Latest news with #NuclearWintour
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Nuclear Wintour Ends At Vogue, Sort Of: Anna Wintour Reigns Supreme
Anna Wintour at The 78th Annual Tony Awards held at Radio City Music Hall on June 08, 2025 in New ... More York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images) Variety via Getty Images 'I've worked with Nuclear Wintour many times – each time more frigid than the next,' a publicist responded when I requested commentary on Anna Wintour from the high-powered publicists and journalists within the PR industry's most exclusive inner sanctum: the invitation-only private Facebook group, PR, Marketing and Media Czars . The group's collective clandestine acumen could end celebrity careers, devastate industries, and—among those who practice PR's darker arts—even topple governments. 'Demeaning demands and toxicity are her weapons of choice to achieve her goals,' the publicist continued. 'And much of those demands were not necessarily professional, but for personal reasons, often to the detriment of an underling or brand publicist's work. And despite her 'departure,' Anna will still have her claws into Conde Nast and Vogue as the global chief content that context, tread lightly.' If you haven't heard, Anna Wintour – 'Nuclear Wintour' to those who've been within her blast radius – and fashion's last reigning empress, has relinquished her editor-in-chief crown at American Vogue after 37 years. Actually, not really. She's keeping her roles as global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast. The editor-in-chief title is simply vanishing, replaced by a 'head of editorial content,' who will report directly to her. Like any dictator who's ruled far too long, she's unwilling to fully abdicate. And true to her carefully choreographed universe, even her departure is performance art, designed to maintain maximum control while feigning a changing of the guard. Yet Wintour's critics, of which there are many, acknowledge her profound impact on the $2.3 trillion global fashion industry. 'Wintour has undeniably progressed the fashion industry as a publisher, alongside birthing numerous influential design and editorial careers,' writer and creative director Darren Griffin told me in an email, as did most sources quoted in this article. 'But it's fair to wonder if her near 40-year post as fashion president and chief has become a moving goalpost for new voices and emerging storytellers within the cultural zeitgeist. At what point does her tenure begin to work at cross purposes with what's relevant aesthetically and culturally?' NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Media Award Honoree Annie Leibovitz and Anna Wintour attend the ... More 2024 CFDA Awards at American Museum of Natural History on October 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by) Getty Images For nearly four decades, Wintour operated as 'the algorithm before algorithms,' as Trevor Perkins of PERK PR + Creative described her. Understanding the impressionable consumers' passionate pursuit of luxury, she set the stylistic pulse long before TikTok trends existed, choosing which designers to elevate, what celebrities merited covers, and how fashion movements could define entire decades. So powerful was her gravitational force, Vanessa Friedman once noted in The New York Times , 'she does not put a finger in the wind to judge trends: she is the wind.' While her Devil persona may have worn Prada, so did Pope Benedict XVI, which speaks to the good she's done with her influence. She transformed the Met Gala from a modest fundraiser into what became 'an A.T.M. for the Met,' raising a record-breaking $31 million this year alone. Through the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund, which she co-founded in 2003 as fashion's ultimate venture capital firm, she's overseen disbursements of over $8 million to emerging designers. Her philanthropic reach extends beyond fashion, with CFDA/ Vogue initiatives raising well over $20 million for AIDS research as she championed causes like Born Free Africa in the fight against mother-to-child HIV transmission. 'She was the first to consistently put celebrities on the cover of Vogue ,' said Sally-Anne Stevens, founder of 'b. the agency,' who has partnered with Vogue for over two decades. 'That move alone shifted fashion into the mainstream and brought music, film and fashion into the same cultural space. She understood the power of celebrity long before it became the engine behind modern influence.' As a result, luxury brands poured hundreds of thousands into Vogue just to appear in the legendary September issue. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: John Galliano and Editor-In-Chief of American Vogue and Chief ... More Content Officer of Conde Nast Dame Anna Wintour attend a cocktail reception ahead of The Fashion Awards 2021 at Royal Albert Hall on November 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/)No one can deny Wintour's eye for talent. She backed Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and John Galliano early in their trajectories, initiating the rise of the superstar fashion creative designer, however much this trend has fallen out of, uhm, fashion. But in the case of Galliano, she engineered a professional comeback many thought unlikely, displaying a necromancy for resurrecting dead careers while also giving opportunity to budding ones. 