T H E P O W E R L I S T
W O M E N I N F A S H I O N
3. Anna Wintour
Magazine Maven
She wields considerable influence over American fashion. Runway
shows don't start until she arrives. Designers succeed because
she anoints them. Trends are created or crippled on her command.
But Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue, says she is
determined to use her power for good, not evil. Despite her
reputation for being icy and inscrutable, despite the severe
perfection of her hairstyle and wardrobe, Wintour has taken it
upon herself to act as something of a den mother to fledgling
designers and worthy causes.
Since taking over the Condé Nast publication in 1988, Wintour has
guarded the magazine's No. 1 status among fashion
publications—in both circulation and prestige. But she has
brought the magazine's tone down from its Olympian heights,
acknowledging that trends are as likely to start from the ground
as be decreed from on high and offering tips on how to get runway
looks for real-wage prices. Part of this is out of necessity: to
maintain a high circulation, she must appeal to as broad an
audience as possible. But she has proved herself committed to
discovering and fostering new talent. In 2003, for example, she
joined the Council of Fashion Designers of America in creating a
fund that each year will bestow money and guidance on at least
two emerging designers.
From her perch, she has also taken on social issues and urged
others in the industry to do the same. "I have always believed
that it is important to understand Vogue's mission in broad and
socially responsible terms," she says. Last year she got Vogue to
contribute money to open beauty salons in Kabul, creating jobs
for newly liberated Afghan women; a story on the project ran in
the magazine. After 9/11, she organized the sale of specially
designed T shirts to benefit a Twin Towers fund and spearheaded a
p.r. campaign to get people shopping again.
