Latest news with #Wintour
New York Post
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Anna Wintour ruined her Vogue legacy in one crucial way
The glossy page is being turned — sort of. Anna Wintour, the supreme leader of Vogue, is stepping down after 37 years at the fashion bible. Long dubbed 'nuclear Wintour' for her icy nature, the 75-year-old is leaving her role as editor-in-chief, but still retaining her cold death grip on it from above as the global chief content officer at publisher Condé Nast. Plus, she'll still lord over the Met Gala — ensuring celebrities will continue to bow to her in a bid to score invites. Advertisement Part of me is sad to see Wintour go, albeit out of pure nostalgia. Her departure signals an official end to the golden age of glossies, when magazine editors ruled the New York City media landscape with impossibly glamorous designer wardrobes and their noses in the air. 6 After 37 years at the Vogue helm, Anna Wintour is stepping down. Dylan Travis/AbacaPress / She represents a bygone era of black cars, expense accounts, standing lunch reservations at Michael's and sanctioned imperious behavior in the corner offices. Advertisement Before the digital revolution and social media influencers upended traditional gatekeepers, magazine editors were rock stars with a near monopoly on cultural influence. And bold characters with the strongest points of view — and, sometimes, unsparing management styles — were usually rewarded with top jobs. Wintour not only epitomized this, she was the complicated empress of it in the '90s and aughts. 6 Anna Wintour is the reigning queen of the fashion world and palled around top designers like the late Karl Lagerfeld. Stephen Lovekin Advertisement Stories abound about her alleged treatment of peasant underlings. Eye contact with her was reportedly forbidden, as was hopping into the elevator with her. A creature of continuity, she hasn't changed her signature bob, her dark sunglasses or, reportedly, her lunch order of rare steaks in decades. Her legacy was mythologized in 'The Devil Wears Prada,' a roman à clef written by a former Wintour assistant, as well as its 2006 movie. They don't make those creative bullies like they used to. Now, executives have to sanitize their behavior through HR compliance and lead with kindness and compassion. It's good for office morale, but not for media gossip pages. How boring. Imagine a 'The Devil Wears Prada' reboot where everyone is sitting around completing anti-harassment training videos and pitching SEO-driven stories about TikTok fashion trends. No cerulean blue monologue. No speech like, 'I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl.' Advertisement 6 Anna Wintour, who regularly attends the US Open, is a tennis fanatic and champion of some of the sport's top stars. Annie Wermiel/NY Post Where have all the characters gone? Things changed at Vogue in 2020 when Wintour had to shake the lily-white elitism from her ranks. 'I want to start by acknowledging your feelings and expressing my empathy towards what so many of you are going through: sadness, hurt, and anger too,' she wrote in a note to staff, participating in the mass white atonement of the moment. 'It can't be easy to be a Black employee at Vogue, and there are too few of you. I know that it is not enough to say we will do better, but we will … ' 6 Anna Wintour's stewardship of the Met Gala has turned it into a star-studded event. FilmMagic Absolutely, hiring a more diverse staff was probably a good thing. But the arbiter of privilege turned her fashion bible and its digital site into a place for progressive politics, identitarianism and intersectionality. It became laughably woke. Vogue also became increasingly partisan — a tool of the resistance. Advertisement While Republican first ladies Laura Bush, Barbara Bush and Nancy Reagan weren't given covers like their Dem counterparts, they were at least given the scraps of an inside spread. Then came Trump — and all that stopped. After dishing out tongue baths and multiple covers to Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Jill Biden (including last summer while her husband's campaign imploded), Vogue not only snubbed Melania — who was good enough for a cover in 2005. Earlier this year, a story ripped her official portrait, comparing her to a 'freelance magician.' 6 In the 2006 movie 'The Devil Wears Prada,' Meryl Streep (right, with Anne Hathaway) played Miranda Priestly, a character based on Anna Wintour. Wintour, long a champion of Dem politicians, has channeled her snobbery against the right and anyone who wasn't a card-carrying Dem. She fully turned her magazine into an arm of the DNC. Advertisement It became obvious that Vogue was not about American fashion, celebrity or culture — only left-wing figures. People like Stacey Abrams, a two-time loser for the Georgia governor's mansion, and Sarah McBride, the first trans member of Congress, along with Kamala Harris. 6 Anna Wintour attended the 2025 Tony Awards in her trademark sunglasses. Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Funnily enough, Second Lady Usha Vance — a first-generation American and accomplished attorney — is someone Vogue would bend over backward to shoot … if only she was married to a Dem. Advertisement So the time is right for Wintour to go. Her magazine could use a makeover to shake off the ingrained partisanship of the last 15 years. But since Wintour is still hanging on to some power, I'm guessing we'll just see last season's collection again.
