Anna Wintour, 1949

The legendary editor in chief of Vogue magazine; one of the most powerful fashion industry figures.

Anna Wintour was born in London, England, the eldest of five children. Her interest in fashion started at a young age, watching music television broadcasts and reading Seventeen magazine. She attended North London Collegiate School, where she was known for being a rebel for shortening the hemlines of her skirts. At age 15, she began to work at a fashion boutique, and at 16, she dropped out of school to participate in a training program at Harrods while taking fashion classes. Not long after, she began to work at OZ magazine.

At the age of 21, she was hired as an editorial assistant at Harper’s & Queen magazine, and a few years later she moved to NYC to work as a junior fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar, from which she was fired because she “did not understand the American market.” Afterward, she found an editor position at an erotic magazine for women, and when it shut down, she took a hiatus from work for a couple of years. In 1980, she returned to NYC and worked in several magazines as a fashion editor, until she landed a position as Vouge’s first creative director. At the time, she began dating her future husband, David Shaffer, and got married in 1984. In the following year, she moved back to London to take over the UK Vouge.

After two years, she relocated to NYC to edit House & Garden magazine but shortly after, she was appointed editor in chief of US Vogue. In her new position, she made radical changes in the magazine, renewing its focus on fashion and changing the style of the cover pictures. She began to present unfamiliar models as well as famous women for the covers and mixing high fashion with inexpensive clothes. Under her editorship, the magazine became the forefront of the fashion world, setting new trends and launching the career of many models, photographers, and designers. Soon she became one of the most important figures of the fashion world, as well as a fashion icon herself.

“Imperfection is fine”

More Interesting Anecdotes:

She was named after her grandmother – Anna Baker.
Her father was British, and her mother was an American.
She is the great-great-great-granddaughter of the 18th-century novelist Lady Elizabeth Foster, Duchess of Devonshire.
Her father was also a newspaper editor.
She is a member of a landed gentry family.
She got her first bob haircut at 14.
Under her editorship, House & Garden magazine was referred to as House & Garment.
In the first issue of Vogue she edited, it was the first time a cover model wore jeans.
She wakes up every morning before 6 AM and goes to sleep at 10 PM.
She inspired the character of Miranda Priestly in the book and film adaptation of “The Devil Wears Prada,” written by her former personal assistant Lauren Weisberger.
She is most recognized for her iconic pageboy haircut and big dark sunglasses.
She made history when she issued the September 2004 edition with 832 pages, the most ever for a monthly magazine.
She earned the nickname “Nuclear Wintour” for her demanding personality.
She approves every setup and clothing appearing in the magazine.
She is afraid of spiders.
Her favorite sport is tennis.
She will never wear Head-to-toe black.
She got divorced in 1999, in 2004 she remarried and has two children.
She supervised the launching of three spinoffs magazines: Teen Vogue, Vogue Living, and Men’s Vogue.
Since the 1990s’ she raised more than $ 10 million for AIDS charities.
She is the artistic director at Condé Nast publications and a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
She established the CFDA/Vogue Fund for supporting and mentoring young and unknown designers.