Dress like: Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue. Vogue editors

(English: Anna Wintour; born November 3, 1949, London, UK) – editor-in-chief of American since 1988. One of the most influential figures in the world of modern fashion. Her tough and demanding leadership style earned her the nickname “Nuclear Winter.” Among other things, Wintour is known for supporting many young people.

Biography and career

Anna Wintour was born on November 3, 1949. and was the eldest child of Charles Wintour, editor of the British Evening Standard newspaper, and Eleanor "Nonnie" Trego Baker, daughter of a Harvard law professor. Anna was named after her grandmother maternal line, Anna Baker (Gilkison). Wintour's great-great-grandmother was the 18th-century writer Lady Elizabeth Foster, Duchess of Devonshire, and her great-uncle was Sir Augustus Vere Foster, the last baronet of the family.

The girl received her primary education at North London Collegiate School. Already there Anna began to show her character for the first time. For example, she shortened the hem of her school uniform to make it more youthful. At the age of 14, she gave herself a bob haircut, which forever became her signature hairstyle. Already at this time she had a clear idea of modern trends, regularly watching Katie McGowan's show "Ready Steady Go!" (English: “At the start, attention, march!”), as well as leafing through the pages of Seventeen magazines, which her grandmother regularly sent her from America.

“If you lived in London in the 60s, you had to have an Irving Penn bag on your head not to notice the extraordinary things that were happening in fashion.”

Even at such a young age, Wintour had an excellent sense of fashion. Her father turned to her for advice more than once, hoping to attract a younger audience to his readers.

At the age of 15, under the patronage of her father, Wintour got a job as a salesperson in the famous Biba store, and also began to communicate with men who were well connected and significantly older than her in age. For example, for some time she dated the British writer Piers Paul Reed, who at that time was almost 10 years older than her.

At the age of 16, Anna was expelled from school, and she decided not to continue her studies, but to seriously engage in fashion journalism. However, at the insistence of her parents, she had to take a preparatory course at Harrods. However, soon the girl left this educational institution with the words: “You either know fashion or you don’t.” , and went to work at the then popular Oz magazine, where she was hired by another admirer, Richard Neville.

Following the now-traditional staff changes, Wintour changed the style of the cover. Mirabella preferred to see complex studio photos on the front page famous models. Wintour sympathized with much more candid photographs taken outdoors, similar to those she liked to put on the front page years earlier. Wintour used not the most popular models and mixed inexpensive clothes with. For example, on the first cover of the issue, published under her leadership in November 1988, 19-year-old model Mikaela Bercu showed off in shabby $50 and embroidered precious stones jacket from, worth 10 thousand dollars. For the first time in the history of Vogue, a model wearing jeans appeared on its cover. A few years later, Wintour admitted that she had not originally planned to put this photo on the cover. "I just said, 'Why not?' This photo was so natural. There was something new about it, absolutely unlike anything else.” The photo was in fact so non-standard that before printing the edition, the printing house decided to call the editor and make sure that there had been no mistake and whether they correctly understood that this particular photo should be on the cover.

In June 1989, another issue was published with a revolutionary cover. This time, Wintour chose a photo of a girl in a bathrobe, with damp hair and no visible makeup on her face.

90s

Wintour continued the course begun by Diana Vreeland and turned her attention towards fashion, thanks to which Vogue soon took a leading position among the strongest players, where in addition to it were Elle, Harper's Bazaar (led by one of Wintour's best former employees Liz Tilbury) and Mirabella, Rupert Murdoch's magazine. However Wintour's biggest rival remained Tina Brown, editor, and later The New Yorker.

By the end of the decade, many of Wintour's employees who could not get along with her difficult character moved to Harper's Bazaar. The only person who dared to challenge Anna Wintour was Kate Betts. Many assumed that Betts would be the editor-in-chief when Wintour decided to retire. However, Betts preferred to find something else to do.

2000s

The turn of the millennium was marked by a new loss of employees. Another intended successor, Plum Sykes, left the magazine to concentrate on her own projects. Following her, many other employees left the editorial office and were offered more lucrative positions in other publications. Soon the editorial staff of Vogue was updated almost entirely.

Despite this, Wintour actively continued to be involved with the magazine. She launched three new lines: Teen Vogue, Vogue Living, and Men's Vogue. Teen Vogue consisted almost entirely of advertising and earned more from it than Elle Girl and Cosmo Girl. For such an open expansion, AdAge named Wintour “Editor of the Year,” and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain awarded Anna the Order of the British Empire in 2008.

However, in general, 2008 was not the best period in her life for Wintour. Thus, the cover of the April issue, which depicted LeBron James together with, caused many negative reviews accusing the magazine of promoting racism. Next month Evening Dress The Karl Lagerfeld design Wintour wore to the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was called "the worst fashion faux pas of 2008." At the same time, the publication of Vogue Living was suspended indefinitely, and the publication of Men's Vogue was reduced to 2 issues per year, and then only as a supplement to the main magazine. The December issue of Vogue features Jennifer Aniston's disparaging comment about Angelina Jolie on the cover, causing the latter's extreme indignation. All this made many critics think that Wintour had lost her former grip and flair. Rumors began to circulate in society that “Nuclear Winter” would resign, and the editor of French Vogue would be appointed in her place, and someone even thought that it would go to Alena Doletskaya.

