Friday, March 28, 2008 The Commander-in-Chief By Clint Holton P. Potestas
EVERYBODY simply nods to what she declares as fashion. Trends are created or crippled on her command. Of course dear, she’s Anna Wintour.
“In the world of fashion everything changes, except for Anna Wintour and her power,” said Barbara Walters in her self-titled TV show, considering her as one of the most fascinating and influential people of the world.
Also, in Time Magazine’s “The Powerlist: Women in Fashion,” Wintour landed on the third spot after Miuccia Prada and Rose Marie Bravo. Writer Michelle Orecklin described her as a considerable influence in American fashion. She further noted: “Runway shows don’t start until she arrives; designers succeed because she anoints them.” Two of the successful fashion makers she introduced in the industry are Zac Posen and John Galliano.
For more than two decades, Wintour has been the editor-in-chief of the American Vogue, the leading international fashion magazine. Under her editorship, she has produced other specialty magazines: Teen Vogue, Men’s Vogue, and Vogue Living.
“Two things have set her apart: her devotion to young designers and her signature look,” Walters explained. What’s the Anna Wintour look? Bob hair with Asian bangs at age 15. Now at 59, she still has no plans of changing the cut.
“I’m sure that it’s very boring, and that I should change. But every time I do, it doesn’t work,” Wintour revealed.
Though she is constantly exposed to both young and established international fashion designers, she still believes that style is a personal matter, and comfort shouldn’t be compromised. And couture may not always be stylish: “Jeans and t-shirt could be equally fashionable as an Oscar de la Renta ball gown.”
Fashion impinges on politics. This is how the Vogue editor wants to highlight in the magazine’s fashion editorial. The clothes, the colors, the trends, and the cut all reflect the economic and political situation in various states, especially in America.
“Absolutely, it affects fashion. We were very excited to see how militant the collections were—because of the war,” the style maven cited this as an example. “There was a real sense when women on the runway were going to battle.”
Former assistants have always spread the rumors. Should you be glamorous when you’re working for Vogue? “Hopefully, they come to Vogue because they love fashion. We expect, but we don’t dictate a certain style of dress,” Wintour said.
Her biggest controversy, according to Walters, was during the release of the film The Devil Wears Prada. Miranda Priestly, one of the major characters, was a fashion editor who gave difficult (and impossible) demands to her assistants. The character was rumored to be based on Wintour’s work attitude.
“I thought the film is very interesting,” she said to Walters. “I mean, anything that makes fashion entertaining, glamorous, and interesting is wonderful for our industry. So, I was 100 percent behind it.”
