The Wall Street Journal just profiled Anna Wintour. Or, more accurately, Anna Wintour’s power. If you’re into it, and you know I am, there are some fascinating anecdotes. I particularly like the one about Renee Zellweger, how Anna “closely managed her image”, which totally explains the hard posing, the back bones jutting, the jaw clenching. I mean, Renee, the girl from Texas, all she’s doing when she’s on a carpet is repeating Anna’s words over and over and over again in her head. It’s heartbreaking.
Anna’s influence is reflected in the quotes provided for the article from so many of her admirers and asskissers. Including Justin Timberlake who usually can’t be bothered to do anything for anyone else unless it benefits him. And Anna is one of the few people he needs to be nice to. Having said that, now that he and Jessica Biel are no longer together, does Anna care about Jessica Biel anymore?
And then there’s the question of the Posh.
You know it’s a long-running theme on my blog that what Victoria Beckham wants most in life, maybe even more than she wanted a daughter, is to make the cover of Us Vogue on her own. Anna, that wonderful bitch, has dangled this prospect in her face for years… never really intending to fulfill the promise, but toying with her hopes, for sport, for amusement, her own and ours too.
Victoria has tried everything. She’s removed her concrete tits. She no longer favours gel nails and a French manicure. She’s eased up on the tanning. She has tried, TRIED so hard…and that’s also why Anna keeps rejecting her – in favour of Blake Lively…twice! – because ultimately the effort, in Anna’s eyes, is dreadfully distasteful, isn’t it?
So when asked by the Wall Street Journal if she’s had any regrets, what do you think Anna answered? And keep in mind that this woman, she doesn’t answer facetiously. She knows whatever she says makes print. She knows her words are very, very carefully analysed by the people in her world, and by those who want in her world.
"I'm not terribly proud of putting the Spice Girls on the cover."
Oh Posh.
Oh poor, poor Posh.
Because that one cutting comment, it was not directed at Mel B or Mel C, it was not about Geri or Emma, it was all about Victoria Beckham. After all, it’s Victoria Beckham who has become the fashion industry player. It’s Victoria Beckham who keeps insisting that she belongs there. And Anna just told the world that she regrets having Victoria as one fifth of her worst cover. Anna just told Victoria that if she ever, ever wants to keep the flame alive about covering the Bible, she best cut every tie she has with the Spice. She did it for sh-ts and giggles, she did it because she knows Victoria would comply.
Well now no wonder Victoria didn’t call up Mel B to congratulate her on her most recent pregnancy.
For Anna Wintour, Victoria Beckham would turn her back on her friends.
Click here to read the entire Wintour piece. It’s worth your time today.
Attached – the infamous Vogue cover, 1998, and Anna Wintour at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.
Photos from Wenn.com