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Wintour steps down from 'US Vogue'
In a seismic event in the global fashion industry, US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, instantly recognisable with her iconic bob haircut and signature sunglasses, gave up the reins after 37 years at the helm. As per AFP, Wintour, 75, was famous for making Vogue's front covers an authoritative statement on contemporary fashion, and for her total control over the glamorous pages inside. The British born fashion magnate will no longer run day-to-day editing of the fashion bible, but magazine group owner Conde Nast was quick to scotch suggestions of retirement. She will continue to hold senior roles at the group and remain Vogue's global editorial director. Ushering in news of her departure, Wintour announced at a staff meeting in New York that US Vogue would seek a new head of editorial content. In remarks reported by the New York Times, she called it a "pivotal decision" but stressed she would not be moving out of her office. "I'll be turning all my attention to global leadership and working with our team of brilliant editors around the world." Fashion flagship Wintour was made a British dame in 2017 and in February this year became a companion of honour - an elite recognition. At the ceremony in London in February, Wintour removed her trademark sunglasses to receive the award and said she had told King Charles III that she had no plans to stop working. Wintour, who was raised in the UK by a British father and an American mother, reigned over Vogue in the heyday of glossy magazines. US Vogue was a staid title when she took it over in 1988 and transformed it into a powerhouse that set trends — and often make or break designers, celebrities and brands. Wintour took the title to a global audience, with huge budgets to spend on models, design, photographs and journalism funded by lavish advertisements and high subscription rates. Vogue remains fashion's flagship magazine but, like many print publications, has struggled to adapt to the digital era. Wintour has for many years also run the Met Gala, an extravagant Manhattan charity event that attracts an A-list of dressed-up stars from the worlds of fashion, film, politics and sports. She is a fanatical tennis player and fan — frequently appearing at Grand Slam finals — and a major fundraiser for Democrat politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the top US honour, before leaving office in January. As Conde Nast's chief content officer, she will continue to oversee publications including Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, Conde Nast Traveler and Glamour. Wintour's frosty image Across her glittering yet rock-solid career in the fashion industry, Wintour's legacy has morphed into more than just an ice-queen magazine editor; to those who understand fashion, she has become an icon in her own right. "Across more than three decades' worth of issues of Vogue and its spinoffs, she has defined not only fashion but also beauty standards, telling millions of people what to buy, how to look, and who to care about," wrote fashion journalist Amy Odell in Anna: The Biography. But as per ABC News, even Odell, who interviewed hundreds of people about Wintour, was taken aback at the complexity of her subject. "People couldn't agree on many things about her, including whether she's an introvert or an extrovert, ruthless or just very demanding," Odell added on reflection. As per the publication, when Wintour took over as Vogue editor she replaced multiple staff members and exerted more control than any of her predecessors. A 2015 documentary The September Issue about the monthly magazine featured her ice queen image and steely ambition but also revealed a warmer human side. Nevertheless, her decisive leadership earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour", although the editor defended herself in a rare interview with 60 Minutes. "If I'm such a b**** then they must really be a glutton for punishment, because they're still here," she remarked. "If one comes across as sometimes being cold or brusque, it's simply because I'm striving for the best." Does the Devil wear Prada? Those who do not follow fashion news may still be aware of the effect Wintour has had on the industry thanks to the 2003 book The Devil Wears Prada and its subsequent 2006 film. Wintour's legendary fictional persona took the form of Meryl Streep's tyrannical magazine editor Miranda Priestly, whose ice-cold cutting observations ("Tales of your incompetence do not interest me") remain fixed in the minds of fashion-fiction-obsessed film fans. The role earned Streep an Oscar nomination. For many years, Wintour declined to comment on The Devil Wears Prada, which was written by one of her former assistants, Lauren Weisberger. Just how similar the fictional Priestly is to Wintour has been the subject of debate ever since Streep brought the role to life in the film. But when it was turned into a musical and opened in London in 2024, Wintour told the BBC that it was "for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly." One way in which Wintour categorically differs from Priestly is her long-standing devotion to sunglasses – and she finally offered an enigmatic explanation for trademark shades in conversation with the outlet last year. "They help me see and they help me not see," she said. "They help me be seen and not be seen. They are a prop, I would say."
