Vogue editor Anna Wintour makes pop culture chic: A look back at the fashion icon's impact

USA Today

9 hours ago

Anna Wintour isn't just a face behind the pages of Vogue magazine. She is a paragon of glamour herself.
The famed editor-in-chief, who's served at the helm of American Vogue since 1988, is stepping down as the magazine's head of editorial content, as part of a modified organizational structure the Condé Nast publication adopted four years ago. Wintour will stay on as Condé Nast's chief content officer and Vogue's global editorial director.
Wintour, known for her stern management style and iconic A-frame bob, helped redefine the landscape of celebrity fashion, thanks in part to her bold cover portraits for Vogue (Wintour's first issue featured Israeli model Michaela Bercu in a casual look that included a $50 pair of faded jeans.) Over the years, Wintour spotlighted a range of A-list talent, from pop stars Madonna and Britney Spears to supermodel Naomi Campbell and former first lady Michelle Obama.
The style maven also helped transform the Met Gala, an haute couture fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, into a viral, star-studded extravaganza that draws buzz from fashionistas, celebrities and social media onlookers alike.
Here's a look back at Wintour's indelible mark on the fashion world and beyond.
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The 1995 Met Gala was Wintour's first time in charge of the event, but it didn't become her permanent "Party of the Year" until 1999. "It was the flashiest and most shocking party the Met had ever thrown," fashion journalist and author Amy Odell wrote in 2022's "Anna: The Biography." Wintour had "cracked off the shellac and unleashed the future's much more hip possibilities."
It's no secret that Wintour has a heavy hand in curating the gala's details, as previously cataloged in 2016's "The First Monday in May" documentary. Wintour, along with museum curators and close friend Tom Ford, orchestrates every detail, including the dress code, food and seating arrangements.
In recent years, the Met Gala has hosted epic fashion moments from the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, Jared Leto and Bad Bunny with head-turning themes that explore multiculturalism, nature and fashion history. Even with all the celebrity wattage, West Coast Vogue contributor Lisa Love detailed to Odell some of the intricacies Anna would "fuss about" during the event.
"When Kim Kardashian wore a custom latex Thierry Mugler dress that redefined tight to the camp themed party in 2019, Anna kept saying to Lisa Love, 'Can you please tell her to sit down?'" Odell wrote. "Love had to explain that, actually Kardashian physically couldn't sit."
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"The Devil Wears Prada," a 2003 novel written by Wintour's former assistant Lauren Weisberger, tells the story of aspiring magazine writer Andrea Sachs, who finds herself working for the icy Miranda Priestly, a high-powered editor of a top fashion publication. The book became a New York Times bestseller and spawned two sequels, 2013's "Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns" and 2018's "When Life Gives You Lululemons."
In an interview with Random House, Weisberger — who didn't name Wintour as a direct inspiration — said while she didn't set out to write a "'boss from hell' story," some of the anecdotes featured in the novel "aren't so far away from the tasks either I or my friends in various industries ... went through our first few years out of college."
At the time of the book's release, Wintour told The New York Times: "I always enjoy a great piece of fiction. I haven't decided whether I am going to read it or not."
Weisberger's alleged insider portrait of Wintour hit the big screen in 2006 with a film adaptation that starred Anne Hathaway as Sachs and Meryl Streep as Priestly. The Oscar-nominated dramedy grossed $326.7 million worldwide.
Wintour has since appeared to give her seal of approval to Weisberger's high- fashion tale. In December 2024, the Vogue editor was spotted attending the London premiere of "The Devil Wears Prada" musical, a theatrical reimagining of the film with music by Elton John.
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Wintour's fashion empire has served as lyrical fodder for some of the biggest names in music.
The magazine magnate has been referenced or name-dropped in songs from the likes of Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny and others. On 2009's "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z delivers the pun: "Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in-style / Into the winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out."
Minaj gave shout-outs to Wintour on her songs "Muny" and "Come on a Cone," while fellow rapper Azealia Banks named her 2018 single "Anna Wintour" after the iconic editor.
Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, referenced Wintour as a symbol of his industry status on 2012's "Cold": "Dinner with Anna Wintour / racing with Anja Rubik / I told you ... it was more than the music."
More recently, reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny name-checked Wintour's Vogue on the 2023 track "VOU 787."
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Wintour is just as invested in the future of fashion as she is in capturing the best looks for the covers of Vogue.
Throughout her career, the media executive has lent financial and social support to emerging designers, such as British designer John Galliano. Wintour secured financial backing for Galliano's eponymous fashion label, which helped his 1997 ascent to designer-in-chief at Christian Dior.
Wintour also patronized the works of designers Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs. In 2003, Wintour and the Council of Fashion Designers of America established the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which provided financial support and business mentoring to up-and-coming designers.
"Anna's been so supportive all through my highs and my lows," Galliano said at the 2014 British Fashion Awards, per The Cut. "She reached out to me when I had become an outcast with almost daily phone calls, inspiration, encouragement and really practical help."
He added: "There are really no words to adequately express my gratitude to Anna for all that she has done and continues to do, for me and for our industry and for the future."
Contributing: Anna Kaufman and Elise Brisco, USA TODAY