Anna Wintour, Vogue’s long-time editor-in-chief and one of the most influential figures in fashion history, has trademarked the perfect bob, black Chanel sunglasses, and Manolo Blahnik slingback shoes. She has become so important in the fashion world, being praised for her eye on every timeless fashion trend. Her honest and aloof writing style has coined her the nickname “Nuclear Wintour”.

Dame Anna Wintour, daughter of the late Charles Vere Wintour (ex-editor of London’s Evening Standard newspaper), was born on November 3rd, 1949 in Hampstead, London. “In the September issue of Vogue – a documentary about Wintour’s life and career – she said that growing up in London in the 1960s framed her views on fashion and made her fall in love with it at a young age” (Business Insider, 2019). Her father arranged her first job in the fashion industry, a job at the London clothing store Biba. Then, she completed a training program at Harrods, magazine experience at Oz, and landed an editorial assistant position at Harper’s & Queen magazine. She claims that her father taught her about perseverance and her brother Patrick, the diplomatic editor of The Guardian, taught her about “great reporting”. 

Her debut in fashion journalism was the editorial assistant position at Harper’s & Queen. Then, in 1975, she moved to New York and became a junior fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Later, Wintour worked at magazines like New York and House & Garden. When she returned to London, she was the editor of British Vogue between 1985 and 1987. A year later, she took over the franchise’s New York magazine, bringing new life to what many considered to be a dying business. Her first publishing as editor broke social norms and shocked many, by featuring a model who wore Guess jeans with a haute couture Christian Lacroix bejeweled jacket. Wintour has been editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988 and the global chief content officer as well as the artistic director at Condé Nast, Vogue’s publishing company, since 2020. 

There has been discussion within the magazine about how she used it to influence the fashion industry. Animal rights activists have criticized her for supporting fur, while other opponents have accused her of exploiting the publication to advance elitist ideas about what it means to be beautiful and feminine. Anna’s ultimate goal with her Vogue covers is to bring light to prominent women – just not models. The core component of her leadership style is having the strength of conviction and communicating her point of view clearly and honestly. 

At the age of 72, Anna is still thriving as the most successful and iconic fashion journalist in the country. Her integrity and passion for fashion are visible through all the work she does for Vogue. Throughout the last 47 years, she has gotten the opportunity to work with artists such as Freddie Mercury to designers like Oscar de la Renta, and will continue to influence upcoming fashion journalists who idolize her and strive to be as roaring as her. 

Sources:

kevin_stank. (2020, May 21). Vogue editor Anna Wintour says coronavirus has been ‘catastrophic’ for the Fashion Industry. CNBC. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/20/vogue-editor-anna-wintour-coronavirus-has-been-catastrophic-for-fashion-industry.html

​​Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Anna Wintour. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Wintour

Anna Wintour: Life and times of the fashion icon and met gala co-host. South China Morning Post. (2019, May 9). Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/3009368/anna-wintour-life-and-times-vogues-editor-chief-and

Wintour, A. (2012, August 14). Honoring the 120th anniversary: Anna Wintour shares her vogue story. Vogue. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://www.vogue.com/article/anna-wintour-on-her-first-vogue-cover-plus-a-slideshow-of-her-favorite-images-in-vogue