Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley at one of many, many shows....
Anna Wintour OBE (born November 3, 1949) is a British-American fashion editor and the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a position she has held since 1988. She became interested in fashion as a teenager. Her father, Charles, editor of the Evening Standard, often consulted with her on how to make the newspaper's coverage relevant to the youth of mid-1960s London. After dropping out of school at 16, she began a career in fashion journalism. Her career took her across the Atlantic, with notable stints at New York and House & Garden. She returned home for a tumultuous year to turn around British Vogue, and later assumed control of the franchise's magazine in New York. She revived a stagnant publication, a success that has earned her wide acclaim in the industry.
Like one of her predecessors, Diana Vreeland, she has become a fashion icon. Her pageboy bob haircut and trademark sunglasses have become a common sight in the front row of the most exclusive fashion shows. Away from the cameras, she has become as much an institution in the fashion world as her magazine. Universally hailed for her keen eye for fashion trends and support for younger designers, her aloof and demanding persona has earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour." A former personal assistant, Lauren Weisberger, wrote the 2003 bestselling roman à clef The Devil Wears Prada, later made into a successful film starring Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, a fashion editor widely believed to be based on Wintour. She has also drawn both praise and criticism for her willingness to use the magazine and its cachet to shape the industry as a whole. Animal rights activists have also singled her out for her continued promotion of fur.
André Leon Talley (born October 16, 1949) is the American editor-at-large for Vogue magazine and has been a front-row regular at fashion shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan for more than 25 years.He uses his influence to promote dozens of young fashion designers. He mentors young talent in other fields as well. His most famous pairings of late have been with designers Tracy Reese, Rachel Roy, and singer/actress Jennifer Hudson. He is known as a very close friend of pop diva Mariah Carey and Tennis star Venus Williams. In 2007, he was ranked 45th in Out Magazine's "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America". He also worked with young fashion designers such as John Saldivar.
Talley also has an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Savannah College of Art and Design, where he also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees.
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