Front Row (43 page)

A
t
Vogue
, Anna had the best people working for her, the prize photographers, among them the incomparable Helmut Newton, whose erotically charged, compelling, and glamorous fashion shots had long been an asset of the magazine. He was thought of as the creator of “porno chic.”

At eighty-three, Newton was still under contract and had been faxing ideas to Anna in 2003 from his home in Monte Carlo for a layout he planned to do for her in Los Angeles.

The two had a close working relationship, dating back to the late seventies when Anna was fashion editor at
Viva
.

“Over the years, we had our moments. Anna and I had
many
moments,” says Newton, recalling how “tough and demanding and stubborn Anna can be. But she always knew what she was doing. She knew when to listen. It wasn’t just charm that got her where she is today.

“We were at odds many, many times about her choice of my pictures. She could be very tough, but I’ve always respected Anna.
Vogues
her magazine, and she knows so much about the job. Mostly she does me very proud. No one can top her. She’ll be in charge of deciding what’s in and out of fashion long after I’m gone.”

Not long after Newton, who earned the sobriquet “King of Kink” because of his sexy portraits, arrived in the City of Angels, tragedy struck. As he was driving out of the garage of the Chateau Marmont hotel on Sunset Boulevard on January 23, 2004, he suffered an apparent heart attack, lost control, and crashed into a wall. He died in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His wife and muse, June, also a photographer, shot pictures of her fatally injured husband of many years. On June 2 his ashes were laid to rest in Berlin, his birthplace.

In July, Anna was among the world’s most famous fashionistas who paid homage to the great man at a memorial service held in the splendorous and baroque Theatre du Palais Royale, in Paris. Wearing a black-and-white Carolina Herrera dress, Anna spoke eloquently of her years working with Newton. “Plenty of shocking things happen at
Vogue
, but there has never been anyone so consistently scandalous as Helmut,” she confided. She called him a “visionary photographer” who possessed the magic touch to turn the most boring shoot into an erotic happening. The photos he turned in to her, she said, had left her over the years “aghast, awestruck and always amazed.”

Then she surprised the gathering that included Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney, and Anna’s daughter, Bee, who wore one of her mother’s black Prada dresses—she served as an usher at the service—by disclosing her one regret in an otherwise glamorous and very successful
life. She revealed that as a young fashion editor at
Harpers & Queen
, Helmut Newton had offered to photograph her, but the shoot had never come off.

Declared Anna: “I would have loved to have been one of Helmut’s women. I can’t think of a greater compliment than to have been deemed worthy of Helmut’s lens.”

The sadness of the event for Anna, though, gave way to a feeling of elation because of wonderful news from America.

Si Newhouse informed her that the September 2004 issue would be the largest
Vogue
ever, and the biggest monthly magazine in publishing history—a whopping 832 pages. It was clear that as Anna Wintour headed toward a quarter-century as editor in chief, she had truly turned
Vogue
into the most important and successful fashion arbiter and glamour page-turner in the world.

Bachrach, Judy. Tina and Harry Come to America. New York: Free Press, 2001.

Bradshaw, Jon. Fast Company. London: High Stakes Publishing, 2003.

Chisholm, Anne, and Michael Davie. Lord Beaverbrook. New York: Knopf, 1993.

Felsenthal, Carol. Citizen Newhouse. New York: Seven Stories Press, 1998.

Gross, Michael. Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.

Hackett, Pat, ed. The Andy Warhol Diaries. New York: Warner Books, 1989.

Haden-Guest, Anthony. The Last Party. New York: William Morrow, 1997.

Kazanjian, Dodie, and Calvin Tomkins. Alex: The Life of Alexander Liberman. New York: Knopf, 1993.

Levy, Shawn. Ready, Steady, Go! New York: Doubleday, 2002.

Mirabella, Grace. In and Out of Vogue: A Memoir. New York: Doubleday, 1995.

Neville, Richard. Hippie Hippie Shake. London: Bloomsbury, 1995.

Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. A Life in the Twentieth Century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

Tilberis, Liz. No Time to Die. Boston: Little, Brown, 1998.

Vreeland, Diana, D.V. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.

Wintour, Charles. Pressures on the Press. London: Andre Deutsch, 1972.

Young, Toby. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. New York: Da Capo, 2002.

