50+ Best Anna Wintour Quotes About Style And Success

Writvik Gupta
Dec 12, 2023 By Writvik Gupta
Originally Published on Jan 13, 2021
Edited by Isobel Murphy
Anna Wintour arrives at Tod's fashion show, Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2016
Age: 0-99
Read time: 9.3 Min

The Editor in Chief of American 'Vogue' and the artistic director of Condé Nast, 'Vogue''s Parent company, Anna Wintour knows all there is to know about fashion, no matter what year it is.

Born in London, Anna's father was a journalist, which lead to her life revolving around journalism right from the very beginning. This greatly influenced her choice in pursuing a career in magazines and her later move to the United States.

In New York, she worked as a fashion editor in several places before returning to London to work for British 'Vogue' as an editor in 1986. During these years, the competition was high in the world of fashion. In the year 1988, when American 'Vogue' needed to get back on top of the competition, Anna became the Editor in Chief at American 'Vogue'. With 'Vogue' garnering millions of readers worldwide, Anna's influence was recognized by the industry quickly. She became an important part of the industry as she elevated the careers of several talented fashion designers, supermodels and photographers. She was good at recognizing individuals whose talent would help boost both the magazine and their own image.

With an estimated net worth of 35 million dollars, Anna is one of the wealthiest in the business. Anna Wintour's formidable personality as Editor in Chief of the magazine, and her expectations from her employees have also garnered a reputation in the industry. One former assistant, Lauren Weisberger, authored the best selling book 'The Devil Wears Prada', which was later adapted into a movie with the same name. It is alleged that the character Miranda Priestly from 'The Devil Wears Prada' is based on Anna Wintour!

Let's take a look at Anna Wintour's views that she used to revolutionize the fashion industry, with these carefully compiled Anna Wintour quotes. And once you're done with these, we've got more for you. If you're looking to create your own style, quotes from other designers such as these Alexander McQueen quotes and Christian Dior quotes might inspire you!
 

Anna Wintour Quotes About Style And Fashion

These couture quotes about fashion from Anna Wintour will give you a peek into her vision.

1. "If you can't be better than your competition, just dress better."

-Anna Wintour.

2. "Fashion is not beautiful, neither is it ugly. Why should it be either? Fashion is fashion."

-Anna Wintour.

3. "Fashion goes in only one direction - forward - and I am a firm believer in thinking that way too."

-Anna Wintour.

4. "Fashion's not about looking back. It's always about looking forward."

-Anna Wintour.

5. "I'm interested in seeing just the girl on the street because she is unlike any other. I'm inspired by whatever it is she might be wearing."

-Anna Wintour.

6. "Fashion is a reflection of the time."

-Anna Wintour.

7. "There is something about fashion that can make people really nervous."

-Anna Wintour.

8. "Fashion can tell you everything that's going on in the world with a strong fashion image."

-Anna Wintour.

9. "If you look at any great fashion photograph out of context, it will tell you just as much about what's going on in the world as a headline in the New York Times."

-Anna Wintour.

10. "You either know fashion or you don't."

-Anna Wintour.

Famous Anna Wintour Quotes About Being The Best

clothing rack with floral hawaiian shirts.

These Anna Wintour quotes are quotes that share Anna's expertise about being the best in the industry.

11. "It’s always about timing. If it’s too soon, no one understands. If it’s too late, everyone's forgotten."

-Anna Wintour.

12. "Just dress better. Create your own style, let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others."

-Anna Wintour.

13. "Even if you aren’t sure of yourself, pretend that you are – most people prevaricate."

-Anna Wintour.

14. "Create your own individual style. I’m not interested in the girl who walks into my office in a head-to-toe label look that’s straight off the runway. I’m interested in a girl who puts herself together in an original independent way."

-Anna Wintour.

15. "Everyone should get sacked at least once. It forces you to look at yourself. It is important to have setbacks because that is the reality of life."

-Anna Wintour.

16. "If one comes across sometimes as being cold or brusque, it’s simply because I’m striving for the best."

-Anna Wintour.

17. "Just be true to yourself, and listen as much as one is able to, to other people whose opinions you respect and look up to but in the end, it has to come from you."

-Anna Wintour.

18. "I'm struck these days by how often people come up to me and ask to take a photograph instead of shaking hands, meeting one's eyes, and having an actual conversation."

-Anna Wintour.

19. "People respond well to those that are sure of what they want."

-Anna Wintour.

Anna Wintour Quotes About 'Vogue'

These Anna Wintour quotes show an insight into Anna Wintour's vision of 'Vogue', which has millions of copies in circulation.

20. "'Vogue' is the best of everything that fashion can offer."

-Anna Wintour.

21. "To be in 'Vogue' has to mean something. It's an endorsement. It's a validation."

-Anna Wintour.

22. "I want 'Vogue' to be pacy, sharp... I'm not interested in the super-rich or infinitely leisured. I want our readers to be energetic executive women, with money of their own and a wide range of interests."

-Anna Wintour.

