The Face Behind the $30K Facelift

It's no secret that most women of a certain age in the fashion world have had some work done. Still, when an anonymous publishing executive told New York magazine about her plans for a luxury face-lift in this week's cover story, it aroused curiosity.

The story's author, Jonathan Van Meter, reported the publisher of a women's fashion title and a "good friend" will have the procedure next spring, when she turns 60. "All told, it will cost her $30,000, including recovery in a fancy hotel and a private nurse attending to her every need." Van Meter also notes that the publisher in question has been receiving injections of Botox and skin-fillers for years, "with disappointing results."

To those who know the fashion media, that description points to Carol Smith of Elle, whose birthday falls in May. As it happens, Smith also has a strong connection to Van Meter: She was the publisher of Vibe in the early 1990s, when he was the editor in chief.

Van Meter declined to say whether Smith is the publisher in question.

Smith, however, didn't mind coming clean -- although she did add a little detail. "Yes, it was me Jonathan Van Meter was talking about. But there is no 'fancy hotel;' there is no 'private nurse' waiting to attend to my 'every need,'" she told Portfolio.com.

"I was planning on having a face-lift, but that was well over a year ago, and since I am now embroiled in moving apartments, my face will have to look after itself for the time being. I'm happy to share with anyone who is interested my cosmetic surgery experiences, but I was sorry that the article used me as a foil: Dr. Rosenberg is an artist, Dr. Wexler is a saint, and I'm self-coddling comic stage fixture."