60 Seconds With Stefano Tonchi

Last night, we found ourselves back in familiar territory at DVF Studio, where we had our epic FNO event. This time, we were there for a intimate fete hosted by Diane Von Furstenberg to celebrate the publication of Walter Albini and His Times: All Power to the Imagination, a biography of the fashion and costume designer by Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi. While at the signing for the tome, we caught up with the dapper Tonchi to chat about his new position as W's EIC. He dropped some hints on upcoming covers...we're dying to hear your guesses!



Has Fashion Week changed for you now that you're the EIC at W?

'It's a different experience, it's a different mind than working at The New York Times. September was the first step of a long period of issues—there's a lot of new elements, but, still, a lot of the old. The fashion is really important and strong but we added a lot of great writing and words."




In terms of covers, you obviously went with a very different choice for the first issue...


"The it-girls! Jennifer Lawrence, she is fantastic—we all think she will be Oscar nominated for Winter's Bone, and, you know, we would have been the first to recognize that. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams on the second—we want always to connect the content of the magazine to what is on the cover."



Do you have any sort of celebrity wish-list?

'Not really...Each issue has its own focus. October is 'His and Hers,' so we had a couple there. November is the art cover, so we collaborated with an artist, and we have a great reality TV person!'


Kim Kardashian??

'It's someone very different from what you expect for the magazine. Then December is a very special 'family issue,' with kids! I want W to be a little be divisive and unexpected.'




What did you think of the Lady Gaga cover dressed in a meat dress on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan?


'I have not seen that cover, only the Vanity Fair one. I believe she has done these very surreal images. She always likes those surreal images.'



Would you ever consider for W's cover?

'Umm, I think we would be really late after VF and everybody else, so we will have to wait for the next time around. But, you know, at the same time it's all about how you do it. If we agree on some concept that serves the magazine, why not? You work on the web, you know—it's never about being first, it's about how you do it."



Are you trying to find someone to fill the roles of The Countess or Suzy? We grew up with them. (we're available!)?

'Right now, we have really not had a lot of time to look for columnists or column names. We will see how it goes.'


How much are you focusing on wmag.com?

"We redesigned it. We are doing a lot of videos. We want a lot of fashion videos—that will be the focus of the website. We are not going to be in the business of news, because I don't have have the staff to do that. But we cleaned it up. There is a lot that will happen...we are doing "Fashion on Film" in the end of October. It's an online film festival...you can submit yourself!



Any Fashion Week vices?

'Just sleep. Lots and lots of it.