Anna Wintour: how Vogue told the world

The news of Anna Wintour’s resignation as Editor in Chief of Vogue US a few days ago shook the fashion and publishing world. She is one of the most influential, feared and admired figures in the industry, able to decree the success or end of the careers of stylists and professionals.

Through the pages and covers of Vogue, she redefined society’s aesthetic standards and chronicled the changes of an era. Born in London in 1949, Anna grew up in a cultured and intellectual environment. Her first important job was as an assistant at Harper’s & Queen (now Harper’s Bazaar UK), but it was when she moved to the United States that the turning point came: after five years with the Condé Nast group, she was appointed editor-in-chief of Vogue America in 1988.

Bold, unyielding and visionary, she decided from the very first cover to radically transform the magazine; instead of the traditional gala dresses, she chose to depict a model in Lacroix and jeans, with a clear message: fashion belongs to everyone, it embraces the high and the low, the street and the catwalk. Iconic covers followed, portraying celebrities, politicians, public figures… appearing in Vogue became a point of arrival and a consecration.

Under his leadership, the magazine becomes a mirror of the country, intervening with social and political statements, deftly oscillating between pop culture and the elite, thanks to the contribution of the greatest photographers and editorial signatures. It contributes to creating the myth of the supermodel: the famous 1990 cover, shot by Peter Lindbergh with Naomi, Linda, Tatjana, Cindy and Christy, consecrates models so famous that they no longer even need a surname to be presented.

Another great success of Wintour’s became the Met Gala, which under her leadership was transformed from a simple charity event to one of the most important shows in the world with red carpets as eagerly awaited as those of the Oscars. Hidden behind her customary uniform, always the same and true to herself, Anna invents an iconic look and style: helmet, Chanel sunglasses and suits are her signature style. It might seem a paradox for someone who embodies the fashion system, but even this unchanged look of hers adds to her myth: Anna invented personal branding before anyone else.

Her aura is such that it has even inspired Hollywood, which, with the film “The Devil Wears Prada”, portrays her figure in a not-so-subtle way through Meryl Streep‘s masterful performance. After 37 years at the helm of Vogue, she has made fashion less frivolous by launching messages of inclusion, power and revolution. His remains an indelible imprint and a crown that is difficult to inherit. She will however remain Global editorial director and Chief Content Officer for the Condé Nast group, because as we know, even for the most revolutionary queens, abdication remains the most extreme and difficult gesture.

Ph: Myleskalus, Cropped and color-corrected by Daniel Case prior to upload, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons