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| Glenda Bailey |
In the Observer today, a grazing fawner avers, 'While running the American version of Marie Claire, [Bailey's] penchant for risk-taking was legendary.' I'm sure it was. But nothing compared to her pioneering antics on British Marie Claire - I wouldn't expect any of the newspaper indentured tots to know anything about that time (the 80s-90s, darling); or even to imagine that sentience was alive and kicking even before their own natal birth.
Who can forget (if one knew to start with) Glenda's notorious penises supplement? When I tell people who doze through Glamour now, they think I'm making it up. But Glenda Bailey OBE, and friend of Karl Lagerfeld, actually persuaded the dull Old Spice scrotes of IPC that what the world needed was the gift of a penises supplement. And there they were, dozens and dozens of different disembodied dicks, a bonanza of Bobbitt-like chopped, cropped choppers, all close-shot - and this before pajazzling. An Argos catalogue of sausages, winkles, cigars, buttons (?) all manner of types; some cut, some not; though all flaccid. This exhibition of cock caused a fuss at the time and sales rocketed.
Glenda's genius was simply this: no mainstream women's glossy editor had ever thought or dared to do this before. Like Warhol and his art. She was copied briefly of course; and then the novelty was done. And later, Glenda got her OBE.
Deservedly so, I'm sure.
7 comments:
I do not believe a word of it. You are incorrigible.
I worked at IPC for 10 years, some of it while Glenda was there and you're right - there were a lot of old Spice scrotes there, which truly makes her achievements all the more impressive.
I remember that supplement well - I would have been in it had she asked - not to mention the furore it caused (nobody would bat an eyelid now of course). She was a superb editor and Marie Claire was in it's 'imperial' phase under her guidance. To think that the magazine would one day be helmed by Liz Jones...
Thank you for confirming. So many people accuse me of making this story up. Heather Love wore Old Spice I'm sure; not to mention Colin Rives-Gauche - dreadful cunt.
In fairness, when I was an editor there (for I was, briefly, in the Southbank Group) Heather was nothing but supportive. Some right dullards worked there though it must be said....
Glenda is by far the nicest of mag editors though no pushover. But she's succeeded without trampling over others or bullying, unlike the OTHER one.
I still have the yellowing cocks supp from Marie Claire. It's shocking even today. I wonder why interviewers never bring it up. Perhaps Madame could investigate.
What's interesting about Glenda is that she's a fashion futurologist whereas Anna Wintour, by her own admission, hasn't a clue about the upcoming zeitgeist - she relies on old Grace for that. Why Glenda's not editing US Vogue I have no idea, but she's the one to beat these days.
Loved your post by the way. What a lovely soul you are.
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