Business Insider
14 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Anna Wintour's latest career move is her next great leadership challenge
Anna Wintour may be shifting roles, but she's not slowing down. Wintour's decision, announced Thursday, to give up the title of editor in chief of Vogue, a role she's held since 1983, signals a colossal shift at the venerable fashion publication. Yet Wintour isn't departing. Wintour, who is about a decade over the average US retirement age at 75, will hire a new US "head of editorial content" for Vogue, who will report to her. The magazine reported that Wintour would retain many of her duties, including overseeing the Met Ball, and remain as global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer for Condé Nast, Vogue's parent company. The move is the latest instance of a boldfaced name in leadership planning a shift in their responsibilities, rather than relinquishing them. Condé Nast did not respond to a request for comment from BI on succession plans. Take Warren Buffett, who's 94 and the longest-serving chief of an S&P 500 company, and plans to stay on as chairman after he hands over the CEO job at the end of the year. Jamie Dimon, who's approaching two decades atop JPMorgan, has also said he could stay on as chairman even after he gives up his executive duties. That can be good for individual leaders' well-being and for the entities they lead, though leadership experts told Business Insider that staying too long can also introduce risks. Wintour has not indicated that this is the first step in her retirement plan, but in her comments to staff this week, she emphasized her desire to shape the next generation of talent. "Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be," she said. The benefit for longtime bosses to remain engaged is that it can be good for their sense of purpose and ease their transition to an eventual retirement. It can also benefit their team, as they have the opportunity to pass on a wealth of institutional knowledge to their successor to help avoid missteps. "There's a steady hand at the ship while this transition is happening," Kevin Groves, a professor of management at Pepperdine's Graziadio Business School, told BI. A longevity boost Transitioning — rather than quitting outright — has other perks for leaders. Jasmine Sawhne, a Los Angeles psychiatrist who helps clients with life transitions, told BI that type-A personalities who are wedded to their work tend to benefit from a gradual retirement rather than an abrupt one. "Retirement can affect one's identity, their sense of purpose and daily structure, mental health — it is a huge, significant life change," she said. At the same time, good cognitive health also makes it easier for people to keep working. A recent report on the "silver economy" found that in 41 advanced and emerging economies, a person who reached the age of 70 in 2022 had, on average, the same cognitive ability as a 53-year-old in 2000, making it more likely that they would stay in the labor market. Suddenly withdrawing from a stimulating work environment can impact executive function and memory, which can trickle down to impact everything from a person's sleep quality to their sense of meaning. Leaders who have built-in interactions at work can also experience extreme loneliness when they quit. For those with high-status roles like Wintour, a well-planned transition can be "a really critical step so that they can avoid that post-retirement existential void," Sawhne said. Many centenarians credit their careers (or similar activities, like part-time work or volunteering) with their longevity, keeping them mentally sharp and socially connected. From politicians and big-time execs to Tom Cruise, who's said he plans to make movies until he's 100, it's often hard for strivers to give up the roles they love. Helping fill the biggest shoes Another perk of shifting responsibilities rather than retiring outright is preventing the "emotional whiplash" of an organization adjusting to a new leader, Sawhne said. It can also give leaders more time to train or mentor their successors. Still, she said, remaining at the helm long-term can cause friction if the new hire doesn't understand how much authority they really have or who's truly in charge. Gary Rich, a leadership coach who's worked with Fortune 500 companies on succession planning, told BI that it can be hard for leaders, particularly ones who've demonstrated long-term success, to give up their roles even when they say they're ready to. Rich said incoming leaders often value having someone who's been at the job stick around for a bit to assist in the transition. He said that 20% of his work involves coaching the new person, while 80% involves convincing the outgoing leader to let go. He said the reason is simple: High-powered leaders often draw enormous validation and self-esteem from their roles."Asking people to let go of that is asking them to let go of a major part of their identity," Rich said. The trick is, he said, not to stay too long. Rich said the limit should be three months. Planning for the future As great as a soft exit is, the key is making sure it leads somewhere. Rich said it becomes difficult for the new guard to establish power when the old boss hangs on, and members of the organization might still go to the predecessor through back-channel communications. Nailing a subtle role shift is easier said than done. Sawhne said it's crucial to have a support system of people who can offer validation that "you're not retiring from influencing some company; you're just retiring from the intensity of the work that you're putting in."