However, in 2009, Wintour publicly announced that she had no plans to leave. At the same time, a documentary was released by R.J. Cutler, “September Issue,” where many of the secrets of preparing for the publication of Vogue magazine were revealed, as well as the filming process and fragments of Anna Wintour’s meeting with investors.

In 2013, Anna Wintour was appointed art director of the publishing house.

Personal life

Since 1984, Anna Wintour has been married to David Shaffer, in which she gave birth to two children: Charles (born 1985) and Catherine (born 1987). The couple divorced in 1999. This event was widely discussed in the press. Many journalists suggested that the reason for the divorce was Wintour’s affair with a certain investor Shelby Bryan. However, Wintour herself refused to comment on anything.

Anna Wintour is a philanthropist. She is a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as the founder of a foundation developed by Vogue with , which seeks out and promotes up-and-comers. In addition, she regularly raises funds for various charities fighting AIDS.

As Wintour herself admits, she has a fairly strict daily routine. So, the editor-in-chief of Vogue gets up at 6 in the morning and goes to play tennis, after which he styles his hair, puts on makeup and goes to work at the office. All these preparations take her two hours. Wintour always arrives early for fashion shows. A woman rarely stays at parties for more than 20 minutes, as she is used to going to bed exactly at 10:15 p.m.

Anna Wintour almost always appears in public wearing Chanel sunglasses. Some people think that she wears them because of vision problems, and others that it makes it easier for her to hide her true feelings.

Anna Wintour's strictness is legendary. Unwritten rules prohibit junior employees from talking or riding in the same elevator with her. Even Wintour's close friends admit that they experience inexplicable shyness in her presence.

“It so happened that Anna is my friend. However, I can’t explain the fact that every time I meet her, I feel real panic.”

— Barbara Amel once admitted to reporters.

Wintour is also famous for her perfectionism. She once forced her assistant to rummage through a photographer's trash can to find her a photograph that the photographer himself refused to give her.

"The Devil Wears Prada"

In 2006, a film based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, Anna Wintour's former assistant, was released in America. It is believed that the image of Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of a famous fashion magazine, was copied from her. Although many were anxiously awaiting Wintour's reaction, she overcame her initial skepticism and stated that she liked the film in general and Meryl Streep's performance in particular.

Anna Wintour and fur

Anna Wintour has repeatedly been attacked by animal rights groups such as PETA for promoting the wearing of real fur on the pages of Vogue.

"Nobody wore fur until she put it on the cover of one of her magazines in the early '90s,"

- admits CEO Neiman Marcus Group Burton Tansky.

In October 2005, at Paris Fashion Week, one of the human rights activists threw a tofu pie at Wintour. Another time, one of the activists threw a dead raccoon on her plate while she was having lunch at one of the restaurants. Pamela Anderson admitted in a 2008 interview that she despises Wintour for “forcing young designers and aspiring models to wear fur.”

Anna Wintour and elitism

Another personal quality of Wintour, for which she has been criticized more than once, is authoritarianism and the desire to force everyone to meet her own standards. For example, she told Oprah Winfrey to lose extra pounds before she could be photographed on the cover of Vogue. Wintour forbade Hilary Clinton to wear a blue suit for the shoot. At one of the events, sponsored by Vogue, Anna herself selected outfits for the guest stars - Jennifer Lopez, Donald Trump and.

Many journalists believe that Wintour has excluded ordinary women from the world of fashion, considering the field only worthy of a select elite.

“She was fixated on satisfying the interests of only a certain group of readers,” recalls one of the employees. — I remember how we wrote an article about breast cancer. We had a story about one flight attendant. However, according to Wintour, a simple flight attendant could not become the heroine of Vogue magazine, so we had to look for an ambitious businesswoman who was suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer.”

Over the long years of her career, Wintour has managed to achieve the status of one of the most influential people in the fashion world, setting upcoming trends and discovering the names of new designers. The Guardian once called her "the unofficial mayor of New York." It was Wintour who contributed to the fact that large fashion houses began to hire young designers, as happened, for example, with and. Her influence was so vast that it went far beyond fashion. She convinced Donald Trump to allow the Plaza Hotel ballroom to be used to show his collection at a time when the designer was particularly strapped for cash. Later she persuaded to hire no one then famous Tom Brown. Many fashion figures owe their careers to this “iron woman”.

In 2011, Forbes ranked Wintour as the 69th most powerful woman.

“I never thought of myself as an influential person. Do you understand what this really means? Of course, this means that you always get best places to restaurants and the best tickets to the best events, etc. But it’s also an amazing opportunity to help someone who really needs your help, and I’m glad I have this opportunity.”

Interview with Anna Wintour for Teen Vogue

T.V.: How did you become interested in fashion?
A.V.: My dad was a newspaper publisher, so I was surrounded by journalists all my life. I think the fact that my father was well known influenced my decision to work in magazines and move to America at such an early age. In England, wherever I went, people asked me whether I was Charles Wintour's daughter. I wanted my name to become known to the public through my own efforts. After five years working for a London magazine, where I had a great experience, I went to New York in the late seventies. By then, I had a clear understanding of how magazines worked. I started at Vogue as a creative director and three years later returned to London to take up the position of editor-in-chief of British Vogue. Occasionally I returned to the USA and worked there at House & Garden magazine, and then began working at American Vogue.

T.V.:Describe your typical day.
A.V.: I don't have typical days. Every day is different from the previous one, which is why I find my work so interesting. Of course, many things become routine - deadlines, for example, or certain meetings, but still you never know what will happen tomorrow.

T.V.:To what extent are you aware of the photographs and articles that appear on the pages of the magazine?
A.V.: I am a very good guarantor, and when people have a sense of responsibility, they perform better. But I don't like surprises. I don't supervise every shoot, but I like to always be aware of what's going on.

T.V.:What advice would you give to young people who would like to become fashion designers?
A.V.: Do not rush. The stars of all these reality television shows think they can instantly turn into designers, photographers, models... But it doesn't work at all as it seems. People should learn their craft in specialized educational institutions and establish your own brand, just like that and no other way. If you become a star instantly, then tomorrow they may forget about you. It's different when you work on something slowly, carefully and thoughtfully. Only then will you receive fruits. You can't imagine how many people come. They make good clothes, but they have no idea how to differentiate their brand from the rest, they don’t have a business plan or they don’t know where to make things. Don't try to run before you can crawl. This is very complex business, which employs many very talented people. They work hard and still some of them fail. Therefore, if you have a base, then you can get on your feet and achieve success.

T.V.:What qualities do you look for when hiring someone for an entry-level position at Vogue?
A.V.: I'm looking for people who actually read our magazine. People may say, “Oh, I love Vogue!”, but when I ask them what they like, or what photographer’s work they remember most, they sometimes look at me with surprised eyes. Work on yourself, study articles on the Internet, go to a museum and get an internship. I like it when there are young assistants in the office; they are full of energy, I spend time with them and try to make sure they have a full understanding of what we are doing. By investing in them, I'm investing in the magazine. In all Vogue - Teen Vogue, men's Vogue - there are people who came not only to mine, but also to other offices of the magazine.

T.V.: Are there things you shouldn't wear to an interview?
A.V.: Costume. But who knows. Maybe next season I'll love the suits. I'm also not against jeans. If a girl wants to work here and comes to an interview wearing jeans with a matching top, I'm fine with that.

T.V.: You were directly involved in the organization of the Costume Institute project at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as in the organization of 7th on Sale, associated with charity and assistance in the fight against AIDS.
A.V.: Costume Institute is an event that is different from all others. It's not just about fashion and Hollywood. It involves people from different social spheres: politics, business, theater and museums are combined into one whole. We are proud to raise such amounts of money for the museum and try to diversify the exhibitions we hold. They become some of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's most popular exhibitions, and people come from all over the world to see them. Regarding 7th on Sale, it should be noted that our industry has been greatly affected by AIDS. We have taken the first step in the fight against it. The fashion community is very generous, we were hurt by the number of people in our industry who died from this disease, so we decided to take action.

T.V.: The CFDA and the Vogue Fashion Foundation support three emerging designers each year. Where did it all start?
A.V.: After September 11, 2001, when Fashion Week was canceled due to mourning, many designers lost money invested in organizing their shows. That's why we decided to support America's young talents. We staged a show in a showroom in California and invited ten designers who we considered the most talented, promising and interesting. After talking with them, we got an idea of ​​how to help them, and that's how the Vogue Foundation Award through the CFDA was founded. The finalists believe that this experience is very useful, and in addition, they can win cash, they have a chance to meet people they would not have met in ordinary life. Mentoring is very important element helping young talent, so we try to keep in touch with all our finalists to know how they are doing. We are very proud of our foundation. We truly nurture and develop new talent.

T.V.:Is there any knowledge you have gained that you would like to pass on?
A.V.: I think it's important to love what you do. Don't just think it's great, but believe it. I was taught to believe in the importance of journalism and communication and to love the written word. I have the utmost respect for all the talented people I work with because they are the best at what they do, they care about what they do and they put their all into it.

Anna Wintour interview for Rachel Douds, February 14, 2009

R.D.: If fashion is a barometer of mood, then what can we expect from it in the fall of 2009?
A.V.: It is very important for a designer not to be afraid or worry about what is commercial and what is not.
Now what will become commercial will be what is not yet in the customers’ wardrobe and what has intrinsic value. There are too many products, copies and consumerism now. I think purity, clarity, alignment of meaning and a sense of reality are needed.

R.D.: So people want to look imperfect?
A.V.: Yes, I don't think everyone wants to look perfect and polished. Not now. IN this moment We need an emphasis on the quality and durability of things.
This morning I had a meeting with Ralph Lauren, who has designed a small but simply magnificent collection of watches. Looking at these, you understand that if you buy them, they will serve you forever.

R.D.:Do you think that during the fashion boom people buy too much?
A.V.: Yes, they are buying excessively, but now there is a very correct change in this trend. R.D.:When do you think consumers will start making more informed purchases again?
A.V.: I don't think they'll be treating shopping the same way any time soon.

R.D.:Will they ever be?
A.V.: I never say never. Who said this will never happen? It would be funny. I think shopping should be more fun, last longer, have more meaning.

R.D.: Are you trying to spread the word about more reasonably priced clothing?
A.V.: I think we should give women clothes that allow them to dream, but mixing high and low end clothing like the First Lady does is another thing. It's all about combination... We strictly look at the price and try to understand whether it is justified.
Speaking of things that aren't worth the money... I won't name names, but on one of the shoots we had a piece of sequin jewelry that didn't appear on the pages of the magazine. I asked how much it cost and received the answer - 25 thousand dollars. Then I said that we would not take pictures of him.

