We’ve been keeping a close eye on the top fashion editors and writers. Year after year, these people who bring their greatest influence upon fashion industry around the world decide the fate of fashion. Now it is time to take a look at those who can make or break a designer.
Whether you’re a fashion lover or not, you might not notice it but their choices influence your wardrobe decisions. Some of them might have the aesthetically appealing and easy on the eye looks and others might appear a bit fearsome to some of you but nevertheless their powers remain strong and alive.
Anna Dello Russo
In Balenciaga and Saint Laurent. Photo: Phil Oh
Always full-on and looking glamorous whether she’s wearing peculiar headpieces, flouncy skirts or feathery dresses. Anna Dello Russo, the eccentric Italian Fashion Editor at Large for Vogue Nippon once described as a “fashion maniac” by Helmut Newton, and quoted as saying she wears up to 90 different outfits for fashion week. She is one of the most dedicated front-row fashionistas. Known for her only-wear-it-once-policy and decadent yet chic outfits, Dello Russo confidently professes that sometimes she looked like a clown. And through the lens of Scott Schuman she encourages people to become bolder with fashion.
Suzy Menkes
Her story with fashion began when she first fell in love with Paris during her gap year as a teenager where she studied dressmaking. A holder of a BA from Cambridge University, Suzy Menkes, the International Herald Tribune’s fashion editor, has been a fashion journalist ever since she graduated. Back then, Menkes who didn’t have a signature look realized that an identifying mark that makes you stand out is a must and part of her job, her statement became her rolled-up hair to this day for over 20 years. Her reputation for powerful reporting was recognized from the Queen of England and she was named an officer of the British Empire for her journalism work. She also holds the Legion D’Honneur from the French President for her services in fashion.
Anna Wintour
Photo: Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic
As the Editor in Chief at Vogue USA magazine for more than two decades Anna Wintour is probably one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry. She made major contributions to the fashion world, promoting low-end fashion by mixing them with high-end fashion items in photo shoots and making celebrities appear on magazine covers instead of models. She can decide the fate of a designer the way one decides what to wear in the morning. She is the one behind the ascension of today’s many top designers such as Marc Jacobs, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. She bob-lu-tionized the famous pageboy bob making it one of the greatest trends of all time. Her perfectly coiffed bob, dark shades and a knee-length skirt define her incredibly chic style.
Carine Roitfeld
Carine Roitfeld Photo: Courtesy of Bjorn Iooss
Carine Roitfeld has been the Editor in Chief at French Vogue for 10 years. With her avante-garde approach to fashion, she has grabbed the attention of many designer houses like YSL and Gucci. During her reign, her style ruled the pages of Vogue Paris and through the contents and photo shoots of the magazine, her exerted influence can be felt. In a sexy French way, she wears dark clothes focusing on eye-catching details and always covers part of her face with her fashionable gas mask – her hair. She is never seen with a handbag.
Anna Piaggi
The epitome of flamboyance, Anna Piaggi, an Italian fashion writer, is one of the live legends in the field of fashion. She loves colorful garments and has a penchant for hats. Her friend, Monolo Blanhik once described her as “modern beyond belief.”In 1998, Thames & Hudson published a book celebrating 10 years of Anna Piaggi’s diversified page on Vogue Italy – the doppie pagine or simply DP. She is as innovative in her style of writing as she is in her choice of clothes and to this day, she has produced more than 6,500 pages of editorial. With her curled blue-hair, perfectly ringed-eyes and shiny red lips, Anna Piagg, even in her early eighties always looks ageless, fearless and energetic.
Diane Pernet
Photo: Laurent Champoussin
By never changing her outfit and being involved in an industry where looks change every season, Diane Pernet, the lady in black, proves that not all clichés are a bad challenge. She is a former designer and fashion journalist. Her famous blog (ASVOF) has over 3000 visitors a day. She currently started her new project, ASVOFF – a shaded view on fashion film, the first film festival focusing on fashion. By never talking about what she doesn’t like Diane has a very different and intriguing critiquing style. She is also devoted to her cause by advocating for talented unknowns. Through her blog you’ll find a lot of designers and art figures you’ve never heard of.
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