“She has to wear sunglasses because one facial expression can end someone’s entire career,” my friend said to me while scrolling through Tiktok. Fashion Tiktoks filled her feed during Victoria Secret’s recent show. I remember looking at her like she was crazy and telling her, “you’re insane” to which she replied, “I’m not. It’s Anna Wintour, dude. She could end your entire career, your life, your dreams!”
The Life of Anna Wintour
Turns out, my friend was not crazy about this Anna Wintour person. Dame Anna Wintour is the current CEO of Vogue. In 2017 ,the late Queen Elizabeth II appointed Wintour with the position of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or DBE giving her the title of Dame. She’s believed to be the inspiration behind the iconic movie “The Devil Wears Prada,” she is known as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, the chief content officer of Condé Nast, and one of the most influential and recognizable figures in fashion. Some even speculate that Edna Mode from the Incredibles series may be based off of Wintour.
Known for her signature bob and her dark black sunglasses, she’s arguably the most powerful woman in the fashion world. She is praised for her skills in determining fashion trends, and she is hated for her aloof and no-nonsense personality. But this no-nonsense woman got to her current position without working hard. Her father, Charles Vere Wintour was the editor of London’s Evening Standard newspaper. Wintour went to school and later dropped out of North London Collegiate in ‘66. Four years later, she became a fashion assistant for Harpers & Queen magazine. She later worked as a fashion editor for numerous New York magazines. Inn 1986 she became an editor of British Vogue, and later in 1987, she became an editor of House & Garden.
When Wintour replaced Grace Mirabella, the former editor in chief of American Vogue, Elle, another magazine, was launched in the United States with the sole purpose of dethroning Vogue’s popularity. Wintour unapologetically said in a published fashion philosophy she created, “mass with class – that’s my mantra.”
The Legacy of Anna Wintour
Afterwards, multiple famous and influential women were featured on the cover of Vogue, like Angelina Jolie and Hilary Clinton, to name a few. She also worked on creating multiple associations and famous events including the notorious Met Gala to collect money to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She’s also the reason behind multiple famous fashion careers including supermodels, photographers, and designers who made it big by flaunting her reputation and influence. People who benefitted from her influence include Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs. In 2003, she and the Council of Fashion Designers of America created the Vogue Fashion Fund to help support the next generation of American designers.
The Devil Wears Prada and Other Media
Anna Wintour is also the inspiration behind the famous best-selling novel by Lauren Weisberger and the 2006 film, the Devil Wears Prada. Meryl Streep acts as Miranda Priestly, an editor of a famous fashion magazine while Anne Hathaway plays Andy, a recent college graduate who serves as Priestly’s assistant. Andy tries to survive the high stakes and power struggles of the fashion industry. People speculate that Weisberger wrote the novel drawing inspiration from her time working for Wintour earlier in her life. Wintour also appeared in numerous documentaries about her life and her time at Vogue including The September Issue: Anna Wintour & The Making of Vogue and The First Monday in May.
Throughout her life, Wintour has shown that she is not a woman to be trifled with, especially in the fashion industry. Her influence, signature look, and her no-nonsense attitude demands the respect and admiration of everyone around her. From the beginning of her career even to now, Dame Anna Wintour will always be known as one of the most influential women in the fashion world. She will go down in history as “Nuclear Wintour.”
Sources
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Anna Wintour”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Sep. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Wintour. Accessed 1 November 2024.
“The Devil Wears Prada.” Box Office Mojo, https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1481606657/. Accessed 1 November 2024.
