Source: limcollege.edu

It was just two years ago, almost to the date, that Essence announced it had hired Ellianna Placas as it’s new fashion director. Coming from experience in fashion publishing that spanned 0: The Oprah Magazine, Us Weekly, Real Simple, New York, More and Life & Style, Placas certainly had the general professional credentials for the job, but there was just one thing the magazine’s readers and fans felt she was missing: African American heritage.

The hire was highly controversial for the magazine that later hired yet another white editor last year, leaving an even more bitter taste in reader’s mouths. And now after the white managing editor chapter has been closed with Michael Bullerdick getting the boot over his right-wing Facebook posts, Essence has also let Placas go. According to Page Six the reasoning has to do with her inability to see eye-to-eye with Editor-in-Chief Constance White. A source told the NY Post:

“They had different visions for fashion coverage.”

An Essence spokesperson confirmed the news with the post and didn’t comment any further except to say that the search for her replacement is ongoing. Placas wasn’t available for comment either.

Since Angela Burt-Murray was the editor who brought Placas on—and strongly defended her competency in fulfilling the duties of the position—it’s possible that with a new editor now in place, Placas’ vision no longer meshes with the overall brand. White could also be seeking to revamp Essence’s image which has taken a bit of a turn for the worse, not solely because of these white hires, but because many readers already felt the magazine was out of touch with what they wanted in a publication, and for some, these hires only drove that point home further.

Eyes will definitely be on the mag to see who they ultimately pick to replace Placas. All I can say is they better choose wisely.

What do you think about Placas’ firing? Was it based on just a clash of opinion or something more?

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