Front Row: Anna Wintour: The Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue's Editor in Chief

by Jerry Oppenheimer

From the New York Times bestselling author of Just Martha The Unauthorized Biography comes a scrupulously researched investigative biography that tells the inside story of Anna Wintour's incredible rise to powerFrom her exclusive perch front row center, glamorous Vogue magazine editor in chief Anna Wintour is the most powerful and influential style-maker in the world. Behind her trademark sunglasses and under the fringe of her Louise Brooks bob she determines whether miniskirts are in or out, whether or not it's politically correct to wear fur. She influences designers, wholesalers, and retailers globally from Seventh Avenue to the elegant fashionista enclaves of L'Avenue Montaigne and Via della Spiga. In the U.S. alone a more than $200 billion fashion industry can rise or fall on Anna Wintour's call. And every month millions of women-and men-read Vogue, and are influenced by the pages of the chic and trendy style wish-book that she has controlled with an iron hand in a not-always-so-velvet glove since fighting her way to the most prestigious job in fashion journalism.Anna Wintour's fashion influence extends to celebrities and because of it, Hillary Clinton underwent a drastic makeover and became the first First Lady to strike a pose on the cover of Vogue in the midst of Monicagate; Oprah Winfrey was forced to go on a strict diet before Wintour would put her on Vogue's cover. And beauties like Rene Zellweger and Nicole Kidman follow Anna Wintour's fashionista rules to the letter.Now in her mid-fifties, as she nears her remarkable second decade at the helm of Vogue, comes this revealing biography that will shock and surprise both Anna's fans and detractors alike. Based on scores of interviews, Front Row unveils the Anna Wintour even those closest to her don't know. Oppenheimer chronicles this insecure and creative powerhouse's climb to the top of the bitchy, competitive fashion magazine world, showing up close, as never before exposed, how she artfully crafted and reinvented herself along the way.She's been called many things-"Nuclear Wintour," by the British press, "cold suspicious and autocratic, a vision in skinniness," by Grace Mirabella, the editor she dethroned at Vogue, and the "Devil" by those who believe she's the inspiration for a recent bestselling novel written by a former assistant.Included among the startling revelations in Front Row * Anna's "silver spoon" childhood spent craving time with her father. * Anna's rebellious teen years in London, obsessed with fashion, night-clubbing and dating roguish men. * Anna's many tempestuous romances. * Anna's curious marriage to a brilliant child psychiatrist, her role as a mother, and the shocking scandal that led to divorce when she had an affair with a married man.

Genres: Fashion, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Memoir, American, Autobiography

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2004

About the author

Jerry Oppenheimer is an author who has written several unauthorized biographies of public figures including Hillary and Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, Rock Hudson, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters, Ethel Kennedy, Jerry Seinfeld and the Hilton family.

Toy Monster: The Big Bad World of Mattel was published on Feb 3 2009 and his latest book (as of Aug 2, 2009), will be about Bernie Madoff, titled Madoff with the Money. Both published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

In addition to being a biographer he has also worked in several different capacities as a journalist, including as an investigative reporter and a producer of television news programs and documentaries.

Reviews

[Megan]

Front Row taught me several important things about life:

1. Biographers don't have to be skilled in the fine craft of prose whatsoever.

2. Likewise, obscure distant friends and relatives pay no mind to the poor grammar they use when describing someone they have harbored a grudge against for several years.

3. The nitty-gritty details of even the most fascinating person's life are rarely interesting enough even for bathroom reading.

4. I need to get famous enough to have a biography written about me.

5. Finally, the general public may not be aware of the word "biography" at all. Example: When riding the train, a young man asked me what I was reading. I showed him the cover. "An autobiography?" he asked. "No," I said. "A biography." "Oh," he said. "What's it about?"

Anyways, I'm not interested in striking up a friendship with a "world-traveling" reggae band frontman who can't read. I hate reggae. And you must read.

Also, Anna Wintour is an awesome bitch.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. I was so excited to see a biography on Anna Wintour, I ordered it immediately. But I had no idea it was written by Jerry Oppenheimer, the king of unauthorized biographies like "Martha Stewart: Just Desserts" and "State of a Union: the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton". Double Ugh.

So it was with a huge grain of salt that I began reading this "bio". I had to start skimming it after all the ridiculous speculation and over-reaching presumptions. If this book was read in court, the "heresay" and "conjecture" objections would becoming deafening.

