 |
Anna WintourEditor-in-Chief of the American edition of Vogue
Date of Birth: 03.11.1949
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, is widely regarded as the most influential woman in the fashion industry. Known for her tough demeanor, she is both revered and disliked, but her opinion is undeniably respected by all. Wintour served as the inspiration for the main character in Lauren Weisberger's book "The Devil Wears Prada," which was later adapted into a film by David Frankel.
Early Life
Anna Wintour was born on November 3, 1949, in London, into a highly prominent family. Her father, Charles Wintour, was the editor of "The Evening Standard," a renowned London newspaper, and her mother, Eleanor Wintour, was the daughter of a Harvard professor and an active social activist. It was Eleanor who insisted on naming their daughter Anna, after her own grandmother, Anna Baker, who hailed from Pennsylvania.
Wintour attended the North London Collegiate School, where she often caused controversy by refusing to adhere to the school uniform policy. At the age of 14, she adopted her signature bob hairstyle, which she continues to sport to this day. By the time she was 15, Wintour was already advising her father on making their newspaper more appealing to the youth.
Entry into the Fashion Journalism World
After being expelled from school at the age of 16, Wintour decided to pursue a career in fashion journalism. She completed a preparatory course at Harrods and in 1970, joined the editorial team of the newly merged magazine, "Harper's & Queen," a result of the merger between "Harper's Bazaar UK" and "Queen." Starting as an assistant to the fashion editor, Wintour quickly rose through the ranks and became the deputy editor under the new editor-in-chief, Min Hogg.
However, in 1975, due to disagreements with the new editor, Tony Mazzola, Wintour left "Harper's & Queen" and moved to New York with her boyfriend and journalist, John Bradshaw. In New York, she worked as a junior fashion editor for American "Harper's Bazaar." After just nine months, she was dismissed due to creative differences with editor Tony Mazzola. Thanks to Bradshaw's connections, Wintour quickly found a new job as the editor of "Viva," a women's magazine. Unfortunately, "Viva" closed its doors in 1978 due to funding issues.
Career at Vogue
During this time, Wintour also went through a difficult breakup with Bradshaw. In 1980, she became the fashion editor of "Savvy" magazine, and a year later, she joined the team at "New York" magazine. This proved to be a turning point in her career when she caught the attention of editor Edward Kosner, who brought her under his wing. Despite the resentment from her colleagues, Wintour's bold ideas were implemented without question and proved successful.
In 1983, Wintour met Alex Liberman, the editorial director of Condé Nast, who was impressed by her achievements at "New York." She was appointed as the creative director of American Vogue, giving her a certain degree of freedom. However, conflicts with the rest of the editorial team soon arose, prompting Condé Nast to transfer Wintour to London to oversee British Vogue. At the time, Grace Mirabella, who had led British Vogue for 17 years, was considered irreplaceable. In 1986, after the birth of her son, Charlie, Wintour took the helm of British Vogue and began making radical changes. She gained complete control over the magazine and earned the nickname "Nuclear Wintour."
Despite this, in 1988, Wintour finally became the Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, transforming the publication into the most influential fashion magazine in the world. In recent years, Grace Mirabella had shifted her focus to lifestyle rather than fashion, and Condé Nast became concerned about the rapid rise of the magazine "ELLE," which was launched in France in 1985. As a result, they needed someone like Wintour, who was willing to make radical changes. Under her leadership, Vogue refocused on fashion and reclaimed its former glory through Wintour's daring decisions. For instance, she featured an unknown Israeli model wearing distressed jeans worth $50 and a Christian Lacroix shirt adorned with precious stones worth $10,000 on the cover. In September 2004, Wintour presented the 832-page issue of Vogue, the largest in its history. Additionally, she insisted on launching three new publications: "Teen Vogue," "Vogue Living," and "Men's Vogue." The first issue of "Teen Vogue" became an instant hit among teenagers, surpassing its long-standing competitors, "ELLE Girl" and "Cosmo Girl."
In recognition of her remarkable contributions to fashion journalism, Anna Wintour was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2008, an honor also bestowed upon her father.