R.D.:How does it affect fashionable mood?
A.V.: The previous First Lady seemed to try to wear a certain uniform, while Michelle Obama loves fashion and feels comfortable in it. She combines expensive and more affordable items and loves clothes from young designers. Thus, she has the best possible influence on the fashion industry.

R.D.:Does the First Lady's style inspire you?
A.V.: She wears clothes amazingly. Things always look like they belong to her from the moment they were created. What sets Michelle Obama apart from the rest is that she wears things that she really likes. I worked with many other people in Washington. But they were too concerned about the clothes and the fact that they might be criticized and they would no longer be taken seriously. Washington used to be very conservative, but now our first lady is amazing. She loves and enjoys clothes and thus sends a message to all women in America. They begin to realize that they can wear nice clothes and still be taken seriously.

R.D.: By creating the Vogue Fashion Foundation with the CFDA, you began supporting and mentoring emerging designers. How can you help young talent in such a difficult environment in today's industry?
A.V.: We should be very supportive. It is important for the designer to keep the collection clear and care about quality. Making things very cheap is the wrong way.

R.D.:If even the most successful young designers are currently struggling to find their footing, what advice do you have for fashion college students who are just about to start achieving success?
A.V.: It is important for those graduating from fashion institutes to think carefully before releasing their own collection. Anyone who wants to be a designer and thinks that they will become the next Calvin Klein or Michael Kors is far from reality. They should learn from Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera - those who can teach them something.

R.D.: Many designers have already collaborated with stores such as H&M, creating democratic and fashionable collections for them. Why don't they just create their own lines of inexpensive clothing? Do you think they are losing ground to fast fashion manufacturers?
A.V.: I don’t think that they are giving way to them, because this experience is very useful. If the clothes fit well, then I consider this collaboration appropriate. One of the brands we collaborate with as part of the Fashion Foundation is Gap. They won a competition to develop their own interpretation of the classic white. They gathered designers from all over the world and photographed models wearing their shirts. All the shirts were absolutely gorgeous.

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Anna Wintour began working as the editor-in-chief of Vogue US back in 1988, since then the famous personality in the fashion world has raised fashion gloss to a new level, and she herself has become a style icon for millions. Despite the many scandals and gossip surrounding her person, her enormous contribution to the fashion industry cannot be denied. It’s hard to believe that previously the “fashion bible” was more aimed at describing a secular lifestyle and took a back seat compared to its main competitor - the fashion glossy ELLE. In the very first years of her work, Anna Wintour was able to turn Vogue US into a prestigious gloss that anticipates fashion trends. She took the fashion world by storm when she published a cover photo of Michaela Bercu wearing a Christian Lacroix sweater and $50 distressed jeans. This was the first time denim appeared on the cover of Vogue. And even decades later, Anna Wintour continues to amaze the fashion public. In 2014, an issue was published with reality TV star Kim Kardashian on the cover. wedding dress, fashion critics were simply indignant. We can talk for a long time about Anna Wintour’s achievements in the fashion business, but I would still like to pay more attention to the style of the editor-in-chief of American Vogue.

When it comes to fashion gloss, Anna Wintour only moves forward with the latest trends, but if you take a closer look at her style, you can understand that preferences come first, and then fashion. Anna Wintour doesn't buy all the trendiest things from the catwalk. On the contrary, this is a rare case when a fashion editor can be seen in the same thing more than once. Wintour's style can be classified as classic; she loves fitted silhouettes, neutral colors and elegant jewelry. The Vogue US editor expresses her creative nature in a variety of prints.

There are style features that Anna Wintour simply cannot change. There's her graphic bob haircut and Chanel sunglasses. Often in interviews, Wintour advises buying expensive and really good things and not cluttering your wardrobe. But still, the editor-in-chief has his own weakness. Anna Wintour complements most of her looks with massive necklaces; her collection includes more than fifty models.

When it comes to choosing fashion brands, Wintour is a true conservative. Her wardrobe includes outfits from the collections of the legendary fashion houses Chanel. Prada, Louis Vuitton.

Anna Wintour has never hidden her love for fur. She is often judged for this choice. But still, there is no point in denying that fur has become an integral element of the personal style of the editor-in-chief.

Style for Anna Wintour is an extension of her personality. Each of her images is laconic, but at the same time thought out in detail. Wintour advises her readers to never stop developing their own style; in her opinion, this has a beneficial effect not only on self-esteem, but also on career growth.

Anna Wintour and her style interested me in the winter, when I decided to remake my old fur coat and began looking on the Internet for photos of styles that suited me. And I really liked the style of this wonderful and talented woman.

Anna Wintour has been the permanent editor-in-chief of American Vogue for the past 30 years and a style icon for several generations.

A little about Anna Wintour's career

This small, 155 cm tall, and fragile woman, with a strong character and ruthless perfectionism, has earned the nickname “Nuclear Winter” in fashion circles. Thanks to these qualities, she became the prototype for Meryl Streep's character in the film “The Devil Wears Prada.” They say she didn't like the film at first, but then she approved of it.

Anna Wintour was born in 1949 in London in the family of a social activist and editor of The Evening Standard newspaper. She adored her father, from whom Anna inherited a tough and strong-willed character.