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Anna Wintour steps down: 4 must-read books about the iconic fashion editor
Anna Wintour's departure as editor-in-chief of Vogue marks the close of a defining chapter in fashion history. For over three decades, she redefined style, influenced global trends, and became a cultural icon. With her iconic bob, ever-present sunglasses, and steely gaze, Wintour became a figure synonymous with high fashion and media power. She is believed to have inspired The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestly. These five books, ranging from biographies to faction, a visual archive, and even a children's biography offer unique perspectives on the woman who reshaped fashion and inspired a generation to lead with style and substance. In Anna: The Biography, Amy Odell delivers a well-researched, compelling portrait of one of fashion's most influential figures. With a journalist's eye for detail and a storyteller's flair, Odell traces Anna Wintour's path from a fashion-obsessed teen in 1960s London to the towering editor-in-chief of Vogue and a defining force at Condé Nast. Drawing on extensive interviews with Wintour's colleagues, friends, and critics, the book goes beyond the iconic bob and sunglasses to explore the ambition, strategy, and contradictions that shaped her career. Odell doesn't shy away from Wintour's reputation for being exacting, even ruthless, but she balances that with insights into her vulnerabilities and vision. It is an engrossing read not just for fashion lovers, but for anyone fascinated by power, influence, and the making of a modern icon. Published in 2005, Jerry Oppenheimer's Front Row offers a decidedly more provocative take. In this unauthorised biography, Oppenheimer goes behind the polished pages of the Vogue to uncover the real Anna Wintour: ambitious, enigmatic, and driven. From her posh yet emotionally distant London upbringing to her wild party-girl youth and fierce climb through the cutthroat world of magazines, Front Row pulls back the curtain on Wintour's calculated rise. Oppenheimer does not spare the details, whether her stormy relationships and scandalous affair or her icy leadership style and iron grip on the fashion elite. One particularly controversial anecdote involves Oprah Winfrey allegedly being asked to lose weight before appearing on Vogue's cover. Packed with headline-worthy revelations and sharp character insights, Front Row is as provocative and stylish as its subject. Whether you're a fashion junkie, pop culture fanatic, or just love a powerful character study, this is an irresistible, front-row seat to the making and myth of Anna Wintour. Few books have done more to shape public perception of Anna Wintour than The Devil Wears Prada. Loosely inspired by Lauren Weisberger's own experience as Wintour's assistant, the 2003 novel introduces Miranda Priestly, an impeccably styled, brutally demanding editor who's become one of the most iconic fictional bosses in modern literature. The story's cultural impact was only magnified by the 2006 film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep. Though Wintour has called the film 'entertaining,' the resemblance to her public image is unmistakable. Both satirical and revealing, this novel transformed Wintour from fashion executive to pop culture icon. This 2012 coffee-table book, introduced with a foreword by Wintour herself, is a retrospective of Vogue's most iconic editorials. Showcasing photography from legends such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, The Editor's Eye honors the creative minds (Wintour among them) who shaped Vogue's distinctive vision. More than a collection of pretty pictures, the book captures the transformative power of editorial storytelling and reflects Wintour's role in elevating fashion into the realm of art and cultural commentary. A recent addition to Wintour's literary canon, Valeria Jasso's The Girl with the Bob and Sunglasses offers a kid-friendly retelling of her life for readers aged 8 to 12. With lively storytelling and heartening lessons, the book follows Anna from her early days sketching outfits in London school notebooks to becoming the visionary editor of Vogue. Young readers learn about her resilience in the face of setbacks, her belief in young talent, and her ability to lead with both grit and grace. The biography also peeks behind the glamor, showing Wintour as a tennis-playing grandmother and mentor who continues to shape lives outside of fashion's glare. It's an empowering read for any child with big dreams and a bold spirit.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Anna Wintour is stepping down as the editor in chief of Vogue. These are the moments that turned her into a pop culture icon.
