Anna Wintour: A Revolutionary Fashion Icon

By Celine Fong '25

When the name Anna Wintour is mentioned, one usually draws on an image of her chilly demeanor, iconic pageboy cut, and ever-present sunglasses. Anna Wintour, who is originally British, has been the chief editor of the renowned American Vogue magazine for over thirty years. Having started her career in the early 1970s working at Harpers and Queen in London and as an editor of British Vogue and House & Garden, Wintour has decades of experience in the fashion industry and without exaggeration, is viewed as one of the most influential women in the fashion world.

Wintour has been the co-chair and fellow hostess of the Met Gala, an established fundraising benefit, for more than twenty years. The Met Gala takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City every May, and boasts the attendance of several A-list celebrities – from Lady Gaga to Kim Kardashian along with eminent designers such as Alexander Mcqueen and Givenchy. Wintour began planning the Gala in 1995, during a period in which the Costume Institute aimed to reignite buzz. Wintour has ultimately shaped it into an exclusive event with celebrity representatives calling for invitations and a much-loved annual celebration of fashion we know today. Moreover, Wintour fights for social causes, as demonstrated by organizing several high benefit events to raise over $20 million dollars for AIDS charities since the 1990s.

Wintour is also significant in bolstering and patronizing the careers of prominent fashion professionals, including fashion photographer Herb Ritts, supermodels, and Marc Jacobs. In 2003, along with the Council of Fashion Designers, she launched the Vogue Fashion Fund, which offered business mentoring and financial funds to the “next generation” of American fashion designers. This also introduced designers to each other, such as Thom Browne and Brooks Brothers, and soon after, Browne successfully launched his collection into ninety Brooks Brothers stores. Clearly, Wintour has helped nurture and advise the careers of some of the world’s most creative and talented designers.

Most significantly, Wintour has transformed Vogue Magazine into a more receptive and youthful one, which appealed to many readers on a broader scale. She never hesitated to broaden the publication’s horizons and inducted significant people as cover stars such as Simone Biles and Hilary Clinton, instead of solely supermodels. She focused on a modern perception of style and fashion, and her determination and strategic thinking has revivedVogue and established its role as a magazine front runner.

Ever since watching The Devil Wears Prada, the 2006 movie based off of her character, Wintour is someone I have always been inspired and fascinated by, as her connections have had public influence on socialites, politics, and philanthropy, but very little is known about her personal life. Wintour has seamstresses, reporters, and celebrities under her control, and she could turn them into a legend or joke with just one article. With her passion, she has simply pioneered creativity and has made extraordinary, successful contributions to the fashion industry.

Image Credits

(1): https://fashionista.com/2021/10/anna-wintour-biography-amy-odell

(2): https://www.cnn.com/style/article/anna-wintour-biography-amy-odell-culture-queue/index.html

(3): https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/21/queen-surprises-london-fashion-week-with-anna-wintour.html

Blog Sources

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Wintour

https://time.com/6170179/anna-wintour-met-gala-amy-odell-book/

https://www.thepeoplealchemist.com/women-inspiring-women/anna-wintour-a-fashion-pioneer/

https://www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk/pressreleases/Anna-Wintour-to-receive-the-Outstanding-Achievement-Award#:~:text=In%201990%2C%20she%20played%20a,helped%20raise%20over%20%2420%20million.