It may be good for some basic background info on the fairly private Wintour, but only if you can get by nauseating comments like "not until she was fully swathed in Chanel and standing in stillettos at the helm of the world's fashion bible would Anna fully live up to her uniform" (when discussing her school uniform on page 16, the second such reference to Chanel in 3 pages). Ugh.

[Ралица Генчева · Rating 4 out of 5]

Приключих я и съм много раздвоена в мнението си за Ана Уинтор. Боготворена от най-талантливите,
мразена от мнозина, с които се е срещнала. Това е биография, в която самата тя не взима участие. В нея са събрани мненията на другите за нея. Много от тях звучат достоверно, но много от тях са на хора, които никога не са достигнали нейните успехи. Дали когато станеш най-важният човек в дадена сфера, както е Ана в модата, всеки няма с удоволствие да се включи с клюки по твой адрес, за да получи своите минути слава? Защо всички любовници са оставали нейни приятели, защо е в толкова близки отношения с най-добрите фотографи и дизайнери, готови да направят всичко за нея, ако е толкова ужасна? След тази книга не само не намразих Ана Уинтор, ами ми стана в пъти по-интервсна. Сега ще изгледам всичките ѝ интервюта и поне още веднъж “Дяволът носи Прада”.

[Sara-Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Anna Wintour is a very interesting subject (I first became fascinated with her after seeing the documentary "The September Issue"), I thought that this biography was deeply lacking Anna's own voice. The author explains in the introduction that Anna refused to let him interview her or to be part of the biography in any way, which left his "hundreds of hours of interviews" to be from those who did not get Anna's sanctioned approval, i.e., those who had limited interaction with Anna, or had a negative experience with Anna, or who knew Anna a long time ago, long before she became editor in chief of Vogue. The result is a lot of speculation and surmising, as well as armchair psychology, which, instead of revealing the Anna Wintour beyond the ice queen myth, rather enhances the myth with tales of fear, hurt feelings, and bitter confusion. Threaded throughout the biography is the author's own horrible cliches, trying to create a patchwork biography that reads like a Sex and the City episode. There are many references to the show, so-and-so is like a Carrie, so-and-so was her Mr. Big, even the typeface of the chapters mimics the episode title cards. I thought it cheapened the biography as a whole, as if the only women in New York City MUST be like Sex and the City, and the writing left much to be desired. In fact, if Anna Wintour wasn't such an enigma in her own right, the book would be hopelessly unreadable.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the time she was a very young girl, Anna Wintour set her sights on becoming the editor of American Vogue magazine. She would stop at nothing to achieve her goal. In this revealing, candid, and very interesting biography, author Jerry Oppenheimer tells Anna’s story.

Based on interviews with many family members, former colleagues and friends, as well as information obtained from other published accounts, this thoroughly researched biography sheds light on the life of the enigmatic woman who is often referred to as the world’s premier arbiter of fashion.

[Lexine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why there are so many negative comments about this unauthorized biography. Aside from the interesting details of the subject's, Anna Wintour, personal and public life, I found the whole affair to be quite well-researched in that he was able to procure such depths without his subject's cooperation. While many people criticize this work as lacking in the prose department, my opinion of these criticisms is that they must have never read biographies before and have had ridiculously high expectations before picking up this book. I frankly found the book to be a good and fast read, with its tone a cross between "matter-of-fact" and "reality tv documentary."

All in all, I found Anna Wintour to be a fascinating woman. Ruthless, perhaps, but no one ever became successful by being nice.

[Heather McKay Guillemot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a guilty pleasure, like a calorie laden dessert. I went in knowing next to nothing about Wintour, other than the fact she was painfully slim, had a great haircut and always wore Wayfarers. I learned there is much more , and also much less about her than what you imagine an influential magazine editor to be( high school dropout, a lost week with Bob Marley, etc).

The book is well researched, although most of his details come from people who no longer have relationships with Wintour, so there is no real 'rebuttal' or opposing viewpoint. That is usually the case with Oppenheimer's books.

I learned more about the cutthroat world of magazine publishing and fashion than I expected, and this knowledge made me glad I never pursued a career in either field.

[Kate (lkatemm on Storygraph) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to like to hear about the rich and horrible, most likely just to feel better about myself as a person. I think my interest in AW comes from Gawker's frequent mentions, and so I wanted to get some more background. This book is wonderfully trashy and tawdry and inspires me to both read his other book on Martha Stewart and to anxiously await the DVD release of the September Issue, a documentary about putting together Vogue's September issue.

