NOBODY KNOWS FASHION BETTER THAN ANNA WINTOUR
Who else secretly admires Anna Wintour sitting cool and perfectly poised? She is a front row fashion-show fixture, with elegantly crossed legs wearing trademark large black glasses as she assesses the talent on the runway.
This amazing woman has served as Editor-in-chief of American Vogue since 1988 and Global Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast, the parent company, since 2020; she is also the Artistic Director of Condé Nast and the Global Editorial Director of Vogue.
Wintour is one of the most powerful figures in fashion recognised globally. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008 and advanced to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2017.
Anna’s personal brand is recognisable at once with her black Chanel sunglasses, perfectly styled bob, immaculate grooming and she is known for her perfectly curated outfits. She is the envy of fashionistas the world over.
Vogue magazine covers under her direction began featuring prominent women including Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and Hilary Clinton, a move away from exclusively using models. She is a visionary, bringing social icons to the masses, and shaking things up.
She is known for her involvement with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she hosts the Met Gala Ball, an annual fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute.
The character of Miranda Priestly in the novel and film titled The Devil Wears Prada, has been widely believed to be based on Wintour.
In 2009 Wintour appeared in The September Issue: Anna Wintour & the Making of Vogue, a documentary film about the creation of the September 2007 issue of the magazine.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, or climbing the ladder to success, Anna Wintour’s wisdom will inspire you to step into your power. Here are some of her gems.
On timing: It’s always about timing. If it’s too soon, no one understands. If it’s too late, everyone’s forgotten.”
On style: “Just dress better. Create your own style, let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”
On dreams: “The best way to make a dream come true is to wake up.”
On self-belief: “In today’s world you have to interact. You can’t be some difficult, shy person who is not able to look somebody in the face; you have to present yourself. You have to know how to talk about your vision, your focus and what you believe in.”
On quality: “If you’re an overnight sensation, you can be yesterday’s news in no time. Whereas building something slowly and carefully that has value and quality, that’s what’s going to have legs.”
On vision: “You can’t really worry too much by looking to the left and the right about what the competition is doing or what other people in your field are doing. It has to be a true vision.”
On finding fun: “It’s the mishaps that make it fun, and brings you the surprise.”
On passion: “You just need to have a love for what you’re doing. It’s not about thinking that it’s the cool thing; it’s about really believing in it.”
On becoming it: Even if you aren’t sure of yourself, pretend that you are – most people prevaricate.”
On striving to be the best: “If one comes across sometimes as being cold or brusque, it’s simply because I’m striving for the best.”
On owning your vision: “Just be true to yourself, and listen as much as one is able to, to other people whose opinions you respect and look up to but in the end, it has to come from you.”
On direction: “People respond well to those that are sure of what they want.”
May these gems inspire you to challenge your norms, to think differently, and to create your own ripple effect.
With love,
Eugenia xox