[Someone]

> She spent most of the time trying to dictate things she'd already written over the phone

Falling back to ingrained habits is quite a normal response to stress. It also is part of why after an emergency landing aircraft passengers may pick up their luggage before getting out of the plane.

I think that also could explain the martini drinking in the limo. That might be the ‘program’ fashion journalists always run when in long limo rides.

As to the entire article: It’s not brilliant writing, but she mentions what she did, show some compassion with the victims, realizes that he drinking wasn’t very appropriate, and concludes that fashion may never be the same.

I don’t see that as being reason to vilify her.

That may even have been the brief she got from her editor.