Anna became interested in fashion back in school. Her grandmother sent her Seventeen fashion magazines from America and she studied them with interest, and fashion talk shows were already shown on TV at that time).
Already at the age of 14, Anna was well versed in fashion trends. She gave herself a fashionable bob haircut and even started wearing mini skirts to school.

At 15, she became interested in journalism and was already telling her father what to write in his magazine in order to attract a youth audience. At the same time, under the patronage of her father, she got a job as a saleswoman at the Biba department store, which was known for the fact that one of the commandments of sellers was not to offer help to customers. Anna needed to study the fashion world from the inside.

After graduating from school, she decided not to continue her studies in college, but to seriously engage in fashion journalism. For some time, at the insistence of her parents, she studies at Harrods, but leaves there with the words “You either know fashion or you don’t.”
At the age of 21, Anna gets a job as an assistant in the fashion department of the British publication Harpers & Queen, where she makes a brilliant career. Two years later, she became deputy editor-in-chief, and in 1976 she was invited to New York to take the position of fashion editor in the American version of this magazine, Harper’s Bazaar.

In 1983, Wintour became creative director of American Vogue, headed by Grace Mirabella. Anna does not hide the fact that she wants to take this place, especially since she considers the format of the publication to be outdated and monotonous. But three years later she has to leave and return to London, where she first runs British Vogue and then House & Garden.

And in 1988, Anna Wintour was appointed editor-in-chief of American Vogue and was finally able to introduce those revolutionary changes to the magazine that made Vogue the “bible of fashion.” She began to shoot not only the faces of models on the cover, as was the case before, but also their bodies, mixing high fashion with street fashion.

On May 15, 2017, she receives the honorary Order of the British Empire from the hands of Queen Elizabeth II herself for her contribution to world journalism, and this is worth a lot.

Anna has two children; daughter Bea Shafer followed in her mother’s footsteps and took up fashion journalism. They can often be seen together at fashion shows.

Anna Wintour's daily routine matches her character: getting up before 6 am, morning coffee and a game of tennis, makeup and hair styling with the help of a stylist. She doesn't drink alcohol, doesn't stay out for more than 20 minutes at parties, and goes to bed at 10:15 p.m.

Anna Wintour's style

It may seem that Anna Wintour's style is a little conservative, but this is only at first glance. It’s just that with age she has developed the style that adorns her, and this is the most important thing for women 50+.

Fitted silhouette and midi length

All Anna Wintour's clothes have a fitted silhouette and knee length. And this is very flattering on her slim and athletic figure.

No pants

Anna Wintour has not worn trousers for many years; at least in the last twenty years she has only been seen in trousers a couple of times. Although in her youth she wore both trousers and jeans.

Floral print

Anna has, perhaps, the largest collection of floral dresses. And the print is chosen so that the figure is not lost against its background.

More color

Anna is difficult to meet in dark and gloomy outfits. Almost every one of them has bright accents. Indeed, there is a rule: the older a woman is, the lighter and brighter clothes she should wear.

Necklace

As you've probably noticed, Anna Wintour loves turtleneck dresses. And almost always she has a short necklace or beads on her neck.

Furs

Anna Wintour loves natural furs and, despite the fact that she has been repeatedly attacked by animal rights groups, continues to wear them.

Chanel sunglasses

Ever since Anna developed vision problems, she has been wearing Chanel sunglasses and wears them even in winter. Maybe the fashion among show business stars to constantly wear dark glasses came from her.

No bags

Anna Wintour doesn't carry bags. She may be holding a wallet or a very small clutch in her hands. She says: “I don’t carry bags as a matter of principle. I have my head on my shoulders, you know.”

Manolo Blahnik sandals

In 1994, shoe designer Manolo Blahnik made a pair of beige sandals with thin heels and interlocking straps for Anna Wintour. Since then, she wears them everywhere and with everything. Every month Anna is sent several pairs of new shoes from Manolo Blahnik, tailored to fit her feet. She believes that shoes should go with whatever clothes you wear, otherwise what's the point of them?

Bob haircut

Anna Wintour has been wearing a bob haircut for 25 years. Over time, only the color changes - it becomes lighter.

Text: Alla Somova

For many years, the editors of Vogue magazines different countries led by women. Not surprisingly, the appointment of 46-year-old Kullawit Laosuksri as editor-in-chief of the Thai Fashion Bible immediately became a sensation. the site tells you about this and other Vogue editors-in-chief who made people talk about themselves.

Kullawit Laosuksri (Vogue, Thailand)

Throughout its 120-year history, the top positions at Vogue have been occupied by women. The publishing house Condé Nast International made an exception only for Michel de Brunhoff (who led the French editorial office for 30 years) and Kullavit Laosuksri, who was tasked with launching the magazine in Thailand last year. 46-year-old Laosuksri understood the full burden of responsibility, so he tried to make the release of the first issue of Thai Vogue memorable. For the cover shoot, he commissioned designer Philip Treacy golden crown chada (traditional headdress in this country). The very first issue of the magazine was swept from newsstands in a matter of days.