Since
Front Row
is the first biography of Anna Wintour, I was faced with the enormous task of tracking down scores of knowledgeable, creditable sources—her schoolmates, friends, family members, colleagues, employees, lovers—because little was known about Anna’s pre-
Vogue
life, private and professional.

Her years growing up in England, her schooling there, her first jobs in London and New York, and the Wintour family’s tragedies, triumphs, and scandals were essentially unknown to the public and the media, especially in America.

It wasn’t until the mideighties—a decade after Anna settled in Manhattan—that she became a subject of major news media attention and scrutiny with her appointment as creative director of
Vogue
, her first step toward being named editor in chief. News accounts beginning in that period, therefore, also were valuable sources, along with the author’s first-person interviews, in the telling of Anna’s story.

With all of that in mind, I would like to point out that all source quotes—people interviewed by me or my researchers—are written in the present tense (“she observes,” “he notes,” “they say”), and quotes from all other sources—newspaper and magazine articles both foreign and domestic, and books—are written in the past tense (“he said,” “it was stated”). As I pointed out in my acknowledgments, Anna Wintour declined to cooperate with me. Therefore the quotes attributed to her throughout this book come from my sources, from news stories, or from published interviews, and those quotes are in the past tense (“Anna declared,” “Anna said”).

Along with my many on-the-record interviews, two books contain valuable material and intimate details about Anna’s relatively brief editorship of British
Vogue
and her beginnings at American
Vogue
. They are Grace Mirabella’s memoir,
In and Out of Vogue
, and Liz Tilberis’s autobiography,
No Time to Die
. Quotes and thoughts attributed to them by me are from their
books and from press interviews Tilberis and Mirabella gave. Tilberis had died by the time I began researching this book, and Mirabella pointed me to her own tell-all, diplomatically emphasizing that she had “no more to say on the subject of Anna Wintour.”

As I have noted, reports in a number of newspapers and magazines about Anna’s life and career, mostly from her
Vogue
years forward, were valuable resources. Among them are, in London, the
Guardian, The Times, The Sunday Times
, the
Daily Mail, The Mail On Sunday, The Evening Standard, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Observer, Private Eye, Harpers & Queen, Tatler
, and
Time and Tide
. In the United States, the publications included
The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal
the
New York Post
, the New York
Daily News, The New York Observer, The Houston Post, The Washington Post
, the
Los Angeles Times, Women’s Wear Daily, New York
magazine,
Time
magazine,
Texas Monthly, Talk, Spy, Savvy, Viva
, and
Vogue
. A number of Web sites were also informative, among them , BFI.Org.UK,
Lookonline.com
(Daily Fashion Report),
Photography.About.com
,
Totallycool.net
,
Fashion-weekdaily.com
,
Sixtiespop.com
, and
Hintmag.com
.

Note: “AW” stands for “Anna Wintour.”