'American Vogue with Anna at the helm most certainly played a role in my career,' shared Shannon Rusbuldt Amar, former Vogue model and cast member in the Vogue -produced documentary, The Models . 'When fashion clients know that you have shot for the publication, they automatically take you more seriously, which obviously leads to bigger and better jobs.' As publicist Jane Owen put it simply, 'To be featured in Vogue meant you were part of the story of fashion itself.' The Velvet Ropes And Iron Fist of Anna Wintour PARIS- MARCH 2: Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley in the front row at the Chanel fashion show F/W ... More 2007/08 at Grand Palais on March 2, 2007 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michel Dufour/WireImage) WireImage Wintour created magnificent beauty for the beautiful people while masking what many describe as a toxic empire built on fear and favoritism. With the same scepter she used to anoint designers, she thought nothing of doing the opposite to bury the living. 'What must the late André Leon Talley be thinking behind that velvet rope in the sky?' posed Sharon Geltner, award-winning arts and culture writer. Perhaps most controversial was her treatment of André Leon Talley, Vogue's groundbreaking and flamboyant creative director who, at Wintour's side, helped shape the magazine's relevance for decades. After leaving the magazine, Talley publicly described feeling discarded by Wintour despite years of loyalty, highlighting what Sharmon Lebby, founder of Blessed Designs Consulting, considered the performative nature of Vogue's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. 'It was people like Bethann Hardison who actually advanced DEI. Not Anna. Not Vogue ,' Lebby told me. 'André Leon Talley didn't benefit from inclusivity, he bulldozed his way into fashion on his own terms. Vogue and Anna were just along for the ride.' Former employees describe a workplace culture where terror trumped creativity; where Wintour's personal whims superseded professional judgment. As one source recounted, a client spent three months perfecting a pitch to Wintour's liking just to receive a dismissive response that 'Anna had moved on.' Her autocratic methods extended far beyond The Devil Wears Prada lore. One publicist pointedly referenced the infamous 2011 Vogue profile of Asma al-Assad, Syria's first lady, titled 'A Rose in the Desert,' which praised the dictator's wife as 'the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies' – just months before Syria descended into civil war. The article remains one of journalism's most embarrassing misjudgments. 'She should have been fired for the article on Assad's wife,' the publicist fumed. '[The article] praised Assad, calling him 'democratic.'' The World Moved On — Has Anna Wintour? PARIS - MARCH 03: Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington attend the Rochas show during Paris Fashion Week ... More Fall/Winter 2011 at the Place Vendome on March 3, 2010 in Paris, France. (Photo by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage) WireImage Wintour's semi-departure comes amid a fundamental transformation in fashion. The imperial editor model she perfected has become outdated and counterproductive. 'Her vision is still a dream world that people want to belong to, and that's not what fashion is about today,' Quynh Mai, founder of Qulture agency, pointed out. 'Fashion is about self-expression, loving yourself, and being yourself. She's a part of the old guard where fashion is about aspiration, inspiration, and admiration. This no longer speaks to today's youthful or modern customer.' The numbers match this cultural shift. Fashion advertising fell 50 percent during the pandemic as luxury brands slashed budgets remain slashed. Meanwhile, TikTok creators began moving fashion trends faster than Vogue's lengthy editorial process. Wintour's gatekeeping model became a liability when audiences chose democratized influence over dictated taste. Monia Benchoufi Moulin, CEO of MADAME WILLIAM M., offered the harshest assessment. 'Her autocratic reign forced designers to bow before her for pre-runway approval. Under her rule, shows grew darker, colder, and joyless — all smiles erased, all freshness extinguished. The altar of elegance became a temple of trend fatigue.' Ouch. But this critique isn't entirely unfair, given a growing sentiment: as Wintour's power calcified, her personal aesthetic began to eclipse her original purpose as steward of a business empire built on luring advertisers who want to reach a tapped-in audience. Moulin continued, ' Vogue under Wintour ceased to be a discovery platform; it became an echo chamber for advertiser dollars and editorial nepotism. A new era could revive authentic storytelling, celebrate nuanced creativity, and return to fashion's core: to inspire, not impose. Her obsession with self-relevance drowned Vogue in noise, stripping fashion of its mystique. Her departure ends a long chapter of dictatorship in fashion. Let this be a turning point — one that restores freedom, and meaning. Fashion deserves to dream again.' Jasmine Charbonier, owner of Charbonier Consulting and a fashion industry veteran, recounted having to navigate 15 different channels to get a maybe on having a client's collection featured in Vogue . 