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This Happened

This Happened—November 3: The Face of Fashion

The editor in chief of Vogue since 1988, Anna Wintour now acts as Global Chief Content Officer for its parent company Condé Nast. Wintour has made her name as arguably the most influential person of her generation in fashion and glossy publishing.


Where is Anna Wintour from?

Anna Wintour was born in the upscale Hampstead neighborhood of London to British and American parents. She attended the private North London Collegiate School where many say she rebelled against the dress code, taking up the hemlines of her skirts.

How did Anna Wintour become a journalist?

The daughter of a British newspaper editor, Anna Wintour was destined for success when she began her career working for a series of fashion publications. In 1970, when Harper's Bazaar UK merged with Queen to become Harper's & Queen, Wintour was hired as one of its first editorial assistants, beginning her career in fashion journalism.

What was the impact of Anna Wintour on fashion?

When she finally landed at UK Vogue in 1985, Wintour took advantage of her position as an editor to exert her control over the department. Wintour replaced many of the existing staff, earning her the nickname “Nuclear Wintour.” Wintour’s changes moved the magazine away from beauty and pandered more to women interested in business. When she became the editor in chief of Vogue in 1988, Wintour began a lifelong career which would bring unprecedented success to the magazine, even adapting as the advent of the internet threatened the industry.

Is Anna Wintour really the inspiration for The Devil Wears Prada?

It's hard to deny that it's her, or some version of her. The author of the the 2003 book, The Devil Wears Prada, was Lauren Weisberger, who worked as a former personal assistant to Wintour at Vogue. The bestselling book was later adapted for the screen in a 2006 film starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, a magazine editor who runs her fashion and publishing empire ... like an empress.

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