[Ozma · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author's goal for this book must have been: take a subject that seems very interesting, that people are fascinated with, that has inspired a famous chick lit novel and movie, that was the central subject of a famous documentary, and then make that subject as boring as possible. So much so that even I, as an insomniac, fell asleep while reading. I would give this book one star, but I generally try not to give one star to anyone. Also, it could be that Anna Wintour is simply boring herself...If you are a Vogue junkie, maybe read this. If you are an Anna Wintour junkie, maybe read this. If you are looking for a fun tell all, then look elsewhere. Although I was surprised to read about the accident that affected her family. That was an interesting tidbit, grouped among a lot of boring chunkszzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason this got 1 stars was because of the pictures. I was incredibly curious about Anna Wintour's life (especially after seeing and reading The Devil Wears Prada), but the author, Jerry Oppenheimer, may have written the worst biography I have ever read. He attempted to use every single quote he ever heard about Anna Wintour and you can tell. The entire book is interspersed with quotes and information about her that are either completely out of place or completely irrelevant. It's really a "slam book" in the quise of a biography.
Terrible, don't waste your time...

[Alicia]

A book that is very challenging to read what with all the names that are mentioned, however, if you liked the story behind The Devil Wears Prada, then this book will intrigue. I read it first, and it's amazing what similarities you will find in addition to the sheer madness of this fashion icon.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is possibly the worse written book. I'm so glad I didn't buy it and waste my money on it, instead I borrowed it from the library. It was interesting to learn more about her life though.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A-Dubs is fascinating even if the writing is meh.

[Rui Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna is more than an editor. She is an institution. She is Vogue. She is Vogue at its best. We know little about her life through her own words, but we know a lot by others. She is known as one of the most feared and nastiest editors, if not women, in the world. But this being true is another story.

In this book, the author dots his pages with catty stories about her “calculated”, “offensive”, “malicious” personality - for example: she'd buy clothes that were too small for her high school girlfriend, just so the girl would feel fat; later, at New York magazine in the early 1980s, she stole story ideas from colleagues.

Of course, Wintour has a reputation. She's tough, she doesn't play nice by all accounts, and she's said to be a harsh taskmaster, but did all of this would be said if Anna was a man? Probably not, but oh well.

As much as I enjoy reading this book, I have trust issues and trusting an unauthorized biography is complicate. Although, by reading this I get another dimension of miss Wintour. I would love to sit with her and discuss this book. But obviously, she would be so bored that she could die right there, and we don’t want that.

[Gabriela Kozhuharova · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in Anna Wintour's persona, you'll definitely learn a lot about her life, family, relationships, work, etc. here. Unfortunately, the book is written in a very gossipy, bitchy kind of manner, with a lot of snide comments towards Wintour's character, road to success and intelligence. It comes off as unprofessional for a biography and although entertaining, I'd recommend you read it with a grain of salt.

[Meg Mirza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meticulously researched, this unauthorized biography plods through Wintour's life in a repetitive and somewhat boring fashion. I lost count of the many times the author referenced "nuclear Wintour" and "the Wintour of our discontent." What I got out of it, is that I'm certain that Anna Wintour is someone who I would absolutely loathe. She's bitchy and rude to all females, but simpers helplessly for men, like a little lost puppy. Apparently she's quite the seductress, having had plenty of affairs over the years. I would have loved more information about Andre Leon Talley. How did they meet? How did Wintour come to take him under her wing? I hadn't realized that Wintour had grown up in London, and reading about that chapter of her life was interesting.

Readers can extrapolate a few things about Wintour's motivations: why is she so horrid? She grew up in a cold and loveless family and her older brother tragically died at a young age. Why does she wear dark glasses day and night? She suffers from a hereditary eye condition and is terrified of losing her eyesight. Also, she is vain enough not to want to wear regular glasses, and feels that prescription sunglasses are more fashionable.

For a book about such a visually motivated person, there were very few pictures included. The book reads like a solid wall of text, with rehashes of newspaper articles and quotes from interviewees. I would have appreciated double or even triple the number of photos, preferably in color.

Read The Devil Wears Prada instead. It may be fictionalized, but it still sounds pretty close to the truth, and it's far more entertaining to boot.

