Anna Wintour Biography

NAME: Anna Wintour

OCCUPATION: Editor

BIRTH DATE: November 03, 1949 (Age: 62)

EDUCATION: North London Collegiate School

PLACE OF BIRTH: London, United Kingdom

Magazine editor. Born on November 3, 1949, in London, England, to newspaper editor Charles Wintour and philanthropist Elinor Wintour. Anna Wintour has become an international fashion icon in her role as editor-in-chief of the highly influential Vogue magazine. She is known for her oversized dark glasses, high heels, sharp bob hairstyle, and icy demeanor.

Born into a family with considerable wealth, Wintour demonstrated a tendency to do things her own way at an early age. As a teenager she made the decision to forgo academics, dropping out of her fancy finishing school and opting instead for a life that revolved around the tony London life of the 1960s that she so clearly adored. With her signature hairstyle—she first went to the bob at the age of 15 and has changed it very little since then—Wintour frequented the same London clubs of pop culture's biggest stars, including members of the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

Anna Wintour is the daughter of Charles Wintour, former Editor of the Evening Standard. She started her career in 1970, working in the fashion department at Harpers & Queen in London. Six years later, she joined its sister New York publication Harper's Bazaar as its Fashion Editor. After a stint as Senior Editor at New York magazine, controlling the title's fashion and lifestyle coverage, Wintour was named Creative Director of American Vogue in 1983. British Vogue hired her back as Editor in Chief for two years. In 1988, she rejoined American Vogue as Editor-in-Chief and in that capacity, has helped raise over $10 million for AIDS charities since 1990.

That year was generally difficult, as the economy worsened. After ruffling feathers at Milan's shows in February, the April issue's cover image of LeBron James and Gisele Bündchen brought criticism for its evocation of racial stereotypes. The next month a lavish Karl Lagerfeld gown she wore to the Met's Costume Institute Gala was called "the worst fashion faux pas of 2008."

In 2009, Wintour began making more media appearances. On a 60 Minutes profile, she said she would not retire. "To me this is a really interesting time to be in this position and I think it would be in a way irresponsible not to put my best foot forward and lead us into a different time.