'The era of the all-powerful fashion editor is ending,' she said. 'And honestly — as someone who's spent years navigating those waters — it's probably about time.' An Anna Wintour Power Play That Doesn't Change In An Industry That Has LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 19: Editor-In-Chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful and Editor-In-Chief ... More of American Vogue and Chief Content Officer of Conde Nast Dame Anna Wintour attend the Richard Quinn AW22 show during London Fashion Week February 2022 on February 19, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/)Fashion media has already moved beyond the top-down model of editorial monarchy. As Friedman noted in her New York Times article, publications worldwide have abolished editor-in-chief titles in favor of 'heads of editorial content.' The new generation of fashion leaders — Lindsay Peoples Wagner at The Cut, Edward Enninful formerly at British Vogue , Samira Nasr at Harper's Bazaar — operate with collaborative spirits and inclusive missions foreign to Wintour's modus operandi. 'American Vogue is overdue for a refresh,' Jenny Davis, Professor of Fashion Media at Southern Methodist University, told me. 'Anna may be an icon, but it's been a long time since she's been plugged into the generational zeitgeist. In today's challenging print media environment, it's imperative that a magazine editorial director stays abreast of what's happening in fashion, music, streetwear, youth culture and anything and everything that's new and next.' And yet, Wintour's strategic maneuvering ensures her influence persists. By holding global oversight while shedding daily American operations, she retains her position as fashion's haute puppet master – carefully staged and still all-controlling. The 'head of editorial content' – who will most likely never hold the editor-in-chief title as long as Wintour draws breath – will wield significantly less power than traditional editors-in-chief, functioning more like a regional manager. 'This announcement doesn't change much,' Lebby sighed. 'From a branding perspective, that's about consistency. From a marketing and cultural perspective, it reads as control. It signals that Vogue isn't truly ready to evolve.' Lessons for the C-Suite From Anna Wintour And Her Refusal to Abdicate WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 4: Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, receives the Presidential Medal ... More of Freedom by U.S. President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on January 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Biden is awarding 19 recipients with the nation's highest civilian honor. President Biden is awarding 19 recipients with the nation's highest civilian honor. (Photo by) Getty Images Richard Dukas of Dukas Linden Public Relations noted, 'Few people have a name so iconic and intrinsic in their industry as Anna Wintour.' Yet iconic sans evolution becomes irrelevance. The most successful leaders know when their methods no longer serve their missions. 'Like Joe Biden, it's time for her to know when it's time to step down,' Mai added. 'Time to leave while the party is good. Time to leave while her legacy and iconic status is still intact.' Dukas continued, 'Whenever an iconic founder or prominent executive departs a well-known brand, it presents both challenges and opportunities. While a leader's job is to build a company that will survive and thrive long after they are gone (think Henry Ford), good PR messaging often paints them as indispensable. They have truly done their job if they have crafted a succession plan far in advance that can be quickly executed.' In examining Wintour's own legacy, four insights emerge for C-suite leaders navigating their own institutional power structures and future planning: Succession Planning Requires Power Sharing Wintour's gradual power consolidation over four decades is how personal brands become inseparable from institutional ones. This 'retirement' allows her to maintain her influence in a selfish strategy that doesn't quite bode well for Vogue when she leaves this mortal coil. Authenticity Defeats Authority The younger generation's rejection of Wintour's imperial style reflects a new preferences for authenticity over authoritative. Brands relying on a single, all-powerful figure risk obsolescence when cultural winds shift, as Vogue continues to experience under an empress who seemingly only takes advice from a mirror. Toxicity Is No Longer In Fashion Fear-driven workplace cultures, once tolerated as creative necessities, have become liabilities for an organization's future as social awareness evolves. