Londoner's Diary: Melania leaves her Wintour blues behind

In today's diary: Melania will be in Vogue | Diane Abbott and David Davis are Stranger's in the night | Samantha Barks in love and La La Land | Charles Dance refuses to wax lyrical about Donald Trump |  Yanis Varoukfakis loses faith in Jeremy Corbyn | Pixie Lott swoons over Prince Charles 
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10 February 2017

HAS Anna Wintour warmed up to Melania Trump? Last year the influential editor of Vogue took a bold political stance: the magazine endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time in its history, backing Hillary Clinton. But in fashion, trends can change overnight.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal yesterday Wintour declared her new-found interest in the First Lady. “We have a tradition of always covering whoever is the First Lady at Vogue,” she said. “And I can’t imagine that this time would be any different.”Clinton may be surprised. There were whispers that she had been photographed by Vogue during her doomed campaign, with a cover slot abandoned after her defeat. But Wintour moves quickly: showing the diplomatic skills that led her to be considered as US Ambassador to the UK, Wintour is carving out a new role for herself in the Trump era. She is reportedly leading peace talks between the President and Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter.

This is no meagre task: the rift between Trump and Carter goes back more than three decades, after Carter was the first journalist to draw attention to Trump’s rather small hands. Until now, Melania has been treated as a fashion pariah. British Vogue’s Alexandra Shulman recently told The Londoner that she’d “rather concentrate on trying to get Michelle Obama” on the magazine’s cover. Designers have also been unimpressed: “I have no interest whatsoever in dressing Melania Trump,” sniffed Marc Jacobs, while Tom Ford declared she was “not necessarily my image”.

Could a wink from Wintour change her fortunes?

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There’s a vacancy at Ukip — but leader Paul Nuttall is not on the way out. Surrey-based media and events company UKiP, not affiliated to the party, is hiring an assistant editor for its automotive division. Must have a passion for the industry and, we assume, the ability to field prank calls.

Unlikely allies in the Strangers’ Bar

IT’S a situation The Londoner often encounters: what to do about unwanted advances? When Brexit Secretary David Davis approached Diane Abbott in the Strangers’ Bar in Parliament and seemingly leaned in for a kiss, he was met with expletives. Now Abbott has found an ally in our arbiter of etiquette, MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. “It is a lady’s prerogative to indicate if a kiss is welcome or not,” he tells us. “And the fault must lie with the preux chevalier [a gallant knight].”

Labour’s Jess Phillips, present during the encounter, said Davis was “drunk on Brexit smugness”. He might want to sober up sharpish.

Reds and blues line up for Baftas

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London is abuzz ahead of Sunday’s Baftas. And actors love their rehearsals: last night Bafta held a pre-ceremony gala dinner at its Piccadilly HQ, with actress Samantha Barks, pictured above with her boyfriend, actor Jack Fox, among the guests. La La Land is set to win big and is even rumoured to be coming to the West End. Could Barks, a musical veteran, be a new Emma Stone? Also at the dinner was Maxine Peake, right, among the favourites to replace Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who. Perhaps a chance to swap pillar-box red for Tardis blue.

‘Jez we can’ is lost on his old pal

HEARTS will break across Islington today after Greek finance stud Yanis Varoufakis confessed that he doesn’t think his old friend Jeremy Corbyn is on the path to electoral success. “The chances that he will become prime minister any time soon are slim,” were the devastating words from the rock-star economist. Speaking to Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hasan yesterday, Corbyn’s one-time adviser pointed to “deep divisions within the Labour Party”. Et tu, Yanis?

As with so many break-ups, the early signs were there. In March last year, Varoufakis appeared to distance himself from holding an official role with Corbyn. “I’m a full-time active politician. As such, I could not be advising another politician,” the former finance minister told CNBC. “So I am talking to Jeremy Corbyn because he talks to me.” Something of a one-sided relationship, then.

He’s not the first economic adviser to abandon Corbyn, with Danny Blanchflower accusing the Labour leader of playing “idiotic games” in the aftermath of the EU vote, and five more of his advisers publishing an open letter accusing the leader

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TO THE Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge last night, where the Newport Beach Film Festival toasted Brits who’ve made an impression across the pond. Charles Dance was among those to receive an award — between roles, he is an avid climate change campaigner. What does he think of Trump’s dismissal of the issue? “You couldn’t print what I think of Donald Trump,” he replied. “It would be full of absurdities.” of not campaigning strongly enough during the referendum. The heady early days of the Varoufakis/Labour Party romance seem a long way off. Will we ever see the two astride a stage to rapturous applause again?

Lotts to look forward to

(Photo by Geoff Pugh - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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THERE’S a Lott of love for Prince Charles. Last night HRH was at The Savoy, hosting his annual Invest in Futures fundraiser for The Prince’s Trust. Guests included Dame Joan Collins and Jeremy Irons, but three wasn’t a crowd: singer Pixie Lott with her mother Beverley and her sister Charlie-Ann fawned over the guest of honour. Last year, Pixie took the lead role of Holly Golightly in a stage version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Charles, meanwhile, is simply a diamond geezer.

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Pillow talk of the day: Pope Francis says he sleeps on a mattress of his letters to St Joseph. “That’s how I sleep well — it is the grace of God.” Beats cocoa.

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