Let’s start with the obvious; American Vogue and it’s editor and chief, Anna Wintour. Anyone with a brain knows Wintour’s status at Vogue, and her influence over the $300-billion global fashion industry. But the details of her life are what are really intriguing, along with her charitable work towards both organizations and new designers.
Anna Wintour was born on November 3rd, 1949 in London, England. Her father was renowned newspaper editor Charles Wintour, who oversaw the London Evening Standard. Her mother was philanthropist Elinor Wintour. Wintour’s fashion sense emerged at a young age; she cut her signature bob for the first time at age fifteen.
Her first magazine gig began at Harper’s & Queen working in the fashion department. Then in 1976 she moved to New York and became fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar. While still only in her twenty’s, Wintour left Harper’s for Viva Magazine. There, she managed the entire publication’s fashion department, some say single handedly.
After a very brief stint at Savvy, where again she served as a fashion editor, Wintour moved to New York Magazine in 1981. Five years later, in 1986, she moved back to London to act as editor and chief of British Vogue. While working for the Conde Nast publication, Wintour’s salary pushed past $200,000 with a $25,000 allowance for clothes and other amenities.
Finally, in 1988, Wintour struck fashion gold and was named editor-in-chief of American Vogue. She returned to New York City and hasn’t left since. Wintour has undoubtedly, left a mark on Vogue. A true trendsetter, she was the first to put celebrities instead of models on the covers. She also was the first to merge the high fashion with the reasonably priced. For her first Vogue cover in November, 1988, she mixed a pair of $50 jeans with a $10,000 jewel-encrusted t-shirt.
In addition to her many amazing career moves, Wintour has built quite a reputation for herself. Nick named the “Nuclear Winter” she is infamous for her hard working, perfectionist personality and her grueling requirements on her staff. Lauren Weisberger, a former assistant to Wintour, is the author of the novel “The Devil Wears Prada”, and is said to have based the main character off of Wintour herself. When the movie premiered in 2006, Wintour amused the press and viewers alike by wearing head to toe Prada to the Red Carpet.
Despite her “chilly” personality, Wintour is a key industry philanthropist. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, she helped raise money for the Twin Towers Fund. She is also highly revered for helping emerging designers come into the industry. Most noticeably, Marc Jacobs, whom she recommended to Louis Vuitton in 1997.
In addition, Wintour is credited for creating the annual Fashion Night Out in New York City. Launched n 2009, it’s purpose was to kick start the economy and encourage people to begin spending money again after the recession hit. Today, the event is hosted in 27 additional cities around the US along with 15 countries worldwide.
Additional Facts and Quotes
– Wintour has raised over $10 million for AIDS charities since 1990
– She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2008 for her accomplishments in British journalism and the British fashion world
– “Fashion’s not about looking back. It’s always about looking forward.” (Anna Wintour)
– [when asked what it was like to observe Anna Wintour] “Well, you can make a film in Hollywood without Steven Spielberg’s blessing, and you can publish software in Silicon Valley without Bill Gates’ blessing, but it’s pretty clear to me that you can’t succeed in the fashion industry without Anna Wintour’s blessing.” (R.J. Cutler, Director of The September Issue)
– Vogue was called “the world’s most influential fashion magazine” by the New York Times in December 2006
– The September 2007 issue of Vogue totaled out at 840 pages, with a weight of just fewer than five pounds. It is the largest magazine issue ever printed and is considered “The Bible” of magazines
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