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are now questioning the value of working in toxic environments. They're choosing entrepreneurial routes over enduring a well-heeled boss from hell. Relevance Requires Evolution And An Open Mind Wintour's disconnect from digital-native audiences shows legacy alone can't protect relevance, particularly when she's cultivated an environment where challenging the empress's nudity becomes career suicide. The C-suite must be ruthless in evaluating whether their strategies reflect today's consumer values. Wintour's 37-year reign at American Vogue isn't quite over as she stubbornly holds court in an industry rejecting the monarchy she built. And yet, her legacy will be for being the oldest person at a party filled with young, fresh creatives plugged into the contemporary current. I received over 100 emails from industry insiders wanting to be included in this article. Eighty percent of the comments were clearly AI generated, as almost everyone described 'the end of an era' and 'decentralizing fashion' and 'gatekeeping' in proof ChatGPT has been busy. As I lamented my frustration to the Facebook Czars group, one former People Magazine editor offered another take: 'Ok, but hear me out,' she said. 'The fact that your call for sources on a piece about Anna Wintour ended in a slew of AI responses says a lot about how people think and feel about her.'
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Anna Wintour is stepping down as the editor in chief of Vogue. These are the moments that turned her into a pop culture icon.
After 37 years as Vogue's editor in chief, Anna Wintour is officially stepping down. The fashion icon is not retiring altogether; instead, she will remain on as the publisher's global chief content officer as well as Vogue's global editorial director, per CNN. It is, nonetheless, the end of an era — one marked by Met Galas, groundbreaking (and sometimes controversial) magazine covers, and moments that cemented the EIC's place in pop culture history. From being dubbed 'Nuclear Wintour' by tabloids in the '90s for her icy management style to inspiring one of Meryl Streep's most famous roles, Wintour's reign at Vogue has shaped not only fashion but how the world views it. Prior to her reign as editor in chief of Vogue, Wintour worked across different magazines at Condé Nast, including House & Garden and the U.K. edition of Vogue. It was during her time at the U.K. fashion magazine, where she replaced beloved editor Bea Miller, that British tabloids gave her the titles 'Nuclear Wintour' and 'Wintour of Our Discontent' — nods to her reputation for being cold, demanding and unapologetically tough on her staff. In 1997, the British-born Wintour pushed back against the nicknames in a piece for the Guardian, writing that while journalists portrayed her as a 'wicked woman of steel,' she only recalled letting go of 'two or three' employees during her time at the magazine. 'There was a cozy but mildly eccentric atmosphere at British Vogue, which, after my time in New York, struck me as out of date,' Wintour recalled. 'It also seemed out of step with the fast developing social and political changes that were thundering through Britain in the eighties, under Margaret Thatcher. I felt the cozy approach was not responsive to intelligent women's changing lives. So I decided to infuse the magazine with a bit of American worldliness, even toughness.' While Wintour may not have appreciated the nicknames nor agreed with their accuracy, it's clear that her tough-as-nails reputation solidified a certain image of the ice queen fashion editor — an image that Wintour would carry with her throughout her career. In 1988, Wintour debuted her first cover of Vogue — and it shocked the fashion world. Model Michaela Bercu wore a $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket with a bejeweled cross along with $50 Guess jeans, photographed outside in natural light. The casual tone of the photo was a stark change for the magazine; even Wintour herself didn't initially expect to run the photo on the cover. 'It was so unlike the studied and elegant close-ups that were typical of Vogue's covers back then, with tons of makeup and major jewelry,' Wintour wrote of the cover in a 2012 Vogue piece, adding that the photo 'broke all the rules.' The model 'wasn't looking at you, and worse, she had her eyes almost closed,' Wintour explained. 