Editor of American Vogue, Artistic Director of Conde Nast, and style icon - Anna Wintour has sat at the top of the fashion tree for decades.
As editor of the Conde Nast glossy for 37 years, Wintour is revered and respected, but despite a few famous exceptions she rarely gives interviews.
The daughter of Charles Wintour, former editor of the London Evening Standard and philanthropist Eleanor Trego Baker, Wintour landed her first fashion gig in the fashion department of Harper's & Queen after leaving school early (something she later admitted she spent years making up for). Gradually making her way up the editorial masthead, she moved to Harper's Bazaar in New York, assuming the role of fashion editor - a role she was later fired for.
Wintour worked at Viva, Savvy, New York Magazine, House and Garden and British Vogue before she eventually landed the coveted job of editor of US Vogue in 1988. After a turbulent start sometimes referred to as the Wintour of Our Discontent ("I'm the Condé Nast hit man...I love coming in and changing magazines", she reportedly told a friend) Wintour brought fresh credibility to the fashion bible.
But enough from us, here's the Dame in her own words.
On Vogue
"To be in Vogue has to mean something. It's an endorsement, it's a validation."
On Journalism
“Today’s audience – not just Vogue’s audience, every audience – wants journalism to take a stand. People want to know what you believe in and what you stand for. In this time of fake news, when there is so much disregard for truth and value and for supporting those less fortunate than oneself, we have a moral obligation to stand up for what’s right.”
On her reputation
"If one comes across sometimes as being cold or brusque, it's simply because I'm striving for the best."
On feminism
"The notion that a contemporary woman must look mannish in order to be taken seriously as a seeker of power is frankly dismaying."
On being fired
"I think everyone should get sacked at least once. It was definitely a good thing for what it taught me."
On religion
“Some people have the Bible. I have Vogue.”
On gossip
"I'm an ice queen, I'm the sun king, I'm an alien fleeing from District 8 and I'm a dominatrix. So I reckon that makes me lukewarm royalty with a whip from outer space."
On people
“I look for strong people. I don't like people who'll say yes to everything I might bring up.”
On careers
“Just be true to yourself, and listen as much as one is able to other people whose opinions you respect and look up to but in the end it has to come from you. 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 confidence
"People respond well to those that are sure of what they want. What people hate most is indecision. Even if I'm completely unsure, I'll pretend I know exactly what I'm talking about and make a decision."
On the competition
“If you can't be better than your competition, just dress better.”
On being original
“Create your own individual style. I'm not interested in the girl who walks into my office in a head-to-toe label look that's straight off the runway. I'm interested in a girl who puts herself together in an original, independent way.”
On moving forward
“Fashion goes in only one direction -forward- and I am a firm believer in thinking that way too.”
On fashion
“Fashion is not beautiful, neither is it ugly. Why should it be either? Fashion is fashion.”
On being a boss
"I'm very good at delegating - people work much better when they have a sense of responsibility."
