Anna Wintour has revealed the secret reason for donning her favourite accessory.
The legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue, 75, who has been at the helm of the publication since 1988, has become recognisable for her sleek chin length bob and dark sunglasses.
Wintour, who inspired the role of Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly in Devil Wears Prada, admitted her glasses aren’t actually a fashion statement but a “prop” she uses when out in public.
Speaking to the BBC, Wintour said: “They help me see and they help me not see. They help me be seen and not be seen. They are a prop, I would say.”
The celebrated editor rarely removes her sunglasses and wore them when she sat next to Queen Elizabeth II at an indoor catwalk in 2018.
Similarily, when being interviewed for the Disney+ documentary series In Vogue: The 90s, she refused to remove her eyewear for filming.
While promoting the new immersive London exhibition: Vogue: Inventing the Runway, Wintour revealed that she doesn’t “really think about” how the public perceive her.
“What I’m really interested in is the creative aspect of my job,” Wintour said, adding that she hopes people are not “scared” of her due to her formidable reputation.
Wintour also addressed another industry rumour: that nobody has ever told her no.
“That is absolutely untrue,” she said. “They often say no, but that’s a good thing. No is a wonderful word.”
Elsewhere at the launch event, Wintour reflected on the evolution of the fashion industry, describing its transformation from “a very small, elitist, private world where nobody was invited to the parties” to one where “everybody is encouraged to come, to see, and to watch it on a live stream”.
Hosted at Lightroom in King’s Cross, the Vogue: Inventing the Runway show aims to show how the fashion show has become the ultimate platform for a designer’s creative vision.
Spanning the 1950s to the present day, the exhibition explores how catwalks have evolved into extraordinary spectacles. It features the work of more than 60 designers, including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Burberry, Prada, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Louis Vuitton.
Wintour has spent 18 months curating the exhibition, which brings together leading voices from the fashion world to celebrate the runway’s role in shaping contemporary culture.
Wintour described working on the exhibition as both “overwhelming” and “remarkable”.
Reflecting on the process, Mark Guiducci, Vogue’s creative editorial director, said: “I’ve probably been to a dozen of the shows featured in this exhibition, but it’s been incredible to research and recreate those I never attended and to imagine what they must have been like.”
Wintour added: “For me, of course, I’ve been to many more shows than Mark, so it’s a deeply nostalgic experience. But it also fills me with pride for the extraordinary creativity within the fashion world.
“I hope audiences will appreciate seeing how the history of the fashion show mirrors cultural shifts and world events in a truly unique way.”