'Her hair was blowing across her face. It looked easy, casual, a moment that had been snapped on the street, which it had been, and which was the whole point.' Wintour said that the cover led to all sorts of incorrect interpretations, including that it was some sort of 'religious statement.' None were true. Instead, she wrote, 'I had just looked at that picture and sensed the winds of change. And you can't ask for more from a cover image than that.' In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada, a novel written by former Wintour assistant Lauren Weisberger, was adapted into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. Immediately, people assumed that Streep's character Miranda Priestly — EIC of the fictional Runway magazine — was a thinly veiled caricature of Wintour. Wintour has not said much publicly about the portrayal of Priestly, an icy, calculating and wildly demanding boss. In fact, Anna: The Biography author Amy Odell wrote that when the EIC learned that Weisberger had sold The Devil Wears Prada, 'she said to [managing editor Laurie] Jones, 'I cannot remember who that girl is,'' per Entertainment Weekly. Recently, the film — for which a sequel is in the works — received a West End musical adaptation, which Wintour attended in December 2024. Speaking to the BBC after the show, she said it is 'for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly.' The Devil Wears Prada is not the only piece of pop culture to apparently pay tribute to the famed fashionista. She was also parodied on the show Ugly Betty with the character Fey Sommers. Interpretations of Wintour, always with her signature giant sunglasses, have also been seen on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. Wintour also appeared as herself in 2018's Ocean's 8, which was about a group of women pulling off a heist at the Met Gala. In 2009, R.J. Cutler's documentary The September Issue followed Wintour as she and her team crafted the September 2007 edition of Vogue — at the time, the largest issue to date. It peeled back the curtain on working for Wintour, revealing her exacting standards and intense leadership style at the center of the high-pressure world of fashion publishing. In a review of the documentary by Roger Ebert, the late film critic wrote, 'There cannot have been a page she wasn't involved with. This seems to be a woman who is concerned with one thing above all: The implementation of her opinion.' Fashion's biggest night wouldn't be quite the same without the influence of Wintour. In 1995, she took over as chair of the Met Gala, transforming the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute from a modest society dinner into a global pop culture phenomenon. Wintour revamped the guest list, inviting A-list celebrities, designers, models and entertainment industry power players. This coincided with the rise of the celebrity stylist, putting these behind-the-scenes fashion players on display just as much as the stars wearing their outfits. Wintour helped elevate pop culture icons like Rihanna, whose outfit choices have become among the most anticipated on the red carpet. In 2015, Wintour made headlines with the Met Gala once again. 'China: Through the Looking Glass' was one of the most attended exhibitions — but also a highly controversial one, as Wintour and her team were accused of promoting appropriation and showing Eastern culture through a Western lens. Still, the Met Gala has continued to push cultural conversation forward, as it did this year with its theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' which spotlighted Black designers and Black identity. In May, Wintour told E! News of the exhibit, 'It's about optimism and hope and community. I hope that many, many people come and see it.'
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Anna Wintour is stepping down as the editor in chief of Vogue. These are the moments that turned her into a pop culture icon.
After 37 years as American Vogue's editor in chief, Anna Wintour is officially stepping down. The fashion icon is not retiring altogether: Instead, she will remain on as the publisher's global chief content officer as well as Vogue's global editorial director, per CNN. It is, nonetheless, the end of an era — one marked by Met Galas, groundbreaking (and sometimes controversial) magazine covers, and moments that cemented the EIC's place in pop culture history. From being dubbed 'Nuclear Wintour' by tabloids in the '90s for her icy management style to inspiring one of Meryl Streep's most famous roles, Wintour's reign at Vogue has shaped not only fashion but how the world views it. Prior to her reign as editor in chief of American Vogue, Wintour worked across different magazines at Condé Nast, including House & Garden and the U.K. edition of Vogue. It was during her time at the U.K. fashion magazine, where she replaced beloved editor Bea Miller, that British tabloids gave her the titles 'Nuclear Wintour' and 'Wintour of Our Discontent' — nods to her reputation for being cold, demanding and unapologetically tough on her staff. In 1997, the British-born Wintour pushed back against the nicknames in a piece for the Guardian, writing that while journalists portrayed her as a 'wicked woman of steel,' she only recalled letting go of 'two or three' employees during her time at the magazine. 'There was a cozy but mildly eccentric atmosphere at British Vogue, which, after my time in New York, struck me as out of date,' Wintour recalled. 