Editor caught in fashion fit
THERE was “Devil Wears Prada”-worthy drama at Paper Magazine this past week when its fashion editor was let go for ruthlessly trashing a college intern to top designers.
Paul-Simon Djite — fashion editor at the mag, which is famous for its Kim Kardashian “Break the Internet” cover — mass e-mailed designers on Wednesday with the subject line “Intern trying to bulls--t her way into shows.” Djite wrote, “It’s been brought to my attention that Keirra Webster . . . has been trying to rsvp for shows claiming she is my assistant.” He then goes ballistic, writing, “JUST FYI — KEIRRA DOES NOT WORK FOR ME!!” and alleges Webster was “an intern at PAPER, a real s--t one, and the audacity of this stunt must show you just how switched off the light in her head is. Please note, she is not worthy of your time . . . burn and dump the corpse of her communications in internet landfill.” He writes, “Such blatant stupidity . . . who birthed you keirra? they need to put you back in. you silly twat. quit your f--king around.”
But recipients of the mean missive got another e-mail on Thursday from Paper co-Editor-in-Chief Kim Hastreiter saying Djite was out, and Webster was “in good standing.” Hastreiter wrote, “We retract every portion of [Djite’s] e-mail. It was sent without authorization ... it contains many comments which were totally unjustified and inappropriate.” The e-mail adds that Djite “is no longer” Paper’s fashion editor and that Webster “remains an Intern in good standing . . . and has contributed in a positive way to PAPER since she began interning here in the Fall.”
Djite told us when reached for comment, “I’m not proud of that e-mail.” Webster said she did RSVP for shows saying she was an intern, blogger and Djite’s assistant “of my own volition.” “I wasn’t per se working so closely with him. It was my mistake to use that wording. I made a mistake . . . and accept that responsibility.” She added, “I appreciate everything Paper has done for me in taking my side and coming to my defense. I am very grateful to them and for the opportunity. It’s done, it happened. I still wish him well.”