Abbey Road Studios,
21

Ad Lib (club),
37

Adolfo,
331

Adriano’s (restaurant),
249

Adweek
(magazine),
209

Agnew, Patti Gilkyson,
5
,
54
,
312
,
323–24

AIDS,
222

Aitken, Max (Lord Beaverbrook),
6–10
,
32
,
97

Alaia, Azzedine,
331

Alexander, Hilary,
327

Alexander’s (store),
142

Allen, Woody,
39
,
101

Allure
(magazine),
204
,
299–301
,
302
,
316
,
324

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,
325

Amis, Martin,
53
,
142

Anderson, Dame Kitty,
48

Annabel’s (club),
37
,
82

Arbus, Diane,
325

Architectural Digest
(magazine),
269
,
272
,
287

Armani, Giorgio,
333

Armstrong-Jones, Antony (Lord Snowdon),
52

Astley, Amy,
351

Astor, Brooke,
267

Auden, W. H.,
13
,
47

Austin, Stephen F.,
337

Australia,
59

Australian Women’s Weekly
,
133

Avedon, Richard,
67
,
89
,
102

Bachrach, Judith,
352–53

backgammon,
83

Bagley, Mark,
356

Bahrenburg, D. Claeys,
305

Bailey, David,
89
,
258

Baker, Anna Gilkyson,
2
,
78–79

Baker, Ralph Jackson,
2
,
78–79

Baker family,
2
,
55

Bancroft, Anne,
127

Bantry, Brian,
192

Barkin, Ellen,
221

Baron, Fabien,
304

Baron, Fred,
337

Baryshnikov, Mikhail,
127

Bass, Ann,
335

Bass, Curt,
199

Bass, Serena Shaffer,
199–200

Basso, Dennis,
331

Baumgold, Julie,
186
,
206
,
318

Bayou Club, Houston, Texas,
354

Beatles, the,
20–21
,
38
,
238

Beaverbrook, Lord (Max Aitken),
6–8
,
9–10
,
32
,
97

Beck, Paul,
311

Beckinsale, Kate,
318

Beene, Geoffrey,
309
,
331
,
333

Beer, Claude,
91–93
,
155
,
168

Bendel’s (store),
112
,
198

Bennett, Alan,
163
,
170

Bennett, Tony,
55

Benson, Dianne,
167
,
198
,
199
,
200
,
225

Benson, Irving,
200

Bercu, Michaela,
287–88

Berg, A. Scott,
247
,
248–51

Bergdorf Blondes, The
,
327

Bergen, Candice,
23

Berk, Lotte,
107

Biba (boutique),
37
,
42–44

Black, Cilla,
43

Blackburn, Robin,
53

Blackwell, Chris,
106–7
,
153

Blair, Tony,
238

Blanche, Andrea,
182–83
,
211–13
,
230
,
244–45

Blass, Bill,
101
,
309
,
331
,
332

Bloch, Peter,
116–17
,
124
,
125
,
149

Bloomingdale’s (store),
310
,
330

Blow, Isabella,
157
,
226–28

Bobroff Stephen,
56–58
,
64
,
72

Boman, Eric,
81–82
,
200

Boone, Mary,
187

Boosey, Georgina,
239
,
241

Booth, Pat,
72

Boston, Massachusetts,
4

Bosworth, Patricia,
117
,
325–26

Bowes-Lyon, John,
267

Bowles, Hamish,
328

Bradshaw, Jimmy,
249
,
260

Bradshaw, Jon,
83–95
,
97
,
99
,
100
,
105–6
,
114
,
116
,
118
,
119
,
132–34
,
139–41
,
156
,
158–59
,
167
,
171
,
201–2
,
247–52
,
336
,
346
,
347

