“Me and powerful? What is it anyway? ” The mikada queen, big glasses and Vogue celebrate 75 years – New York Times

Journalism is in Anna Wintour‘s blood. She was born on 3 November 1949 in Hampstead, London, to journalist parents. Her mother is a film critic and her father is the editor-in-chief of the Evening Standard. It was her father who often included Anna in his reflections on how to reach younger readers, who awakened her interest in journalism.

Anna Wintour’s career in fashion journalism began in the 1970s in London, where she worked as an assistant at Harper’s & Queen magazine. In 1975, she moved to New York, where she began writing as a young fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar. She was fired from the magazine after nine months because she was too progressive. But gradually she worked her way up to higher positions and jumped between magazines, writing for example for Viva or New York magazines.

As for the target group, she focused on independent, career-oriented women – an audience that became important for Vogue as well. According to her, today’s woman does not have time to shop, she needs inspiration, what to wear and why.

Anna’s first big breakthrough came in 1983 when she became the creative director of American Vogue. In 1985, she took over the management of the British version of the magazine and updated its content.

She returned to American Vogue in 1988 and brought a new look. Wintour pioneered the trend of shooting outdoors and mixing expensive designer pieces with cheaper clothing, making fashion accessible to a wider audience. Instead of models, she began to often use famous people, such as actresses, for photographs. “Anna saw the celebrity movement coming before anyone else,” she said about Grace Coddington, former creative director of American Vogue.

Under her leadership, Vogue became not only a “fashion bible” but also a platform for discovering new talent thanks to projects like the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund. For Forbes She thought, “I don’t consider myself a powerful person. What does that really mean? It means, for example, that you get a better seat in a restaurant or tickets to a screening. But it’s also a great opportunity to help other people, and I’m very grateful for that.”

One of the most important marks she has left is her transformation of the Met Gala into a prestigious social event around the world that every famous person wants to be invited to. Wintour has chaired or co-chaired the Met Gala since 1995.

Thanks to Anna Wintour, Vogue stayed on top even when it faced competition and social change. Although she was often criticized for being elitist or for using fur, this did not change her influence in the fashion industry. “I think Vogue should show an active and modern look when it comes to women today. A kind of spark, if you will. Women have changed a lot and Vogue needs to reflect that,” she told pro Everyday women’s clothing.

She was married twice and is the mother of two children. Her daughter Bee Carrozzini became a producer and her son Charlie Shaffer is a doctor. “When I’m at home with my children, grandchildren and friends, we don’t talk about work. We play tennis and silly games. That calms me down,” she described her private life for Financial Times. In addition to fashion, Wintour is also involved in politics and supports the Democratic Party. For example, she participated in fundraising campaigns for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.