WINTOUR OF DISCONTENT

Anna Wintour is editor in chief of American Vogue. I've just finished a book called Front Row. An unauthorized look at this enigmatic woman's life. It portrays her as a cold and calculating woman who can charm men and terrorise her staff so much that she's referred as Nuclear Wintour.

Anna had semi fabulous beginnings by being the dughter of the editor of The Evening Standard. Anna was part of swinging sixties London and became a fashion editor at a young age working for magazines like Viva and Savvy. Moving across the pond to America and being associated with rich older playboys only fuelled her ambition and drive to succeed. She had a goal - to be editor in chief of American Vogue and she was going to get it.

It all sounds terribly Dynasty and Melrose Place which makes it all the more delicious! Anna since the sixties has always worn her Louise Brooks bob and has taken to wearing sunglasses for every occasion. Apparently so people can't see her reaction to their designs although supposedly she's almost as blind as a bat! Staff say that they're not allowed to go in the elevator if she's there and she expects a coffee in her hand when she walks to her office.

Anna got to Vogue via various magazines and publications. In the early 80s she was summoned and assumed that she was to take over the suitably glamourously named Grace Mirabella as editor in chief. This was after turning another publication, House and Garden, inside and out with many staff either leaving or being fired in Anna's wake. Anna, however told Mirabella that she wanted her job so was shipped off to Britain and tore up British Vogue. She put the fear of god into staff with wild demands and difficult attitude. She was trying to make British Vogue more like American Vogue and the Brits didn't like it. The British media were their most venomous naming Anna "Nuclear" and saying that at Vogue it was "The Wintour of Discontent"

Not two years after shaking the cobwebs out of British Vogue, Anna with some serious manouevering in the corporate world, ousted Grace Mirabella and took the helm as editor in chief at American Vogue. Since then Anna has ruled the roost and taken Vogue onto bigger success than ever with her tough style, meetings at Vogue take minutes whereas with Mirabella they took hours, Anna has a no nonsense approach and has gone through a plethora of assistants, one even writing a thinly veiled account of her time with Anna in The Devil Wears Prada. Anna has become not only the figure head in Vogue but also in the fashion industry. To be deigned by her presence at a fashion show is a symbol of success and she has her favourites. John Galliano and Stella McCartney are two such designers whereas Alexanfer McQueen didn't give a damn about her opinions so endured her wrath by not appearing so prominently in the hallowed pages of Vogue!

Like I said, Anna's a tough cookie by any stretch but I must say she's also one to be admired. In a very Alexis way, she's carved her own career and made her own decisions and created her own world where she's at the pinnacle of her success. Plenty to be derided but also admired! Anna - I salute you!