Anna Wintour quotes: Vogue editor-in-chief sounds off.
“The best way to make dream come true is to wake up.”
“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.”
“One should look forward rather than backwards.”
“Those who want things always to stay the same are not living in the real world.”
“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.”
“People respond well to those that are sure of what they want.”
“Even if I’m completely unsure, I’ll pretend I know exactly what I’m talking about and make a decision. The most important thing I can do is try and make myself very clearly understood.”
“If one comes across sometimes as being cold or brusque, it’s simply because I’m striving for the best. I think I’m decisive, and I like to get things done quickly. So if that comes across as intimidation, I’m sorry to hear it. But it’s more in the interest of getting things done.”
“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.”
“I’m much more of a believer in finding a great team of people and trusting them to follow their instincts. They work better when they feel they have freedom and they are trusted.”
“Certainly we have made mistakes, but you try and learn from your mistakes. And the most important thing is always to move forward and, I think, empower people to do their best, and to lead. I think people respect that and work better under those circumstances.”
“Everyone should be sacked at least once in their career because perfection doesn’t exist. It’s important to have setbacks, because that is the reality of life.”
“It’s very important to take risks. I think that research is very important, but in the end you have to work from your instinct and feeling and take those risks and be fearless.”
“It’s the mishaps that make it fun, and brings you the surprise.”
“In the end I do respond to my own instincts. Sometimes they’re successful, and obviously sometimes they’re not. But you have to, I think, remain true to what you believe in.”
“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. 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.”
“Create your own style. Let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”
“You have to dress for yourself. It’s the same for any job that you might be going for. I think it doesn’t do yourself a service to fake it. Your wardrobe is not going to be doing the job for you – it’s who you are.”
“I’m very driven by what I do. I am certainly very competitive. I like people who represent the best at what they do. If that turns you into a perfectionist then maybe I am.”
“The notion that Anna would want something done ‘now’ and not ‘shortly’ is accurate.”
“The ‘Trump Card’ is appealing, grounded, smart and has a sense of humor. Ivanka Trump proves that believing in yourself and working hard never go out of style.”
“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.”
“Imperfection is fine.”
“Even if you aren’t sure of yourself, pretend that you are… most people prevaricate.”
“If you can’t be better than your competition, just dress better.”
“We all have a role to play in creating safe environments where everyone can be free to work without fear.”
“I think it’s very important for children to understand that women work and that it’s fulfilling, and it doesn’t mean that they love you any less or care about you any less.”
“It’s always about timing. If it’s too soon, no one understands. If it’s too late, everyone’s forgotten.”
“For us, creativity means thinking about the lives of our audience and how to connect with them.”
“I hear the same anxieties over and over again. Everything is too fast; everything is too precarious. We have more access than ever to the people we are trying to reach, thanks to social media and mobile technology, and more information than we know what to do with.”
“It would be ridiculous to ignore the speed and possibilities of the digital landscape. You absolutely need to have fast-moving news online, but if you want to build a large audience over time, you absolutely have to take a risk on the big challenging stuff.”
“It is true that a lot of people are easily distracted online. As a result, too many of us have given up on digital audiences for ambitious work, and this is a mistake.”
“I don’t believe in wasting anybody’s time. I like to be honest. I like to be clear.”
“To be in Vogue has to mean something. It’s an endorsement. It’s a validation.”
“Learning how to be editor-in-chief of Vogue wasn’t something that happened overnight.”
“My father was a newspaper editor, so I was surrounded by journalists my entire life. I think the fact that he was so well known may be why I chose to go into magazines and move to the States at a young age.”
“I wasn’t academically successful. And maybe I’ve spent a lot of my career trying to make up for that.”
“My career got off to a very shaky start when I dropped out of school at the age of 18. Despite my lack of academic credentials, I got a job as a fashion assistant at Harper’s & Queen.”
“I worked for Harper’s Bazaar. They fired me. I recommend that you all get fired; it’s a great learning experience.”
“I want Vogue to be pacy, sharp and sexy – 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. There is a new kind of woman out there. She’s interested in business and money.”
“There’s a new kind of woman out there. She doesn’t have time to shop anymore. She wants to know what and why and where and how.”
“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.”
“Fashion’s not about looking back. It’s always about looking forward. Fashion goes in only one direction – forward – and I am a firm believer in thinking that way too. Fashion is a reflection of our times. Fashion can tell you everything that’s going on in the world with a strong fashion image.”
“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.”
“There’s some caveats that are not clearly defined, however, such as the warning that ‘casual dress is not appropriate every day and for every interaction’ and that it’s up to the employees to ‘exercise good judgment in this regard,’ assuming that ‘all of us know what is and is not appropriate for the workplace.’ It suggests dressing in a manner that is ‘consistent with your clients’ expectations.'”
“I don’t really follow market research. In the end, I respond to my own instincts.”
“Vogue is like Nike or Coca-Cola – this huge, global brand. I want to enhance it, I want to protect it, and I want it to be part of the conversation.”
“It’s possible in today’s world to be instantly famous, whether it’s through Instagram or whatever platform it may be, but it’s a very different matter to be successful financially and in the long-term.”
“To be famous these days with no grounding and no substance is not especially difficult. I urge you instead to seek to be relevant, to be agile and educated.”
“I have such an extraordinary platform where I am able to help people. To me, that’s the number one priority, getting things done.”
“Some people have the Bible. I have Vogue.”
