Imagine an outline doodle of a woman wearing a midi dress, high heels, black sunglasses and a bob haircut. Guess who? Anna Wintour, duh. The iconic editor in chief of Vogue Magazine needs no introduction. She's one of the most influential people in the fashion industry, if not the most influential. Besides the fact that she is the longest running fashion editor in chief in history, she managed to single handedly revolutionize the way fashion is viewed in the world. It's almost impossible to count the number of things she changed in this industry, so let's have a quick review on some of the most interesting actions she took.
Vogue Debut
In November 1988, Wintour debuted her first cover as editor in chief for Vogue Magazine. She decided to start with a bang and created a controversial cover look, featuring Israeli model Michaela Bercu wearing an ensemble of bejeweled Christian Lacroix Sweater and a Guess jeans. Today a combination of high and low fashion is obvious and even necessary, but back then it was groundbreaking and super brave. The board of directors thought she made a mistake that'll cost them publishers and subscribers, but it was actually the beginning of the magazine's most successful era.
(Image Credit: Vogue.com)
Celebrities on Covers
The legendary cover with Michaela Bercu was just a drop in the ocean of changes Anna made in Vogue. Her next step was to ditch the common covers featuring beauty shots of models and putting actors, musicians, athletes and politicians front and center. The world of magazines we know today is filled with familiar faces, but once again Anna was the first to do so.
(Image Credit: Vogue.com)
Met Gala
The annual Met gala, known as the Met Ball, was once a social event only for members of New York high society and the fashion industry. It was Anna Wintour to make it the public, glamorous, star-studded and media covered event we're obsessed with today. Her impact on the costume exhibition in the Met museum was so significant, that in 2014 the costume department was renamed after her.
(Image Credit: Voguerunway.com)
Throughout the years, the iconic editor in chief discovered many fashion designers, helped restore fashion brands and changed the way people dress and react to fashion in general. Some might say that the fact that she hates wearing black is one of the reasons colors and prints are so big right now ( I am one of those people).
Her impact on the fashion industry is unprecedented, and yet she still manages to maintain a classy, elegant and nice persona (if you ignore the not so hidden criticism in "The devil wears Prada"). It was once said about her that: “Much is made of the negativity surrounding her uncompromising work ethic, but she is actually incredibly nurturing of young creatives, ensuring they have the platform to succeed.” Que to my fav saying – real Queens fix each other's crowns.
Stay Classy,
Noam