After 37 years as Vogue's editor in chief, Anna Wintour is officially stepping down. The fashion icon is not retiring altogether; instead, she will remain on as the publisher's global chief content officer as well as Vogue's global editorial director, per CNN. It is, nonetheless, the end of an era — one marked by Met Galas, groundbreaking (and sometimes controversial) magazine covers, and moments that cemented the EIC's place in pop culture history. From being dubbed 'Nuclear Wintour' by tabloids in the '90s for her icy management style to inspiring one of Meryl Streep's most famous roles, Wintour's reign at Vogue has shaped not only fashion but how the world views it. Prior to her reign as editor in chief of Vogue, Wintour worked across different magazines at Condé Nast, including House & Garden and the U.K. edition of Vogue. It was during her time at the U.K. fashion magazine, where she replaced beloved editor Bea Miller, that British tabloids gave her the titles 'Nuclear Wintour' and 'Wintour of Our Discontent' — nods to her reputation for being cold, demanding and unapologetically tough on her staff. In 1997, the British-born Wintour pushed back against the nicknames in a piece for the Guardian, writing that while journalists portrayed her as a 'wicked woman of steel,' she only recalled letting go of 'two or three' employees during her time at the magazine. 'There was a cozy but mildly eccentric atmosphere at British Vogue, which, after my time in New York, struck me as out of date,' Wintour recalled. 'It also seemed out of step with the fast developing social and political changes that were thundering through Britain in the eighties, under Margaret Thatcher. I felt the cozy approach was not responsive to intelligent women's changing lives. So I decided to infuse the magazine with a bit of American worldliness, even toughness.' While Wintour may not have appreciated the nicknames nor agreed with their accuracy, it's clear that her tough-as-nails reputation solidified a certain image of the ice queen fashion editor — an image that Wintour would carry with her throughout her career. In 1988, Wintour debuted her first cover of Vogue — and it shocked the fashion world. Model Michaela Bercu wore a $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket with a bejeweled cross along with $50 Guess jeans, photographed outside in natural light. The casual tone of the photo was a stark change for the magazine; even Wintour herself didn't initially expect to run the photo on the cover. 'It was so unlike the studied and elegant close-ups that were typical of Vogue's covers back then, with tons of makeup and major jewelry,' Wintour wrote of the cover in a 2012 Vogue piece, adding that the photo 'broke all the rules.' The model 'wasn't looking at you, and worse, she had her eyes almost closed,' Wintour explained. 'Her hair was blowing across her face. It looked easy, casual, a moment that had been snapped on the street, which it had been, and which was the whole point.' Wintour said that the cover led to all sorts of incorrect interpretations, including that it was some sort of 'religious statement.' None were true. Instead, she wrote, 'I had just looked at that picture and sensed the winds of change. And you can't ask for more from a cover image than that.' In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada, a novel written by former Wintour assistant Lauren Weisberger, was adapted into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. Immediately, people assumed that Streep's character Miranda Priestly — EIC of the fictional Runway magazine — was a thinly veiled caricature of Wintour. Wintour has not said much publicly about the portrayal of Priestly, an icy, calculating and wildly demanding boss. In fact, Anna: The Biography author Amy Odell wrote that when the EIC learned that Weisberger had sold The Devil Wears Prada, 'she said to [managing editor Laurie] Jones, 'I cannot remember who that girl is,'' per Entertainment Weekly. Recently, the film — for which a sequel is in the works — received a West End musical adaptation, which Wintour attended in December 2024. Speaking to the BBC after the show, she said it is 'for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly.' The Devil Wears Prada is not the only piece of pop culture to apparently pay tribute to the famed fashionista. She was also parodied on the show Ugly Betty with the character Fey Sommers. Interpretations of Wintour, always with her signature giant sunglasses, have also been seen on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. Wintour also appeared as herself in 2018's Ocean's 8, which was about a group of women pulling off a heist at the Met Gala. In 2009, R.J. Cutler's documentary The September Issue followed Wintour as she and her team crafted the September 2007 edition of Vogue — at the time, the largest issue to date. It peeled back the curtain on working for Wintour, revealing her exacting standards and intense leadership style at the center of the high-pressure world of fashion publishing. In a review of the documentary by Roger Ebert, the late film critic wrote, 'There cannot have been a page she wasn't involved with. This seems to be a woman who is concerned with one thing above all: The implementation of her opinion.' Fashion's biggest night wouldn't be quite the same without the influence of Wintour. In 1995, she took over as chair of the Met Gala, transforming the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute from a modest society dinner into a global pop culture phenomenon. Wintour revamped the guest list, inviting A-list celebrities, designers, models and entertainment industry power players. This coincided with the rise of the celebrity stylist, putting these behind-the-scenes fashion players on display just as much as the stars wearing their outfits. Wintour helped elevate pop culture icons like Rihanna, whose outfit choices have become among the most anticipated on the red carpet. In 2015, Wintour made headlines with the Met Gala once again. 'China: Through the Looking Glass' was one of the most attended exhibitions — but also a highly controversial one, as Wintour and her team were accused of promoting appropriation and showing Eastern culture through a Western lens. Still, the Met Gala has continued to push cultural conversation forward, as it did this year with its theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' which spotlighted Black designers and Black identity. In May, Wintour told E! News of the exhibit, 'It's about optimism and hope and community. I hope that many, many people come and see it.'