Anna Wintour (Vogue, USA)

Anna is the most authoritative among all Vogue editors. Designers do not release collections without her approval, famous brands they turn to her for advice when looking for a new designer (it was she who recommended Galliano to the post of creative director of Dior), and fashion department stores listen to her opinion when drawing up purchasing plans. During her work at the magazine, she made many revolutionary decisions. Wintour was the first to put a photo of a dark-skinned model on the cover. And on her debut cover, the model posed in jeans (unprecedented courage!). “We actually planned to shoot a model wearing a Christian Lacroix couture suit. But the girl had previously been on vacation and gained a little weight, so the skirt looked terrible on her. And so the idea was born to mix high fashion with what ordinary girls wear every day,” Wintour recalls.

Victoria Davydova (Vogue, Russia)

“When I became editor-in-chief of Vogue, I immediately decided that we would do more Russian filming,” Victoria Davydova wrote in her first letter from the editor. And she kept her word. The stylists of her magazine use the clothes of Russian fashion designers along with the outfits of such world-famous houses as Chanel and Valentino. And famous photographers, at the invitation of Russian Vogue, photograph models in Russian interiors (for example, in the first issue of Vogue, under the direction of Victoria, a photo shoot was published, filmed at the Mikhailovsky Theater).

Franca Sozzani (Vogue, Italy)

Franka is the main fighter against the dominance of models with painful thinness in magazines and on catwalks. “Gone are the days of supermodels who looked grown up, healthy and beautiful. Now their place has been taken by undeveloped teenagers without a hint of breasts or hips. Why is this considered beautiful now?” – the editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue is indignant. Sozzani began active propaganda of models with curves from the pages of her own publication. She featured three non-model girls on the cover of the June 2011 issue: Tara Lynn, Candice Huffine and Robyn Lawley.

Emanuel Alt (Vogue, France)

There were high hopes for Emanuelle Alt as editor-in-chief of French Vogue. With each issue published under the leadership of Carine Roitfeld, the publication looked less like a fashion magazine and more like a catalog of art installations (the former editor-in-chief was more interested in the secret meaning of photo shoots than in current trends). “Alt is more commercial than Karin. And this is a good sign for the magazine,” former creative director of Vogue Paris Fabien Baron once noted. “She is more down-to-earth and less disconnected from the lives of ordinary people than Karin.” Hopes, apparently, were justified. Take, for example, the fact that Emanuel finally managed to resolve the differences that arose between French Vogue and the House of Balenciaga. For several seasons, the magazine's editors and stylists were persona non grata at the fashion shows, and the magazine did not photograph models wearing the brand's clothes. But in the February issue, Alt dedicated several pages to the house's new creative director, Alexander Wang.

Alexandra Shulman (Vogue, UK)

In 2009, Alexandra Shulman, head of British Vogue, declared war fashion houses, promoting anorexia (among them were Prada, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent), promising to use as little clothing from these brands as possible in photo shoots. In her letter to the designers, she expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that her team had to invite too thin models to photo shoots. “Girls are under enormous pressure from the industry. Designers, trying to save money and present their work in the best light, sew clothes for shows in small sizes. Models simply have nowhere to go: either you lose weight and fit into this dress, or say goodbye to your career,” Shulman was indignant then.

Maria Tsukanova (Vogue, Ukraine)

This year, its own Vogue will be released in Ukraine. “For such a large-scale and responsible project, we had to assemble an unprecedentedly talented and qualified editorial team. Therefore, we invited the best Ukrainian professionals and strengthened the team with foreign specialists,” announced Boris Lozhkin, president of the UMH group, which signed an agreement with the publishing house Condé Nast International. Maria Tsukanova, who previously worked for six years at Kommersant-Weekend as an editor, was assigned to head Ukrainian Vogue. “Our task is to raise the Ukrainian fashion industry to a new level and show the best of what our country already has to the whole world,” Maria promised. By the way, the former director of the fashion department of Russian Vogue, Ekaterina Mukhina, will help her in this (she was offered the position of international fashion director). In Ukraine, such news had the effect of a bomb exploding.

A bob haircut and half-length black Chanel glasses hide a tired, sullen look. Palms clutching notebook and phone. This is Anna Wintour - a little woman on whose decisions an entire industry depends...

Anna's father, editor-in-chief of the famous English tabloid Evening Standard Charles Wintour, never doubted that his daughter would be able to achieve a lot in life. Once again, over morning coffee, listening to advice from Anna, who was barely 15 years old, about improving the magazine, he smiled internally. But he answered out loud with all seriousness that her comments seemed very reasonable to him and he would definitely discuss them with investors at the meeting. And he didn’t cheat.

On the way to the office, sitting in the back seat of the car, he only gave final form to his daughter’s ideas, quickly writing down what was said in a notebook. And then, as promised, he presented them to those on whose opinions and financial investments the further fate his newspapers. After just a few weeks of such edits, the tabloid’s circulation increased: the publication managed to attract a young audience. This was precisely the goal set for him by the management of the publishing house, and it was achieved.

“Yes, Anna will definitely make a career in the media. - Wintour, who has seen a lot in this business, had no doubt about this. - But will she have a family? Will anyone be able to get along with a girl whose opinion is always the only correct one and is not subject to discussion? With a girl whose smile is as rare as a birthday present? With the tough businessman she seems to have been since birth? It’s strange that as a baby she silently allowed me to choose my undershirts,” he thought with a smile. “Today she does not allow herself to make any decisions for herself.” At 14, Anna cut off her wonderful hair, giving her an ultra-fashionable bob haircut. Just as decisively, she shortened the hem of her skirt, which seemed too long to her. Her next act will be much more serious: Anna will soon announce to her father that she is leaving school. She wants to act, not wipe the ugly school uniform in lessons from which he sees no benefit. Let her stupid classmates do this, Anna has other plans. Having idolized “gloss” since childhood, she already knew what she wanted to do.

