Anna Wintour

Demanding but with a keen eye for changing trends, Anna Wintour became one of the most influential figures of the fashion industry of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Born in London, the daughter of a prominent newspaper editor, her interest in fashion originally led to her working in high-end retail stores. She crossed over to the print industry when she began helping with the notorious counterculture publication Oz in the late-'60s. Her mainstream career started in earnest when she joined the staff of Harper's & Queen in 1970, gaining notice for her work with top photographers like Helmut Newton. After clashing with other staff members, she quit the magazine and relocated to New York. However, she struggled to replicate her London success in stops at Harpers Bazaar and Viva. After a brief sabbatical, her career began to take off in earnest when she joined New York magazine in 1981. The elaborate photo shoots that had long been her trademark began gaining acceptance throughout the industry. After a long stated goal of working at Vogue she finally joined the publication in 1983. By 1985 she was in charge of the United Kingdom edition of the magazine. Her controlling and abrasive style earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour" from staffers. Her bosses at publisher Conde Nast tasked her with trying to rescue the failing House & Garden before eventually moving her back to U.S. Vogue. The direction that she took the magazine, focusing on fashion that was relatable to a wider range of women, brought the title back to prominence. Her time at Vogue, while largely successful, wasn't without difficulties. Wintour was accused at various points of having lost touch with her audience and saw a long succession of staffers leave to join other publications. She began taking a more public approach, participating in the documentary "The September Issue" (2007) and making appearances on TV talk shows. Her trademark bob and dark sunglasses became readily recognizable beyond just the fashion industry. Her place in pop culture grew still larger when her former assistant Lauren Weisberger wrote the novel The Devil Wears Prada (2003). The book's protagonist, Miranda Priestly, was a high-powered, demanding, editor at a top fashion magazine, causing speculation that the character was a thinly veiled swipe at Wintour (despite the fact that the Vogue editor is mentioned as a rival of Priestly). She never apologized for her demeanor and demanding nature, and her influence within fashion was undeniable, regularly making or breaking designers with her opinions. Beyond fashion and publishing, Wintour's oversight of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts annual gala led to it becoming one of the best known charity events in the world.