28 years.
That’s how long Anna Wintour – or ‘Nuclear Wintour’, as she is called by friends and foe alike – has been at the helm of iconic fashion magazine Vogue.
With a circulation rate of nearly 1.3 million, Vogue sits just outside the top 50 most-read magazines in the United States. That might not sound like a huge achievement, but it is when you realise the figures are about the same as they were when Wintour first took over the publication in 1988.
At a time when major publishers, unable to truly complete in the digital era, are seeing an average decline in sales of 9%, Vogue stands as one of the few magazines left proving that physical media have something unique left to offer.
Undoubtedly, this success belongs entirely to Wintour. So what has she done to create it?
The power of celebrity is nebulous. No matter the medium, a famous face has extraordinary power. Wintour recognised this, but also understood, before any of her peers, why it held power: because of what it stood for.
Strength, influence, passion, intelligence, and grace. These are the characteristics embodied by the women who inhabit the pages of Vogue. They are not the scandal conductors found in Woman’s Day. They are not best friends with the readers of O, eagerly checking in for this week’s book club recommendation. They are the ones the book is about.
They are idols; icons that bridge the glorious days of the long lost superstars who lived their lives outside the public eye, and modern times in which the powerful, independent woman reign. It’s no surprise that the act of digitally enhancing models became mainstream as a result of the image Vogue was putting forward. Though the process has come under heavy scrutiny, for better or worse, it has succeeded in aiding in the portrayal of a model as almost beyond human, even while celebrating them as the embodiment of everything brilliant and feminine.
That Wintour and her team continue to create this vision in the pages of their magazine in an age where celebrities take candid photos of themselves in clothes they were paid four or five-figures to wear demonstrates how well they know their market. Wintour puts this ability down to intuition, but it’s not hard to believe she recognises these traits because she embodies them as well as anyone else.
Of course, it’s not only what, but how that makes Wintour and Vogue stand out. Earlier this year, her six strategies for great leadership were published in Alastair Campbell’s Winners, and How They Succeed:
1. Delegate responsibilities, and stay hands-off.
Though Wintour has admitted that she’s very hands-on when it comes to ensuring everything is right in the lead up to print, she leaves all the work up to that point to her team.
“I’m very good at delegating – people work much better when they have a real sense of responsibility. But at the same time, I don’t like surprises. I don’t pore over every shoot, but I do like to be aware at all times of what’s going on.”
2. Do not reveal insecurities to the team.
Even when she’s completely uncertain, Wintour puts on a confidant air. It’s one of her most revered traits. If something must be done, she will do it, and will figure it out along the way. Revealing her anxiety to the staff will only compound it through the office.
3. See the departure of top talent as an opportunity.
When somebody who has played a substantial role at Vogue leaves, Wintour doesn’t search for someone who can best emulate them, but looks for talented individuals who can bring a fresh eye to a well-honed approach.
4. Don’t dwell on the past.
Before moving to Vogue in the US, Wintour sharpened her skills under Bea Miller at British Vogue before ultimately replacing her.
“She had just closed an issue and I said, ‘How was it?’ and she said, ‘Anna, it is always about the next one.’”
“I have always followed that approach. We never have postmortems. … I don’t need people to tell me if it was a good issue or a bad issue; we know, so we just move forward.”
5. Let failure inspire you.
Wintour only lasted nine months as a junior editor at Harper’s Bazaar in 1975, having been fired and told she had no eye for American fashion.
That might have marked the end of a defining career before it had even begun, if she hadn’t pushed on.
“It didn’t feel it at the time, but it was definitely a good thing for what it taught me. It is important to have setbacks because that is the reality of life.”
6. Trust your instincts.
What else would you expect from someone nicknamed Nuclear Wintour?
It doesn’t matter how good business is; there is never time for uncertainty. You are a leader. Go forward with confidence, be decisive, and the rest will follow.
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For more of Wintour’s ideology, you can watch her Q&A session at the Oxford Union Society below. Clear, succinct, and honest, she proves intimidating, but wholly inspiring, brainy, and beautiful.