Publicist Lyn Tesoro can think of one million reasons why she should take French editor Jennifer Eymere of Jalouse magazine to the cleaners…
If there ever was the idea that working in the high octane world of fashion pr was all about ego and frayed nerves then perhaps the following case goes a long way to exploring the gamut of expectations and uncomfortable realities that come in such a terrain.
It all began Sunday night at the Zac Posen show (Mr Posen has become a darling favorite amongst Hollywood and fashion elite) when fire marshals were forced to pull 60 seats from the Avery Fisher hall ahead of the Zac Posen Spring 2013 collection. Such an undertaking unfortunately left the show’s publicist, Lyn Tesoro in the uncomfortable and unenviable position (although I wonder whether there would be some who would relish this) of having to decide who would get to keep their front row seat at the much coveted show. For those who are new to fashion stakes, being seen not to be seated front row at a high octane presentation such as the Zac Posen show is tantamount to being ridiculed and demoted amongst ones peers.
That said with little choices available to her, Lyn Tesoro was forced to rescind Jalouse magazine’s editor Jennifer Eymere’sseat, effectively leaving her standing. Most people would have taken this course of action with some aplomb and understood that sometimes things can not be controlled. Not so for Ms Eymere who according to Lynn Tesoro then lashed out at her and even slapped her in the face for the perceived faux pas (yes kids I am ruefully smiling myself too).
According to the French editor who was with her sister Vanessa Bellugeon and mother Marie Jose Susskind-Jalou (president of Jalou publishing house) she told Ms Tesoro the following as she attempted to re arrange seating arrangements.
‘I said, ‘Don’t speak to my mom like this. You have to stop to speak like that.’ I said, ‘Be careful, I am going to slap you,’ and she kept doing it, and it just happened.
‘Now you know you don’t f*** with French people,’
For her part Jennifer Eymere is very sorry for her choice of behavior (is she really though?) but nevertheless added the following:
‘It was just to humiliate her. She humiliated my mom, and I humiliated her in front of her crew. Voilà. I just said at the end.’
Despite how Jennifer Eymere may now feel about the incident Ms Tesoro for her part was so incensed by the way Ms Eymere behaved towards her that within 72 hours of her being slapped she filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Jalouse editor in Manhattan’s Supreme Court accusing her of counts of assault, battery, emotional distress and slander. Quite the handful.
Then of course there was this comment from one reader that raised my eyebrows:
Zac Posen should grow a pair and not grovel to the bullies. And, slapping the bully with the law suit is so much better than stooping to the French self important elitist thug. Yes, a thug. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear-and Ms Eymere should now get the message that her actions have consequences and she is nothing but a street thug. I applaud Ms Tesoro for standing up for herself and for not letting these French pigs think they are so grand and “IMPORTANT” that they cannot behave like spoiled brats. I also would think that this should cause ANYONE who has done business with these French people to BOYCOTT them. Simple. Outside the bounds. Not given ANY seats at all. Anywhere.
Never mind, what’s a bit of fusing over seating assignments and the perception of importance? Well in the fashion industry it’s just about everything….Interestingly Zac Posen has for the time being declined to publicly comment on the situation. I wonder why?
via wwd
