall numbers, Vogue (2,893 ad pages for 2008), still trumps Elle (2,578) and Harper's Bazaar (2,067), but the losing trend can't be good — maybe the rumored Michelle Obama and Blake Lively covers will give them the boost they need in 2009? [WWD]

>> Eric Wilson's article in The New York Times today about those mysterious items in fashion magazines listed as "price upon request" — turns out a lot of them never went into production and aren't available for purchase — is especially ironic, considering a conversation Elle editors Joe Zee and Anne Slowey had on last night's episode of Stylista.

In the clip below, the show's contestants are presenting the trend page they created for the magazine, full of product, but Anne notices that they forgot to add in the shopping credits: "What's that all about?"  One of the contestants tries to explain that she "didn't think it would be okay to make up prices" but Anne retorts that on a shopping page, the credits are "imperative . . . it's the only reason why we exist as a fashion magazine."  Joe backs her up — "Credits are key" — and then Anne ends the conversation with a sarcastic, "I want everything on this page, but I don't know where to buy it."

Funny she should say that . . . »

>> After the second episode of Elle's Stylista aired last night, I think it's safe to say that it's not going to get any better.  Fashion news editor Anne Slowey still can't walk on a pair of heels — never good when you're acting as omnipotent fashion editor on national TV — and her show has been relegated to the bargain basement with the label of "tremendously silly and kinda boring fashion magazine editor competition show."  Even with some of The Devil Wears Prada furniture on-set, the show remains a sad shell of the real thing; Anne Slowey is no Meryl Streep.

There are numbers to prove how unimpressed watchers are — the second episode lost 30 percent of its viewership from last week, and while it's lead-in show, America's Next Top Model, attracted 4.4 million in audience, Stylista "fumbled all but 2.4 million of the viewers, which is barely better than The CW was doing in the time period with repeats of the next generation of 90210."

The jury is still out on whether Stylista will drive up newsstand sales and ad pages, which is it's main purpose, but it's looking like Anne Slowey is no Nina Garcia, either.
*image: photo courtesy the cw

>> Between the reviews yesterday and the original preview clips, I wasn't expecting much from Stylista — except maybe the inane tasks and overblown drama that was readily served up.  Toward the end of the pilot episode, however, there was a nice cameo from Elle style director Kate Lanphear, who appeared to help with the judging.  She wore her trademark black and white, but even she couldn't escape the excessive makeup treatment before going on camera — it was strange to watch, since Kate is so striking in her usual minimal-to-no makeup.  It was just another symbol of how unreal this reality show is — Kate may have played along, but she barely talked, and my guess is, she would have rather been somewhere else.

>> Elle's first major foray into TV — aside from a long-running but now defunct Project Runway sponsorship — premieres tonight, and the reviews are in.  Fashion news director Anne Slowey has restyled herself from a reasonable person to someone more cold-hearted, working in an obviously staged Elle office.  For the so-called reality show Stylista is supposed to be, there are an awful lot of facades going on, but one thing is real — the critics have spoken, and while there are no caustic words, the general feeling seems to be apathy: "Oh, another reality show? Ho-hum."

The Washington Post:

Stylista is — what is the phrase? — like a little tick that you want to flick off, but it's no worse than other reality games that have come before and will come after. It celebrates and elevates life's most trivial drivel, but if that were a crime, reality television would quickly go the way of the crooked quiz shows of the '50s.

"It is exactly the same as every other gimme-a-job reality show . . ." »