Today Wintour is due to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award from the British Fashion Awards 2014 for 25 years of service to Vogue. Few have ever striven to imitate Anna Wintour's sharp round bob and sunglasses-on-at-all-hours look. However, without being a trendsetter of the Kate Moss ability, nor a designer, nor even stylist, Wintour has imparted more influence on what we have chosen to wear over the last quarter of a century than you might imagine.
Here is how she told you what to throw on this morning, without even moving her lips:
'Virginia, where's the colour?'
Wintour’s retort to American Vogue's Fashion Market/ Accessories Director, Virginia Smith, in this year’s viral video '73 Questions With Anna Wintour', reaffirmed her legendary hatred of black. She will regularly appear on the front row in statement brown crocodile, or an attention-seeking floral shift, at odds with the black-clad French Vogue army. Her phobia of the dark shade is so pertinent that it has been banished from the office and pages of American Vogue. This is, of course, with the exception of creative director Grace Coddington, who has defied her fellow Englishwoman to regularly don all-black, rendering her red hair even more striking. Nonetheless, because of Wintour, all-black days will always be considered a sartorial cop-out.
You can wear Primark jeans with your Prada handbag
For her first cover as editor of American Vogue in November 1988, Wintour approved a Peter Lindbergh shot of model Michaela Bercu wearing an haute couture Christian Lacroix jacket with stone-washed Guess jeans. In one brave move she made it ok to pair high-end with high-street (a godsend for the masses – who can afford head-to-toe designer?). Wintour is now a close friend of Sir Philip Green. Likewise, H&M has nursed up-market ideas through affordable collaborations with designers and as a result this month’s Alexander Wang capsule range was a sell-out.
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When we all wore skater skirts and had messy centre-parted hair circa 2010...
That was because of Anna. As well as editorial duties, Wintour directed the establishment of the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund just after 9/11 with the aim of supporting the next generation of American fashion designers. The fund has helped the likes of Thakoon, Altuzarra and Proenza Schouler. The latter were responsible for the above trend, while Thakoon made us crazy about sheer organza elegance for SS13 and Altuzarra is pioneering checks for SS15. Wintour provides protégées with a level of support that can secure guaranteed success, and will also advise on big-name collections before they are shown at Fashion Week.
Nothing too prim and perfect, please
Contrary to her own pristine appearance, Wintour has often promoted the grungier element of fashion - maybe it’s her British roots. After Marc Jacob’s infamous and poorly-received Perry Ellis SS93 show that resulted in him being fired, the only member of the fashion press who backed the collection was Wintour. She ensured that Jacobs was taken seriously as a designer, and since then he has convinced us to wear Sixties-style baby doll dresses, graffiti print on our handbags and silk pyjamas for daytime. Likewise, Wintour’s endorsement of Alexander McQueen made us acquainted with ‘bumster’ trousers and swathes of tartan. Their punkish, deconstructed approach meant that, to us, looking 'done' was too Sloane Ranger.
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She gets power dressing…
Wintour made no secret of her political endorsement of Barack Obama. She has since enshrined his wife Michelle as the ‘First Lady of Fashion’, and featured her on the cover of Vogue. Mrs Obama’s style of ‘power dressing’ is not too dissimilar from Wintour’s. Both favour bright block colours, flatteringly-cut dresses and sharp tailoring. While Obama wears Thakoon, Narciso Rodriguez and Azzedine Alaia, Wintour opts for Carolina Herrara and Chanel. In positions of power, their adoption of a strong feminine look has proven influential to other women in business and politics. Wintour has recently spoken in favour of Hilary Clinton as the 2016 US presidential candidate, and there are talks of an imminent Vogue cover.
Le sport, c'est chic
She was ahead of the game in terms of the athletic trend that has dominated fashion for the past few seasons. Her widely-documented friendship with tennis star Roger Federer, and endorsement of Serena Williams’ style credentials by Vogue, kick-started her desire to combine fashion and sport. It must have delighted her, then, to find David Beckham placed next to her on the front row at his wife’s New York Fashion Week show. Sporty references continue for SS15 on the catwalk from Tommy Hilfiger and Alexander Wang, a leisurewear collaboration between Topshop and Beyonce, and more trips to Wimbledon for Wintour.
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Floor-length and floral for formal occasions
Wintour has chaired the Met Costume Institute’s annual ball since 1995, and remains in charge of the guest list and theme. It is her way of telling the rich and famous what to wear without speaking. Wintour favours prettily-patterned floor-length gowns for the occasion, so it is understandable she vetoed a raunchy bondage outfit Madonna attempted to wear to this year’s event. As mentioned few have ever desired to imitate Anna’s particular style of dressing, but Kim Kardashian attempted her favourite floral ‘Met’ look while heavily pregnant at 2013’s event. Though we're not Anna approved.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.