It's fair to say that, if not the warmest lady in fashion, Anna Wintour is certainly the most powerful. This week's WSJ profile offered a rare glimpse of the "impresario" American Vogue editor explores her tremendous, at times even shocking influence not only on fashion, but on economics and politics.
Take, for example, the day that Wintour strode into Mayor Bloomberg's office with an idea for an all-night fashion party in 2009. Bloomberg told WSJ he immediately OK-ed the idea because "even a guy like me, who can barely match my tie to my shirt, knows that fashion means dollars to New York City. Besides ... she's not a person you want to say no to."
Indeed, the article makes it sound as though anything Anna says, goes. Fortunately, whatever bee is in her bonnet usually ends up generating major dollar signs. "Maybe you can't really put a figure on Wintour's economic impact," Macy's chairman Terry Lundgren told WSJ, "but it's a very big number." In addition to increasing foot traffic throughout NYC stores, Lundgren credits Fashion's Night out for doubling Macy's total sales revenue the following weekend.
It's clear Anna is aware of her branding and influence in the world, especially now that there are so many other fashion outlets. As she explained to WSJ:
With all the new media outlets out there, with all the noise, a voice of authority and calm like Vogue becomes more important than ever. The more eyes on fashion, the more opinions about fashion, the more exploration of fashion around the world, the better it is for Vogue. Vogue is like Nike or Coca-Cola—this huge global brand. I want to enhance it, I want to protect it, and I want it to be part of the conversation.