[Sonaksha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I got my hands on the book, preliminary research told me it was unauthorized, just like Oppenheimer’s other biographies. But I had to read it because it was about Anna Wintour, whose power in the industry undoubtedly amuses me.

While most of the book did sound like something out of a gossip column and at times even vague, I do realize that it can’t be that far away from reality, at least not all of it. Didn’t particularly enjoy the name-dropping style of writing and got bored with the sentences seemingly like a reportage. The narrative lacked substance and the lack of authenticity didn’t help build it either.

The book tried to sound well researched but I had to stop and question most of it because of the crudeness with which Oppenheimer has repeatedly referred to Wintour, sometimes making it sound like an attack or a judgement.

I do realize that the writer is trying to reflect Anna’s coldness and icy take on everything, but I also understand that sometimes it sounds like a combination of various newspaper articles about Anna’s life.

However, when you want more than just a peek into the likes of Anna Wintour’s life, you’ve got to take what you get. So, as someone who closely observes Wintour, I took every bit of information I got from the book and tried to attach it to a timeline to understand her ladder to the top better. It’s always interesting to see the journey and the struggle, to know the choices she made fearlessly with her goal ahead of her.

[Mark Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great gossipy read is this biography of the now legendary Vogue editor and stalwart of modern day fashion. It certainly had me immersed, if the the 'he said, she said' prose is a little tiring at times. This is a great light hearted read and source for anyone interested in not just the culture, but whole philosophical side of personality and the idea of celebrity. I suppose I fall into the category the book mentions of where women are normally at loggerheads with her, men fawned over her. I didnt exactly fawn over Anna Wintour when I met her but I was certainly charmed by the subtle, flirtatious way she had with the opposite sex that the author mentions. But then, penis or no penis, I was in a position where I wasn't in this person's firing line, I was in a position where she wanted my help (in this case, I worked in a bookshop and she needed my assistance) and when she got my help, she was charming, friendly and engaging and so were her family, all of which I chatted to. Who knows if this is an accurate description of the life of the person I met. It probably mostly is and it is certainly well researched, despite relying heavily on the testimony of others. Most of whom were shitcanned by the subject. Anyway, I really enjoyed it, but that was probably because I was curious about that mysterious and beguiling woman that I briefly met.

[TheDiversePhDReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her majesty Anna Wintour truly deserves to be revered, respected and perhaps worshipped. As the current Editor in Chief of Vogue (the holy grail/bible of fashion world). Although I could never fit anything from its pages I appreciate fashion and the work that goes into bringing to the world. This book gives us insight into her world, her upbringing and how get got to where she is today.
That being said I did not really like how this was written the author wrote it from others point of view and dropped a lot of famous and infamous names. Sprinkled throughout he book are statements from Anna but somehow I doubt she actually said them or maybe it was hear say. I didn't like that, a lot was also from the perspective of her childhood best friend even though they had lost touch over the years. A main focus of the book is Anna's sexually exploits from her teenage years, her relationship with older men and 'hinted' that was essentially how she got to where she is now.
I personally would have preferred if this was an autobiography written by her it would give us truer insight into this amazing woman's life and work. September Issue which is on DVD and Netflix gives a rare glimpse into her life and preparation for a September Issue of Vogue. I've watched it multiple times.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me want to make sure and never look at "Vogue," so as to try and ensure I don't give any support to this woman's methods of treating other people. I have no understanding or respect for the cold-blooded nature this book portrayed, nor do I feel it should be rewarded. I don't mind an ambitious woman; but stepping on others so blatantly & disregarding family & friends who don't serve you is a poor example of humankind. This book did her no favors. It was an interesting read if you enjoy the world of fashion and biographies. But it left a bad taste in my mouth.

I have liked Wintour's relationship with a tennis favorite of mine-Caroline Wozniacki, and was interested to know she plays early morning tennis. I also am aware that many don't know how to categorize an ambitious and successful woman. But the stories told made me think she was insecure (maybe because she never had even a high school diploma?) in ways that made her sabotage other people for fear her own inadequacies would be revealed. I hope there are other sides to her, or that in her advanced life she makes more efforts to use her powers for good, including bolstering other people up rather than pushing them out.