ANNA ON THE NECK

The appearance of young Wintour in the editorial office of Harper’s Bazaar’s British counterpart, Harpers & Queen magazine, initially did not alarm anyone. But, starting from the position of assistant editor of the fashion department, a few years later Anna rose to deputy editor-in-chief. The pawn moved to kings, easily sweeping away the chessboard weak figures. Only the new editor-in-chief Min Hogg was able to provide decent resistance to Wintour. She made a decision right away: Anna Wintour must leave, there is no place for two queens on the same throne. Anna just laughed to herself. All this is by the way: it’s high time for her to get closer to her main goal, and for this you need to move to New York. There, in a high-rise building in Times Square, there is an office, one of whose offices she hoped to occupy. The powerful publishing house Conde Nast needed someone like her, Wintour had no doubt. Anna intended to become editor-in-chief of Vogue. The American Harper’s Bazaar became a convenient springboard for approaching the target. People had already heard about her here, and yet Wintour was hired as a junior fashion editor. And 9 months later... she was fired due to “creative differences” with editor-in-chief Tony Mazzola. Well, no problem. Having allowed herself a short vacation and a couple of novels behind the back of her boyfriend, journalist John Bradshaw (one of them with Bob Marley, according to the tabloids), Anna, with his help, got a job as editor-in-chief at Viva magazine. Is the magazine being closed due to unprofitability? No problem. A new dizzying romance with French producer Michel Esteban took up all her time for the next two years. I had to fly from New York to Paris and back all the time...

The most intriguing step on the way to the top for Anna was New York magazine. Here she unexpectedly found a like-minded person in the person of the editor-in-chief of this influential publication, Edward Costner. Ed wasn't afraid of Anna, he used her. Appreciating her talent, he allowed Wintour to act, taking care of her at every stage. Hired as a fashion editor, Anna could do whatever she wanted. Change the content of any of the sections, intrude into the discussion of each issue, remake the cover at your discretion... One of these “alterations” brought unprecedented success to the magazine - then the celebrity, actress Rachel Ward, became the face of the magazine for the first time. This decision by the crazy Wintour doubled the publication's circulation. Success turned Anna's head. Appearing for an interview with Grace Mirabella, who held the post of editor-in-chief of Vogue USA, she immediately declared that she wanted... to take her place. The meeting was immediately ended. A few months later, Wintour was invited to an audience with Alex Lieberman, editorial director of Conde Nast. Thus began the era of Anna at Vogue. And although a little later she had to endure a two-year exile to the British office of the magazine, she soon occupied the very office that she had dreamed of since childhood. No... I didn’t dream of it, I planned to borrow it. This will be more accurate.

THE QUEEN'S PERSONAL LIFE

Anna destroyed her fifteen-year marriage with the father of her two children, the famous child psychiatrist David Shaffer. With the same composure and strength with which she built the “glossy” she adored brick by brick. At least, that's what the editorials of all newspapers wrote about it - from tabloid tabloids to highly respected publications like The New York Times. This news cannot be ignored, even if you risk getting into a war with the most influential woman in the fashion industry. Dividends are too high. “The all-powerful Anna is having an affair with a married Texas millionaire!”; “Wintour and Shelby Bryan are having an affair!” They wrote about their Parisian vacation, the emeralds given to her, and described in detail the marriage proposal made to Anna by David...

She tried to stop the tsunami of publications. Ordered to make calls to the right people. In a tone that did not tolerate objections, she ordered her assistants to convince, prohibit, prevent... And, perhaps, for the first time she lost on all fronts. When a pile of fresh newspapers lay on the table in her Conde Nast office early in the morning, she already knew what headlines she would read there. And still she almost cried. What will her children say? Son Charlie is only thirteen, daughter Katherine is barely eleven. But... vixens don't cry. They make decisions and act. The day before, Wintour signed the divorce papers with an unwavering hand and now did not regret it. Her marriage, about which even the yellow press had nothing to write except, in fact, the words “longing” and “boredom” repeating each other, came to an end long ago. It only clothed the existing state of affairs in documentary fact. “I did the right thing,” she told herself. And she said out loud: “Where is my Star/backs? I’ve been waiting for him for 10 minutes already!” And immediately received a cup of scalding cappuccino. Life goes on!

SUIT FROM PRADA

Anna could not have preferred anything else on the evening of the premiere of the film “The Devil Wears Prada”. A call from her assistant alerted Miuccia Prada's office about this the day before, and in the morning a branded bodice with a new dress was already waiting for her. In the cinema, she and her ex-assistant Lauren Weisberg, the author of the book on which the scandalous film was based, which promises, albeit indirectly, to tell the whole truth about the “nuclear Wintour”, will be separated by many people and rows of seats. They will never look at each other, but each will feel the presence of their rival on their skin.

However, Lauren is a thing of the past. She is no longer there. And she, Anna Wintour, was, is and will be the editor-in-chief of Vogue. True, now she will have to answer the question for the rest of her life whether what millions of viewers around the world watched on the screen is true. Well, if you please: “This pure truth. I allow myself to assault my personal assistants, and I also lock them in the office, don’t let them out into the fresh air, and don’t pay them a salary. But I will tell you something else: I have family and friends in my life who mean a lot to me. I am ready to do anything for these people. And work remains work. Here other tasks are posed, and relationships take on a different shade.”

