A Rare Interview with Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour

ANNA WINTOUR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VOGUE: He was a figure larger than life, reaching way beyond the confines of our industry. I mean, he was a true — it’s an overused phrase, but he was a true Renaissance man. He spoke all those languages, and it was very moving to be in Europe after we lost him and to have so many people come up to one in the street, not from our world, just to say what a great loss it was for the world. But because we — and we need figures like that. We need these people that inspire us way beyond what you might see on the runway. So, I think it is a point of reflection, but the idea that fashion is not disposable. That it is something that you can invest in, that you could have memories that you can keep that is lasting.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: I guess I have to jump to the disposable issue that you’ve just mentioned because there a criticism right now today in our times of environmental existential crisis that fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world.

WINTOUR: Yes.

AMANPOUR: And that people are buying massively more than they did 15 years ago, but using them massively less.

WINTOUR: Yes.

AMANPOUR: Sort of disposable fashion. I know that’s not what you do, but nonetheless —

WINTOUR: Right.

AMANPOUR: Stella McCartney and others are very, very conscious about trying to reduce the amount of leather, plastic, fur, all of that.

WINTOUR: Well, I think it’s something that everybody in the industry, certainly all the people that I’m talking to are very aware of, very conscious of. I had a CEO of a huge European company in my office just yesterday to discuss all that. Everybody is making a five-year plan. Everybody is concerned about the climate crisis and what should be done to help. And, obviously, we’re very aware as other industries are that we have been at fault and what can we do in the relatively short amount of time we have to course correct.

AMANPOUR: So, it’s an urgency for you?

WINTOUR: It’s an urgency for everybody within the industry. I feel very confident in saying that. And there are organizations like Fair Fashion and many at the U.N. that are working with everybody across the globe to see what we can all do to correct it.

AMANPOUR: What’s your view on fur these days, because you did popularize it again?

WINTOUR: You know, I think that fake fur is, obviously, more of a polluter than real fur. I think a lot of people are discussing the idea of upcycling and what you can do with fabrics, fur, things that have already been used. This is a word we’re hearing over and over again. So, I think it’s up to the houses that work with fur to make sure that they are following best practices, that they are being ethical in their treatment. And we will make sure, from our end, that we’re doing exactly the same thing.