23. "I've been very lucky to put women that I sincerely admire on the cover of 'Vogue': the then First Lady and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and, more recently, First Lady Michelle Obama. Those were benchmarks for the magazine, and certainly covers that I've been very, very proud of."

-Anna Wintour.

24."'Vogue' is a fashion magazine, and a fashion magazine is about change."

-Anna Wintour.

25. "I learned how important it is to lead and be decisive and to, in a way, empower other people to do their best."

-Anna Wintour.

26. "'Vogue' has a history of picking up on various TV shows that reflect a moment in popular culture, whether it's putting Lena Dunham on the cover or Sarah Jessica Parker."

-Anna Wintour.

27. "I think we’re living, in terms of media, in a very democratic age, but I think that we still look at everything through the lens of ‘Vogue’ and through our own point of view."

-Anna Wintour.

28. "I don’t think in today’s world you can go too far. However you may feel about social media or the Internet or selfies, it’s part of how we all live today. ‘Vogue’ needs to understand and reflect that."

-Anna Wintour.

29. "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."

-Anna Wintour.

30. "Some people have the Bible. I have 'Vogue'."

-Anna Wintour.

31. "We have to reflect the world that we live in. It is so important for designers not to run scared, and not to be too worried about what’s safe and what’s commercial."

-Anna Wintour.

Anna Wintour Quotes That Will Inspire You To Make The Move

 

When all is said and done, Anna Wintour is very good at her job. Here are some motivational Anna Wintour quotes to get that job done!

32. "The best way to make a dream come true is to wake up."

-Anna Wintour.

33. "In today's world you have to interact. You can't be some difficult, shy person who is not able to look somebody in the face; you have to present yourself. You have to know how to talk about your vision, your focus and what you believe in."

-Anna Wintour.

34. "I don’t really follow market research. In the end, I respond to my own instincts."

-Anna Wintour.

35. "You can’t really worry too much by looking to the left and the right about what the competition is doing or what other people in your field are doing. It has to be a true vision."

-Anna Wintour.

36. "If you’re an overnight sensation, you can be yesterday’s news in no time. Whereas building something slowly and carefully that has value and quality, that’s what’s going to have legs."

-Anna Wintour.

37. "It's the mishaps that make it fun, and brings you the surprise."

-Anna Wintour.

38. "Go get a job. Whether it’s working as a designer or working in a restaurant and then doing your own thing in your own time, it’s a reality of life. In the end, it’s going to be helpful to you and so many others."

-Anna Wintour.

39. "I think possibly what people working for one hate the most is indecision. Even if I'm completely unsure, I'll pretend I know exactly what I'm talking about and make a decision."

-Anna Wintour.

40. "I'm very good at delegating—people work much better when they have a real sense of responsibility."

-Anna Wintour.

41. "I surround myself with a talented group of people that are opinionated and interesting. I try to remain very open to what others have to say."

-Anna Wintour.

42. "I wasn't academically successful. And maybe I've spent a lot of my career trying to make up for that."

-Anna Wintour.

43. "I'm very driven by what I do. I am certainly very competitive. I like people who represent the best at what they do, and if that turns you into a perfectionist, then maybe I am."

-Anna Wintour.

44. "There is no typical day. Every day is different, and that's why it's fun. Many things are routine—deadlines, certain meetings—but you never really know what's going to happen."

-Anna Wintour.

45. "You just need to have a love for what you're doing. It's not about thinking that it's the cool thing; it's about really believing in it."

-Anna Wintour.

Fashion Quotes About Anna Wintour

Here are a few quotes to show you what makes Anna Wintour the best in her industry.

46. "I like having young assistants in my office; they have energy, and I spend time with them to make sure they understand what we're doing. By investing in them, I'm investing in the magazine."

-Anna Wintour.

47. "Don't run before you can crawl. It's a very hard business, full of many, many extremely creative, talented people who work hard and still fail. If you have the basic building blocks behind you, you're much more likely to do well."

-Anna Wintour.

48. "When I hear a company is being run by a team, my heart sinks, because you need to have that leader with a vision and heart that can move things forward."

-Anna Wintour.

49. "The notion that Anna would want something done "now" and not "shortly" is accurate."

-Anna Wintour.

50. "I look for strong people. I don't like people who'll say yes to everything I might bring up. I want people who can argue and disagree and have a point of view that's reflected in the magazine."

-Anna Wintour.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully curated lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the best Anna Wintour quotes, then also take a look at our You Can Do Anything quotes or You Got This quotes to inspire you?

 

Main image credit: Jan Zahradka / Shutterstock.com

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Written by Writvik Gupta

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Writvik Gupta

A professional content writer hailing from Kolkata, India, with extensive experience in the corporate sector, Writvik Gupta has worked with several reputed companies, including ITC WelcomHotel Jodhpur, Bharti AXA Life Insurance, Aryan Imaging, and Eduquity. He also serves as a consultant for a startup based in Bangalore. With a passion for the outdoors, Writvik enjoys trekking and traveling to remote destinations. He also has a keen interest in exploring various cuisines and regularly volunteers for social causes.

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