AWs reliance on, after breakup,
201–2

decline, death and funeral of,
247–52

Bradshaw, Shannon,
249
,
250

Breslin, Jimmy,
176

Brinkley, Christie,
221

“Briterati,”
12

Brodovitch, Alexei,
104

“Brogue,”
236

Bronze Star,
5

Brooks, Joe,
124–25

Brooks, Louise,
19

Broughton, Lady Diana,
226

Broughton, Jock Delves,
226

Brown, Bobby,
348

Brown, George Hambley,
293

Brown, Tina,
204–5
,
269
,
270
,
293–96
,
301
,
305
,
308
,
316
,
324
,
352–53

Browne, Leslie,
127

Brush, Stephanie,
121
,
123
,
126
,
131
,
135
,
142

Bryan, Alexis,
339

Bryan, Ashley,
339

Bryan, James Alexander,
340

Bryan, James Perry “J.P.,”
337

Bryan, James Perry “J.P.,” Jr.,
337
,
354
,
356

Bryan, John Austin,
340

Bryan, Katherine Gurley,
335
,
340
,
345–46
,
349–50

Bryan, (John)Shelby,
91
,
286
,
335–42
,
345–46
,
348
,
349–50
,
352–57

Buchsbaum, Alan,
221–22

Buck, Joan Juliet,
68–69
,
212

Bullock, Sandra,
322

Burnett, Carol,
54

Bush, George H. W.,
270
,
322

Bush, George W.,
354

Bushnell, Candace,
321

Byblos,
289

Cahan, Dr. William,
276–77

Caligula
(film),
138

Callan, Paul,
7–8
,
37
,
40–41
,
52
,
349

Cambridge University,
2
,
47
,
52

Campbell, Jeremy,
76–77

C&C Music factory,
310

Cantwell, Mary,
325

Caprice (restaurant, London),
17

Carrara, André,
130

Carson, Carol Devine,
163
,
170

Carter, Ernestine,
66

Carter, Graydon,
353

Case, Margaret,
280

Cash, Johnny,
55

celebrities, on
Vogue
covers,
321–22

Central Intelligence Agency,
13

Cerne Abbas,
3–4

Chan, Charlie (haircutter),
238

Chanel,
156
,
207
,
310
,
329
,
331
,
333

Chanel, Coco,
316

Charles, Prince of Wales,
13
,
238
,
295

Chatelaine, Alex,
71

Chelsea Hotel (New York),
197
,
198
,
200

Chelsea Piers (New York),
343

Cher,
23

Chic Happens (Web site),
340
,
354

Chow, Michael,
233
,
237
,
267
,
270

Chow, Tina,
169
,
233

Christiaan (hairdresser),
272

Christie, Julie,
38
,
43

Churchill, Winston,
4
,
241

Clair, Bernard,
349

Claridge’s (hotel),
304

Clarke, Julie,
133
,
143

Cleave, Maureen,
19–21
,
22
,
61

Clement, Dick,
250

Clemente, Francesco,
204

Clermont (club),
82

Clift, Montgomery,
325

Clinton, Bill,
284
,
286
,
322–24
,
335
,
350

Clinton, Hillary,
45
,
319
,
322–24

CM Ranch,
310–13

Coddington, Grace,
237
,
239
,
241
,
257–60
,
287
,
304
,
315

Cohn, Nik,
84
,
116
,
140

Colacello, Bob,
172

Collins, Judy,
325

Condé Nast,
29
,
35
,
89
,
173
,
204
,
207
,
213
,
216–17
,
225
,
230–31
,
244
,
262
,
263
,
265–69
,
272
,
273
,
275–83
,
293–96
,
298–99
,
301–6
,
311
,
330
,
332
,
351
,
352

Condé Nast Tower, New York City,
357

Conran, Shirley,
98

Conran, Sir Terence,
30
,
98

Cooper, Amy Gross,
298
,
301

Cooper, Art,
298

Cosmopolitan
(magazine),
117

Costume Institute Gala (New York),
333
,
348

Crawford, Cindy,
321–22

Criner, Susan,
355
,
356

Cristina,
152
,
155–57

Cristophe (hairstylist),
323

Croix de Guerre,
5

Cronkite, Walter,
286

Crow, Elizabeth,
302

Crum, Bartley,
325

Cunningham, Bill,
96
,
310

Cunningham, Merce,
127

Curran, Elen,
48

Daily Express
(newspaper, London),
36
,
39
,
40
,
116
,
306

Daily Express
(newspaper, Manchester),
9

Daily Mail
(newspaper, London),
21
,
39
,
40–41
,
91
,
99
,
230
,
250
,
262

Daily News
(newspaper, New York),
350

Daily Racing Form
(newspaper),
292

Daily Republican, The
(newspaper,

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania),
2

Daily Telegraph, The
(newspaper, London),
174
,
239
,
327
,
342
,
353–54

Daisy Chain,
152

Daly, Barbara,
80

Danes, Claire,
322

Daniel, Alice,
160

Daniels, Judith,
158–63
,
168
,
169–71

Da Silvano (restaurant),
175–76

David, Elizabeth,
198

Davis, Lorraine,
286

de Bendern, Emma,
40

de la Renta, Oscar,
89
,
101
,
267
,
309
,
323
,
329
,
350

Della Femina, Jerry,
270

Demarchelier, Patrick,
130
,
304
,
307

Democratic Party,
335
,
353

Dempster, Nigel,
36–41
,
59
,
81
,
84
,
85–87
,
91–92
,
99
,
116
,
195
,
230
,
249
,
250
,
294

Devil Wears Prada, The
(by Lauren Weisberger),
326-28

Diamond, Edwin,
305–6

Diana, Princess of Wales,
17
,
295–96

Dianne B. (boutique),
121
,
167
,
184
,
191

Dingemann, Joanna,
44

Dior, Christian,
331

Dobell, Bryon,
132–33
,
134
,
171

Dobson, Miss,
15

Dolly’s (club),
38

Donovan, Carrie,
101
,
108
,
109–10
,
209
,
297

Doonan, Simon,
298

Doppelt, Gabe,
235
,
241
,
267
,
286
,
298
,
301–2
,
311
,
314
,
326