Anna Wintour was more than the editor-in-chief at Vogue. She is responsible for successfully blending celebrity pop culture, resulting in a multi-million-dollar business at Vogue through digital and printed content. She transformed the Met Gala from an aristocratic black-tie event to a spectacle that challenges creativity and brings together figures from fashion, music, entertainment, politics, and business. She was the person that Bradley Cooper reached out to for advice on the script for A Star is Born before even casting Lady Gaga. She has led several fundraising efforts for campaigns and for supporting new generations of fashion designers.
So it is safe to say that Anna Wintour went above and beyond what her job description was in 1984 when she began her work as editor-in-chief. Let’s go over some highlights of Anna Wintour’s career and her permanent influence in the fashion industry.
For more than four decades, the British-born editor has wielded her influence far beyond the glossy colorful pages of Vogue, transforming fashion into a vehicle for political engagement and social change while building an empire.
Anna’s Rise and Shine
When Wintour assumed the editor-in-chief position at American Vogue in 1988, she inherited more than a magazine—she took command of fashion's most influential platform. Her ascension marked the beginning of what industry insiders —and probably fashion historians moving forward, will refer to as the "Wintour Era," a period characterized by clever elevation of fashion from mere commerce to cultural currency.
Wintour's genius lay not just in her ability to identify trends or boost the visibility of the next top designer, she led the curation of the magazine to ensure there was a story to be told page after page.
The September Issue
September represents the new year in the fashion world. September is a reset from the end of the summer and the welcoming of autumn. Stores clear their racks with seasonal sales and the most expected fashion shows of the year usually take place during this time of the year. New York, Paris, Milan, and London bring collections that generate headlines, viral moments on who went to what show, and what kind of clothes are being seen on the runway.
So the September issue represents all of the richness and excitement of the new year in fashion. It is the most ambitious edition of the year, usually with more than a few hundred pages, vibrant editorial stories and a relevant celebrity on the cover (minus that time Kendall Jenner was on it).
The work and planning behind the September issue takes several months and it involves several decisions, team members and stressful running around Devil Wears Prada scenes. This explains why The September Issue became a documentary in 2007 that goes behind the scenes into what making a September Issue is all about.
Vogue and Anna Wintour and Political Fashion
Perhaps nowhere is Wintour's influence more apparent than in her understanding of fashion's political power. Long before "fashion activism" became a buzzword, she recognized that clothing could be a form of political expression and social commentary. At the same time, political figures deserve to be brought into the conversation in the fashion world. because their choices, work, and legacy directly influence the fashion industry. Her decision to feature and uplift the work and influence of Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Dr. Jill Biden and Olena Zelenska on Vogue covers wasn't merely editorial—it was a statement about studying fashion but also seeing leaders as women who are so much more than the clothes they wear, the makeup they have or the shoes they walk in. The stories in these editions speak about how influential their roles have been in American and international politics and how they are aspiring to leave a legacy and inspire new generations of women.
Vogue and Anna Wintour and Social Justice
Anna Wintour’s influence extends to policy circles as well. Her appointment as Condé Nast's Global Chief Content Officer in 2020 coincided with increased advocacy for industry reform, from sustainable fashion practices to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The Black Lives Matter movement marked a watershed moment for Wintour's social justice advocacy. Her 2020 acknowledgment that Vogue had not done enough to elevate Black voices was followed by concrete actions: increased representation in editorial content, support for Black-owned businesses, and the establishment of initiatives aimed at diversifying fashion's executive ranks. Critics noted the delayed timing, but supporters praised her willingness to evolve and use her platform for meaningful change.
In the summer of 2020, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Canadian activist and designer Aurora James created the 15 percent pledge. Essentially, the non-profit organization states that 15% of the US population is Black, so it encourages businesses to pledge 15% of their shelf space for Black-owned businesses. Vogue signed this pledge in August 2020 and has been working with Aurora James closely ever since.
Wintour's commitment to social justice has evolved from subtle editorial choices to explicit advocacy. Her championing of emerging designers from underrepresented communities has provided platforms for voices previously marginalized in high fashion. The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, established in 2003, has become a launching pad for diverse talent, while her mentorship has elevated designers who bring fresh perspectives to American fashion.
The Cultural Ecosystem Effect
Wintour's influence operates through what media scholars call the "ecosystem effect"—her decisions ripple through interconnected networks of designers, photographers, models, celebrities, and retailers. When she champions a designer, orders shift throughout the industry. When she endorses a cause, others follow. This network effect has made her one of the most powerful unelected figures in American culture. This is why designers push for Anna Wintour to attend her shows, and why an endorsement, an opinion, or a foreword in a book becomes pivotal in how successful a project becomes.
