Anna Wintour’s prickly reputation famously inspired 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada, which premiered as a musical in London’s West End last weekend, but Vogue’s editor-in-chief has begged off saying she is icy with lower-level staff.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast Culture and Media Editor Katie Razzall, the 75-year-old denied that employees are too scared to approach her.
Wintour, who is in London to promote a new immersive exhibition, VOGUE: Inventing the Runway, told the journalist when asked if people are afraid of her, “I hope not.”
She added that many people are also dismissive of her, saying that the idea that “nobody says no to Anna Wintour” is an industry myth.
The veteran editor told Razzell, “That is absolutely not true. They often say no, but that’s a good thing. No is a beautiful word.
Wintour was also asked about her signature look, which has remained unchanged for decades and features her razor-sharp bob and ever-present sunglasses.
Although the fashion icon wasn’t inspired by her overall look, saying she preferred to think of creativity only in terms of her work, a persistent Razzell did get a response about the glasses.
Wintour replied: ‘They help me see and they don’t help me see. They help me to be seen and not to be seen. They’re a prop, I would say.’
With her sleek bob and dark glasses, Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s signature look has made her a fashion icon, but this week she revealed why she wears sunglasses in public
Speaking to BBC Breakfast Culture and Media Editor Katie Razzall to promote a new immersive London exhibition about Vogue, Wintour said she uses the glasses as a ‘prop’. Pictured: Wintour at Marc Jacobs’ AW24 show in New York in July
Icy, moi? Wintour also answered Razzall’s question about her reputation for being difficult to approach
This week, Wintour’s close friend Elton John confirmed he has now lost his sight while addressing guests at London’s Dominion Theater as he appeared alongside the Vogue boss for the red carpet launch of The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical.
When asked if she has plans to retire or possibly continue into her ninth decade, Wintour revealed that she has no plans to leave the fashion bible anytime soon, saying she is only thinking about “today, not tomorrow.”
The new Vogue exhibition, which opened at Lightroom in the capital last month, is an immersive exhibition that explores the history of the catwalk show.
It comes after the British editor reflected on her early career at the American fashion bible in Disney+’s In Vogue: The 90s documentary series, released in September.
Before moving to Vogue in 1981, Anna previously worked at Harpers & Queen in London and Harper’s Bazaar in America.
Forty years later, she is the first thing many people think of when the word Vogue is mentioned.
In the programme, Wintour says of her promotion to head of Vogue: ‘Conde Nast (appointed me) because it was time for a change.
‘Under the previous leadership, every cover of Vogue looked the same (…) sometimes you just have to tear everything up and start over.’
The fashion icon laughed when asked if people are too scared to say ‘no’ to her
New: VOGUE: Inventing the Runway is on view at Lightroom in London until April 2025, after opening last month
Pictured: Anna Wintour with the late Karl Largerfeld in New York in 1990
Wintour admitted she had “no plan” and said she looked for a team of “brilliantly creative people” to work with when she opened up about her career at the fashion bible.
While boarding a flight from London to New York in 1989, Anna says she struck up a conversation with a “very conservative gentleman,” who praised the magazine for previous issues featuring Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.
After joking that Madonna would never appear on their front page, the editor said she had a “light bulb” moment and was determined to star the “controversial” pop star.
Last weekend, The Devil Wears Prada Musical, based on the 2006 comedy starring Meryl Streep, saw a bevy of A-listers on the red carpet, including Wintour himself, Elizabeth Hurley and Elton John.
Sir Elton John and Wintour attend The Devil Wears Prada Musical charity gala evening on December 1
Fans of the hit film The Devil Wears Prada have long assumed that Meryl Streep’s fashion editor Miranda Priestly was based on Wintour, who is played in the musical by 61-year-old Vanessa Williams.
But in 2019, co-star Emily Blunt said the Oscar winner didn’t use the Vogue editor as inspiration, telling the NPR podcast, “Meryl didn’t really base it on Anna Wintour.” Well, she told Anna. She based it on two men in Hollywood that she knew – who shall remain nameless, but I know who they are. That’s all.’
The film, which was based on Lauren Weisberger’s book of the same name, is said to be loosely based on the author’s real-life experiences working at a glossy fashion magazine.
The film grossed over £250 million at the box office, earning Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the Glacier fashion magazine editor, with rumors of a sequel in the works.
VOGUE: Inventing the Runway is on view at Lightroom in London until April 2025