In a manner, Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle continues the story of the power-hungry, money-obsessed, beauty-obsessed jungle that is New York City, where her groundbreaking novel Sex and the City left off. Compared to Bushnell's previous heroines, these women are not especially smarter or more lovable, but they are considerably wealthier and older.
Lipstick Jungle tells the tales of Wendy Healy, Victory Ford, and Nico O'Neilly, who rank eight, twelve, and seventeen on The New York Post's list of "New York's 50 Most Powerful Women."
However, in 21st-century New York, these women will stop at nothing to succeed and maintain their position, even if it means endangering their relationships with friends and colleagues. As an example, consider Nico, the chief editor of Bonfire magazine, who betrays her employer in order to become the head of the whole magazine division at the media conglomerate Splatch-Verner. Wendy, the president of Paradour Pictures, could be headed for an Oscar for Ragged Pilgrims, her ten-year labor of love, but her marriage is in disarray and her kids wouldn't give a damn about a $50,000 pony for their mother. And for 43-year-old Victory, a fashion designer who is unmarried, winning over harsh critics could be more crucial than ever in her quest to find the fulfilling relationship she has persuaded herself she doesn't need.
This sultry story about misbehaving women deftly turns the tables to demonstrate how, under the correct situations, gender roles are almost interchangeable. It's another matter entirely if Bushnell intended for this sinister narrative to be that way. --Toueg Gisele
Q: Were any real-life women an inspiration to Victory, Wendy, and Nico?
A: The settings and personalities in Lipstick Jungle were modeled by the real-life New York City ladies I know and respect. As with Sex and the City, I gave women's lives a lot of thought, and what I found intriguing was that there was a fascinating subset of women in their forties who were living unconventional lives. They didn't match the outdated idea of the witchy businesswoman, while being quite successful, driven, and often the breadwinners for their families. They also frequently had children. Yes, a lot of these ladies were the girls next door, or at least the females that brought back memories of my childhood closest friends and our imaginary adventures together. The ladies of Lipstick Jungle are redefining what it means to be a woman when you are really as powerful as or more powerful than a male, much like the women in Sex and the City.
You naturally want the details, so allow me to state that there was a certain point at which everything came together. One of the things Tina Brown would often bring up in her excellent Washington Post column was the group of influential ladies who were getting together and having lunch at Michael's restaurant. Now in their forties or early fifties, they had time to pursue new professional ambitions and spend more time with their girlfriends. They had been working for more than twenty years, and their children were in their early teens and didn't require them every minute. "Aha—that's the Lipstick Jungle," I realized.
How much research did you undertake to write a book that included publishing, movies, and fashion?
A: I did what I typically do to investigate fashion, movies, and publishing: I spoke with my pals! Naturally, my background in magazine publication and my fair share of Hollywood experience are assets. Additionally, I have two very talented buddies who are designers, and they have volunteered to assist me with the specifics. I still remember the afternoon when one of my girlfriends and I sat down to talk--she was over eight months pregnant, and I was worried that we were going to have to run to the hospital!