Bite of the Iguana

No gathering of celebrities or pretenders to that status is complete without the presence of a writer from Women's Wear Daily, the gossipy trade journal of evanescent chic. So when 300 jet setters assembled in Mexico for the opening of a $30 million resort, a by-lined story by Adelita Esterhazy last week dutifully recorded choice bits of fatuousness for WWD readers. But the piece ended on a dark editor's note: before leaving Mexico, "Adelita Esterhazy was walking the beach alone when she was attacked by an iguana. Dr. Eduardo Negrobien was unable to save her. This was her last article."

Tragedy hits WWD? Hardly. A WWD reader with a memory for the morbid will doubtless recall that a Paris story last November was written by Marie-Antoinette Esterhazy. She too met an untimely end: "Marie-Antoinette caught cold and died last night," WWD announced.

The inspiration behind these noms de plume is WWD Publisher John Fairchild. Most Esterhazy items are written by Fairchild himself (he is usually "Louise"), though Adelita's effort was the work of Karen Winner. The habit of killing off Esterhazys springs from Fairchild's mordant interpretation of the term "once-in-a-lifetime assignment." Says Editor Michael Coady: "It's a fun thing we have around here." Hungarian monarchists on the staff are said to be particularly amused.

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