Fashion as art
Her relationship with the Metropolitan Museum of Art exemplifies this influence. As artistic director of the Met Gala since 1995, Wintour has raised over $200 million for the Costume Institute. More significantly, she has positioned fashion as high art, worthy of museum exhibition and scholarly study. The annual gala has become a showcase for fashion's intersection with art, entertainment, business and politics, with attendees using their platform to make statements about everything from immigration to climate change. Anna Wintour’s clever vision to work closely with Andrew Bolton, head curator at the Met, to create a theme, big expectations and fulfill them, and create a viral spectacle where the whole world is watching has transformed a fundraising event into what is now referred to as the Oscars in fashion. The attention that the Met Gala has received translates into fundraising efforts, with Met Gala tickets going for $75,000 and a table for $350,000.
Fun facts about Anna Wintour
As an often misunderstood figure who continuously appeared on Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in the World, Anna Wintour’s life and career is full of fascinating facts and controversies. Let’s go over some of them.
- In 2004, Project Runway producers approached Anna Wintour to seek Vogue’s collaboration on the show (what Marie Claire and Elle ultimately ended up doing by offering the winner a fashion spread, mentorship, and a temporary position as contributing editor). Wintour declined terrified with the entire concept of a reality tv focused on fashion design, but after noticing the tremendous success of the show and the incredible welcoming it had from people in the fashion industry after several years, Wintour reached out to other producers seeking to do her own version of the show. Ultimately, these efforts became the support from Wintour to emerging designers through the CFDA and Conde Nast over a decade after Project Runway’s first season aired.
- In a Devil Wears Prada nature, Wintour’s assistants were in charge of ordering her lunch from a restaurant. A long time favorite was a steak and caprese salad with no tomatoes. The restaurant sent the order with the plate and she would only take a few bites for the assistants to discard the food and send the plate back to the restaurant.
- Anna Wintour regretted putting the Spice Girls on the Vogue Cover in 1998. Although Wintour was willing to take risks and she ended up pushing for celebrities to be on the cover of fashion magazines in an industry dominated by high fashion models, Wintour pushed hard to change the style of the Spice Girls for the photoshoots. The bold, vibrant, and playful style of the artists was covered with high fashion that didn’t really align with the style of the celebrities.
- The famous September Issue documentary was originally endorsed and supported by Wintour, but in the end she didn't like the final cut. She said it lacked glamour and it merely focused on conversations between her and the Creative Director at large, Grace Coddington. Wintour pushed Coddington to do press on the film by herself "it's your film, after all".
The Legacy of Anna Wintour
As Wintour approached her fourth decade at Vogue's helm, she stepped down leaving an incredibly successful business running across print and digital mediums. The upcoming generation of fashion leaders continues to seek her acknowledgment, understanding that her endorsement remains one of the industry's most valuable currencies.
Her legacy lies not merely in the careers she has launched or the trends she has set, but in her demonstration that fashion can be a force for social good. In an era when consumers increasingly demand that brands take a stands on social issues, Wintour's approach provides a blueprint for how industry leaders can use their platforms responsibly. She blended fashion with the digital age and entertainment, pop culture, and entrepreneurship. She understood that fashion needs constant change in order to stay relevant and continue to be exciting. She made a spectacle out of the Met Gala to create this fantastic utopian night that continues the conversation about what is possible in fashion while ensuring there is a legacy to preserve in fashion securely preserved in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
Some critics argue that such concentrated influence is problematic in a democratic society, pointing to some kind of monopoly where one person makes a facial expression and an entire collection falls apart (another Devil Wears Prada reference).
Yes, she could have done much more to make the fashion industry a space that is more welcoming and democratic. A space where the privilege of wealth and location didn’t determine the success of someone’s fashion career. A space that recognizes the talent and remembers the names of not just the designer who walks at the end of the fashion show, but gives space to recognize all of the hard workers that make a fashion show happen.
It is a pivotal moment in fashion, one that needs fashion to reevaluate the current needs of the consumers.
Are we actually sure we want sustainable fashion and if so, how can a fashion leader help us pave the way to bring us closer to it?
If fashion is our values, what are our values, and would we want a fashion leader who has the same values as us?
In a moment where the resources for underrepresented communities seeking opportunities to start their business, and seek education, will the next fashion leader support the aspirations of creatives to pursue a career in fashion or will they stick to the status quo?
A cerulean blue sweater is not just a blue sweater from a pile of stuff. If you know you know. It is Political Fashion.