They expected some other reaction from her. A demarche addressed to someone - the director, the studio, the actresses who played the main roles in the film, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Anna reacted: soon Hathaway, beaming with a beautiful smile, appeared on the cover of Vogue USA.

But the thoughts of the almighty Wintour were occupied with completely different things. Of course, the conversation, as always, was about the magazine, and Wintour herself was once again a worthy interlocutor. “The truth is that only I can make this magazine” - the filmmakers seemed to read this thought in her head. Now she was thinking hard about how to live up to this thesis further.

LINKED BY ONE CHAIN

It’s hard to believe that there is another Anna, not the one everyone calls “nuclear winter” - soft, touching, capable of love. But it is there. At home, with your family

Toughness and intelligence, extreme concentration, determination and independence, often bordering on arrogance - she also inherited all this from her family: great-grandmother-writer Lady Elizabeth Foster, Duchess of Devonshire, grandfather, Harvard University professor Trego Baker, father, Commander of the Order of the British Empire Charles Wintour.

Anna Wintour has always valued family ties. Therefore, the divorce from her husband and father of her two children, son Charlie and daughter Katherine, David Shaffer, was difficult for her. But the desire to find personal happiness won. Anna went to Shelby Brian, a millionaire from Texas. Next to him, she began to smile again.

Her place continued to attract competitors; overthrowing the almighty Wintour was a matter of principle for many of her colleagues. In 2008, a columnist for The Sunday Times dared to suggest that 58-year-old Anna Wintour would soon have to give up her place as “the most powerful figure in the fashion world.” According to the journalist, it should be filled by Rachel Zoe, a brilliant stylist whose services are used by almost half of Hollywood actresses on and off the set. Earlier, another name was mentioned in the press - Carine Roitfeld, editor-in-chief of the French version of Vogue...

Anna met Rachel more than once at shows, but never deigned to say a word to her. She knew how to appreciate talent, God knows, but not in the case when the price of the issue was her chair. Wintour answered questions from curious journalists with a smile and... silence. Didn’t the film give them all the answers?.. And soon all the newspapers and Internet portals were trumpeting in unison: the Maget agency, collaborating with Rachel Zoe, refused the services of the star stylist. From “reliable sources” it became known that the agency’s management stopped collaborating with Zoe “so as not to anger Anna.” The Daily Intelligencer commented on the incident: “This did not happen because Wintour asked to fire Rachel. They were just worried: what if Anna thought badly of them..."

But it wasn’t the competitors that occupied Anna’s thoughts. The Internet is what kept Wintour awake at night, wondering what else to do to keep up with the World Wide Web, which offered the reader the information they needed minutes after it appeared. Fashion blogs with hundreds of, albeit not as high-quality, but at least “hot” photographs fresh from the catwalk and caustic comments on them, became increasingly in demand. Street fashion was hot on the heels of famous designers. The movie revealed the latest secrets of fashion behind the scenes. The place in the front row of shows next to Anna was increasingly occupied by young people who simply kept online diaries without spending a cent on it. But the budget for a photo shoot in her magazine sometimes reached $300 thousand. And Wintour did not agree to anything less.

One day at dawn, finishing her daily tennis game, Anna suddenly realized: in order to win this war, she must... switch to the other side! 1im. On the same day, she ordered that several Internet observers who had already earned authority among fashionistas be recruited to work on the official Vogue website. She even granted an audience to one of them. What about cinema? Why shouldn’t she step into someone else’s territory, since the filmmakers allowed themselves to stroll through her office, diary, and thoughts without asking. What if we offered film buffs a real walk through Vogue?..

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK

2007 Spring. NY. The editors are ready to begin production of the September issue of Vogue. 840 pages. Like a Leo Tolstoy novel. "Why not?!" - Wintour asked the publisher and glared at him, which usually instantly chilled the blood in the veins of her employees. The publisher was not timid, but he, too, had difficulty resisting Anna. “Okay...” he finally squeezed out, and Wintour immediately dialed her assistant’s number on her Blackberry. “Meeting in half an hour, gather everyone!” They will create the biggest number in history, and the process of its creation will be captured on film... Premiere documentary film The September Issue took place on August 28, 2009 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In Vogue style.

2011. July. Paris. The courtyard in front of the majestic building of the Elysee Palace is flooded with the midday sun. But a small woman in a Chanel suit, who has just gotten out of a black patent-leather car, without stopping, hurries up the main staircase inside. There, in the Festive Hall, it is bright from thousands of lights of gilded chandeliers. They were lit on the occasion of a ceremony in which she, Anna Wintour, was to be the main character. The President of France is waiting in the hall, in his hands is a small box, the Order of the Legion of Honor, of which Brodsky, Gaben, Plisetskaya, Scorsese, Roerich were previously recipients... Anna smiles.

I prefer it when people tell the truth. You can always understand a situation when you know exactly all the details

• Born on November 3, 1949 in London to a family famous journalist and public figure;
• At the age of 16, she was expelled from school “for unacceptable behavior”;
• First place of work - London department store Harrods, position - trainee;
• In 1988, she headed Vogue USA;
• In 2011 she received the Order of the Legion of Honor.