'It also seemed out of step with the fast developing social and political changes that were thundering through Britain in the eighties, under Margaret Thatcher. I felt the cozy approach was not responsive to intelligent women's changing lives. So I decided to infuse the magazine with a bit of American worldliness, even toughness.' While Wintour may not have appreciated the nicknames nor agreed with their accuracy, it's clear that her tough-as-nails reputation solidified a certain image of the ice queen fashion editor — an image that Wintour would carry with her throughout her career. In 1988, Wintour debuted her first cover of American Vogue — and it shocked the fashion world. Model Michaela Bercu wore a $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket with a bejeweled cross along with $50 Guess jeans, photographed outside in natural light. The casual tone of the photo was a stark change for the magazine; even Wintour herself didn't initially expect to run the photo on the cover. 'It was so unlike the studied and elegant close-ups that were typical of Vogue's covers back then, with tons of makeup and major jewelry,' Wintour wrote of the cover in a 2012 Vogue piece, adding that the photo 'broke all the rules.' The model 'wasn't looking at you, and worse, she had her eyes almost closed,' Wintour explained. 'Her hair was blowing across her face. It looked easy, casual, a moment that had been snapped on the street, which it had been, and which was the whole point.' Wintour said that the cover led to all sorts of incorrect interpretations, including that it was some sort of 'religious statement.' None were true. Instead, she wrote, 'I had just looked at that picture and sensed the winds of change. And you can't ask for more from a cover image than that.' In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada, a novel written by former Wintour assistant Lauren Weisberger, was adapted into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. Immediately, people assumed that Streep's character Miranda Priestly — EIC of the fictional Runway magazine — was a thinly veiled caricature of Wintour. Wintour has not said much publicly about the portrayal of Priestly, an icy, calculating and wildly demanding boss. In fact, Anna: The Biography author Amy Odell wrote that when the EIC learned that Weisberger had sold The Devil Wears Prada, 'she said to [managing editor Laurie] Jones, 'I cannot remember who that girl is,'' per Entertainment Weekly. Recently, the film — for which a sequel is in the works — received a West End musical adaptation, which Wintour attended in December 2024. Speaking to the BBC after the show, she said it is 'for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly.' The Devil Wears Prada is not the only piece of pop culture to apparently pay tribute to the famed fashionista. She was also parodied on the show Ugly Betty with the character 'Fey Sommers.' Interpretations of Wintour, always with her signature giant sunglasses, have also been seen on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. Wintour also appeared as herself in 2018's Ocean's 8, which was about a group of women pulling off a heist at the Met Gala. In 2009, R.J. Cutler's documentary The September Issue followed Wintour as she and her team at Vogue crafted the September 2007 edition of Vogue — at the time, the largest issue to date. It peeled back the curtain on working for Wintour, revealing her exacting standards and intense leadership style at the center of the high-pressure world of fashion publishing. In a review of the documentary by Roger Ebert, the late film critic wrote, 'There cannot have been a page she wasn't involved with. This seems to be a woman who is concerned with one thing above all: The implementation of her opinion.' Fashion's night out wouldn't be quite the same without the influence of Wintour. In 1995, she took over as chair of the Met Gala, transforming the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute from a modest society dinner into a global pop culture phenomenon. Wintour revamped the guest list, inviting A-list celebrities, designers, models and entertainment industry power players. This coincided with the rise of the celebrity stylist, putting these behind-the-scenes fashion players on display just as much as the stars wearing their outfits. Wintour helped elevate cultural icons like Rihanna, whose outfit choices have become among the most anticipated on the red carpet. In 2015, Wintour made headlines with the Met Gala once again. 'China: Through the Looking Glass' was one of the most attended exhibitions — but also a highly controversial one, as Wintour and her team were accused of promoting appropriation and showing Eastern culture through a Western lens. Still, the Met Gala has continued to push cultural conversation forward, as it did this year with its theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' which spotlighted Black designers and Black identity. In May, Wintour told E! News of the exhibit, 'It's about optimism and hope and community. I hope that many, many people come and see it.'
