Anna Wintour on 60 Minutes
Last night, Anna Wintour was featured on 60 Minutes in a profile by Morley Safer. The Vogue editor-in-chief is famously very private, though recently she has offered the press more access and insight to her work in fashion.
Perhaps it is to support Vogue’s forthcoming documentary, The September Issue, which shows a behind-the-scenes look at how the magazine’s vital fall fashion issue is put together. Or, perhaps, it is due to the fact that print magazines are struggling, and she is willing to provide a more intimate look at her life and the inner workings of the industry to maintain relevancy during this difficult time in media. Either way, last Tuesday night, Anna spoke to Jonathan Tisch at the 92nd Street Y New York Magazine featured highlights from the discussion, including her favorite Vogue cover and the importance of First Lady Michelle Obama. Click here to read their recap in full.
Jonathan Tisch and Anna Wintour
And then, of course, there was the television interview last night. I didn’t feel that it was a particularly enlightening piece, but that’s probably due to my familiarity with the industry and subjects. The interview reinforced the power and remarkable influence Anna wields in a massive global industry. As Karl Lagerfeld noted, it is very difficult to run a successful fashion magazine, and Anna has done a tremendous job for over two decades. Her discipline — noted by longtime Vogue coworkers André Leon Tally and Grace Coddington — is evident, and I truly admire her dedication and pursuit of excellence. I also thought it was nice to see her without her sunglasses and so expressive of her passion for Vogue and the world of fashion.
If you were not able to view the program last night, click here for a full transcript and video playback. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the piece as well…
I've been trying to find out about the Vogue documentary since hearing about it a couple months ago, thanks. Re: the 60 minutes interview, I thought references to TDWs Prada awkward and tacky. Why should she acknowledge a 'fictional' character, based on her or not? I've had male and female bosses with prickly dispositions, so I don't question that so much. Overall I thought she was gracious in response to fairly negative personal questions and Morley's attitude about the industry condescending.
She has a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" type job, and she has run the magazine in a very successful way. Magazine Editors by their very definition have a very powerful job, and she doesn't seem to abuse it, at the same time she doesn't seem to be afraid to use it either. The most egregious case of abuse was John Fairchild's treatment of Pauline Trigère, which was OK for a while, but inexcusable after a year or so, particularly since Pauline's clothes and her sense of fashion were so keenly elegant and very much worth the pages of WWD. Anna doesn't seem to need to do that sort of thing, and when and if someone offends her, she seems to be able to forgive them and allow them back into the pages of Vogue. And as far as those who cozy up to Anna to get into the magazine, there are toadies in every industry, and the fashion industry has always had its share of them. I have railed before about Vogue's inability to be able to relate to most people, but to be honest, I think this is a serious problem with most people who live in ivory towers, whether they be fashion editors, fund managers, periodical writers or whatever. They live in their own world, not necessary la-la-land, but have a very narrow-minded group of friends/acquaintances and therefore input. And now while the world is changing so dramatically, it is very difficult if not impossible to turn on a dime and adapt themselves to change. Still it was grand to see this piece and I will look forward to "The September Issue" when it comes out.
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