Table of Biography
Anna Wintour is a British-American fashion journalist and editor-in-chief of American Vogue. Anna Wintour is also popular for her iconic pageboy haircut and large designer sunglasses.
Early Life
Anna Wintour was born on November 3, 1949, and she is currently 74 years old. Talking about her family, she is the eldest daughter of the newspaper editor Charles Wintour and philanthropist Elinor Wintour. However, they divorced in the year 1979.
She was born in Hampstead, London, England. Likewise, she has 4 siblings.
Moreover, she demonstrated a tendency to do things her way at an early age. As a teenager, she decided to forgo academics. She dropped out of her fancy finishing school and opted instead for a life that revolved around the tony London life of the 1960s that she so clearly adored. She studied at the North London Collegiate School.
With her signature hairstyle, she frequented the same London clubs of pop culture’s biggest stars, including members of the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Wintour first sported the bob-cut at the age of 15 and has changed it very little since then.
Caption: Anna Wintour in her old photos. Source: Magazines
Career and Professional Life
Anna Wintour is most popular as the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine and also for her iconic pageboy haircut and large sunglasses. She became the editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine in 1988. She then began directing Conde Nast, which publishes Vogue, in 2013. Moreover, she first broke into the fashion industry by working at London’s Biba boutique at the young age of fifteen years.
Similarly, she is also rumored to be the inspiration behind Meryl Streep’s character in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada. At the age of 15, she landed her first job with the help of her father at the renowned boutique Biba.
She was a fashion enthusiast from her teenage years and regularly viewed Cathy McGowan on ‘Ready Steady Go!’ She also keenly awaited the issues of ‘Seventeen’ that her grandmother from the USA sent her.
More Details
On several occasions, her father Charles Wintour consulted her for ideas to make newspapers youth-friendly. Likewise, she landed her first job in the field of fashion journalism in 1970 when she was inducted as an editorial assistant at Harper’s & Queen. There, she worked with path-breaking photographers like Jim Lee and Helmut Newtown among others.
Her well-connected network helped her in getting good and creative locations for photoshoots. After quitting her job, she shifted to New York along with her freelance journalist boyfriend Jon Bradshaw. In 1975, she took up the job of a junior fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar’s New York wing. However, Editor Tony Mazzola fired her after nine months.
With the aid of her then-boyfriend Jon Bradshaw, she joined a women’s adult magazine called ‘Viva’ as its fashion editor. Sadly, the magazine was shut down in 1978.
Caption: Anna Wintour was captured while attending a fashion show. Source: iNews
1990 Onwards
Then in 1980, she became the fashion editor of Savvy and in 1981, she worked with ‘New York as its fashion editor. Under the instruction of Editor Edward Kosner, she worked on different sections and eventually learned how a celebrity cover plays an instrumental role in selling copies. Moreover, she became the creative director of ‘Vogue’ in 1983, accepting an offer from the editorial director of ‘Condé Nast’ Alex Liberman, following a bargain that doubled her remuneration.
In 1985, she became the chief editor of British Vogue.’ After taking charge, she made various changes, including replacing employees. She proved to be a strict disciplinarian with a temperamental and impatient nature that earned her epithets, such as ‘Nuclear Wintour’ and ‘Wintour of Our Discontent.’
Moreover, in 1987, she joined ‘House and Garden,’ another publication of ‘Condé Nast.’ There, she made certain fundamental changes and discarded some already paid articles and photos worth $2 million in her very first week. When she renamed the magazine ‘HG,’ the magazine not only failed to garner support from its long-time subscribers but also lost many of them and eventually lost many of its conventional advertisers.
Further…
She became the editor-in-chief of the American ‘Vogue’ and moved to New York in 1988. At that time, Vogue was struggling as it faced stiff competition from Elle. She then played an instrumental role in reviving the magazine.
Moving on, she made rigorous changes, altered the style of cover pictures, and transformed the publication into a more youthful and receptive magazine focusing on modern perception in style and fashion. She did not hesitate to tread new ground and started featuring celebrities instead of supermodels on cover pages and introduced a mix of expensive and low-end fashion items during her photoshoots.
2010 Onwards
In 2013, she became the artistic director for ‘Condé Nast,’ while retaining her position in ‘Vogue.’ The same year, she hired Hildy Kuryk as the director of communication for ‘Vogue.’ Kuryk served as a fundraiser during the first campaign of Barack Obama and also for the ‘Democratic National Committee.’
She eventually became an influential name in the world of fashion. She is largely acclaimed for helping young designers, such as Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs. Then in 2014, she was seen in a documentary titled ‘The Fashion Fund.’ This documentary is about the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund competition. It also featured Diane von Furstenberg, Ken Downing, Andrew Rosen, and Jenna Lyons.
Caption: Anna Wintour was awarded as the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in May 2017 by the British Queen. Source: Daily Mail
Similarly, Queen Elizabeth II created Anna the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in May 2017. It was at Buckingham Palace for her contribution to fashion and journalism. Likewise, she is also one of the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She has raised funds regularly for its Costume Institute.
Since 1990, Wintour has raised funds worth over $10 million for AIDS charities. She also started the CFDA/Vogue fund to aid unknown fashion designers.
Relationship Status
Anna Wintour married child psychiatrist David Shaffer in 1984. The then-lovers have two children namely Charles, born in 1985, and Katherine, born in 1987. However, they divorced in 1999.
Talking about her past affairs and relationships, Richard Neville was one of her older boyfriends. Richard was the co-editor of ‘Oz,’ a counterculture magazine. In her youth, she went out with older men who had good connections. She also dated Piers Paul Read. Piers is an English novelist and historian. she later became a well-known face in the London club circuit along with Nigel Dempster, a gossip columnist.
Caption: Anna Wintour posing for a photo with her children. Source: Mamamia
Anna Wintour – Body Measurements
Wintour stands tall at a height of 1.7 meters or 5’7” and her weight is 141 lbs. Likewise, her chest-waist-hip body measures are 34B, 24B, and 35B respectively. She has a shoe size of 8. Moreover, she has hazel eyes and golden hair.
Social Media
It doesn’t seem like Anna Wintour has an official Instagram account. However, we come across numerous fan accounts dedicated to her and her work. The same is the case on other social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Anna Wintour – Net Worth 2024
Moving on, she has a net worth estimation of approximately $35 million. Although she has a reputation for being an intimidating and demanding boss, Wintour’s influence on the fashion industry has always been noticeable since her very first cover at American Vogue.