Amy Odell always knew she wanted to work in journalism. As a fashion and culture reporter, she has left her mark on countless publications, most notably New York Magazine's The Cut. But she got called to interview for a role at Vogue magazine during her time there. After an unsuccessful interview with the formidable Anna Wintour, she did not get the job. The truth was she probably wasn't right for it as fashion was still an industry she was trying to understand. But if someone would have told her then that she would end up writing ANNA: The Biography, the most comprehensive account of the life and reign of Anna Wintour years later, she would not have believed them.
Because of my fashion background and experience with Anna, this episode turned into a very candid discussion covering the complexities of what it is like to work with Anna, who benefits from her loyalty, and who gets left in the dust when she decides that you're radioactive. Amy and I go deep into Anna's complicated and often controversial decisions, including the defense of the antisemitic John Galliano and Georgina Chapman during the height of the Harvey Weinstein #MeToo movement. Whatever you think you know about Anna Wintour, this book and episode will shed a different light on someone who has seized and held power for over 34 years and shows no signs of being dethroned any time soon.