[TBML · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyfully vicious biography of a New York fashion icon. Five decades of ruthlessness leading to huge professional success and crashing personal failures. Oppenheimer starts with Wintour's family. Wintour's adolescent rebellion, her parents' divorce, her many boyfriends, and her failure ever to graduate from college. At early jobs, she was miles ahead of the other girls in terms of ambition and style, as well as of cruelty; more than one coworker also recalls that she couldn't write copy for her fashion spreads. The story winds up presenting Anna at American Voguetwisting S.I. Newhouse around her little finger. Her innovative styling is well documented, as is her technique of assimilating magazine staff (her once-trusted, recently sabotaged personal assistant was happy to discuss specifics with the author). In fact, the number of sources willing to be interviewed and quoted by name is the best indication of Wintour's ability to command loyalty. Those looking for fashion-world dish won't be disapointed by the eat-your-own lifestyle world. As malevolent and superficial as the eponymously titled biography. Joe Kendy
http://tinyurl.com/45hcwse

[Terri Durling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Wintour is a fascinating woman and not always in a good way. She is almost untouchable and remains somewhat of a mystery to most. This book tries to demystify her starting with her privileged childhood, her early obsession for fashion, through her numerous jobs, men, and working relationships as she becomes one of the most influential women in fashion today. She seems to be man's woman with relatively few close women relationships. Her attitude and treatment of many people makes one wonder how she got as far as she did but succeed she did despite several stumbling blocks along the way. It would take a very special person to be able to work closely beside her - many are in fear of her; hence Oppenheimer has difficulty getting people to talk for fear of retaliation. I love fashion and think her gift was having an eye for style and the taste, money and tenacity to make it all work. However, as much as I do enjoy the world of fashion, I also think it is not for the weak of heart because it seems to breed a lot of pretentious, self-absorbed narcissists who put pressure on the rest of us to look a certain way or else we are not in "Vogue" as Ms. Wintour would have us.

[Thirstyicon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, What I've learned is that bumper sticker is still true: Well behaved women rarely make history. This book will not surprise anyone. Anna is both and icy bitch, but also has been in love and shown kindness (to a select few). Basically, it gives examples of how she earned her reputation, of course many of the sources did not want to be named; so I take it with a grain of salt.

Of course, having read The Devil Wears Prada (which was more entertaining), and having seen Kathy Griffin's Allegedly: I knew what to expect.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excessively long for a Page Six-like gossip biography. The author fails to maintain a steady rhythm between documented events and mouth-to-mouth gossip. The book has, however, a very vivid account of the styles and fashions that helped shape Wintour's style during London's scene in the 60's. It also has a very interesting description of the world of magazine publishing high spheres for the enthusiasts of journalism, which, unfortunately, has more to do with connections, family rather than talent or intelligence. Still, I think it was a fair-balanced biography for Wintour's reputation.

[Henri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that this book is very inspiring for ppl who have a desire to accomplish something in life and ppl around them are telling them that it seems unlikely. Never giving up and working extremely hard pays off in the end. I'm sure certain things that were described in the book she probably wouldn't have wanted anyone to know but we all have flaws and will or may so things that others may deem unseemly. She's a great role model to me and I'd love to delve into her brain even more.

[Emma Kaufmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about uberbitch Anna Wintour. She had an icy cold childhood and not enough attention from daddy, thus attached herself to numerous daddy figures who opened many doors for her in the fashion biz. She seems to have had almost an obsessive compulsion for fashion and little/no regard for people's feelings. Still, a fascinating psychological profile.

[Stephrycraw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always interested in the biographies of "powerful" women, and I wasn't disappointed with this book. However, I admit that I am somewhat of a skeptic. I find myself thinking..."How credible is the author?", and "Does she/he have an axe to grind?"...I guess it's the journalist in me who feels compelled to trust but verify!

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

God. I love this woman. She's AH-MAZING! I knew the story was familar when he started talking about the book that she took hoome every night. I knew it was linked to Devil Wears Prada! Anna was confident and I respect that sooo much. I want to be as sucessful as her someday except a little les bitchy involed.

[Kim Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Anna fan, it was fun to get the dirt on my favorite editrix in this (unofficial?) biography. I loved reading about Anna's younger, party girl days and get a better idea of her roots (fabulous) and where her perceived cold demeanor stems from in life. Recommended read for all publishing and New York media fanatics!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Anna Wintour and Vogue. This was a great little glimpse into her history but the author CLEARLY has a major bias against Anna. Even in situations where Anna was doing something well, the author took liberties to make her look venomous. She isn't a saint by any means - but I find it hard to believe that she is as horrible as the author makes her seem in every. single. situation.