On Friday morning, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour sat down with her former Condé Nast colleague Tina Brown at Brown’s annual “Women in the World” summit. Despite the earth-splitting amount of media power on stage, their conversation was relaxed and cordial, quelling any rumors of a former feud.
Wintour arrived wearing her signature look: a printed knee-length tea dress and statement necklace. This time, instead of a floral print, she opted for leopard. She also kept her large black sunglasses on inside, claiming she’d just had eye surgery the day before and was therefore “legally blind.”
“How did you arrive at your own uniform, and is a uniform the best solution for a working woman?” Brown asked Wintour.
“I think that’s an entirely personal decision,” Wintour responded, pointing out that Brown also had a uniform of her own, and that it was “work[ing] very well for [her.]”
“It’s probably an easier decision to wear the same thing every day and not have to be concerned,” Wintour continued. A number of CEO-types, like Elizabeth Holmes, for example, wear uniforms as both a symbol and practice of efficiency. One would think that a busy woman like Anna Wintour, who is also meticulous about her image, has a similar practice.
But perhaps it’s a new dawn at Condé Nast. Shockingly, Wintour added: “Maybe it’s a little bit boring and time to change. I’ve been thinking a lot about suits recently so … thank you to the Duchess of Sussex!”
Turns out that Meghan Markle’s style, which does indeed include a lot of suits, has influenced Wintour. “Obviously, her style is fantastic,” Wintour told Brown. “When she went on that trip to Australia and New Zealand, she was very respectful in choosing a lot of unknown Australian designers to wear, which was great. But I think, more importantly, she’s really bringing modernity to the royal family in a way that is inspiring.”
With her role at Condé Nast extended “indefinitely,” Wintour is equally committed to bringing modernity to 1 World Trade. Whether this means she’ll finally wear a suit after all these years, though — heck, even pants would be monumental — is still in question.
“I want to see that,” Brown said of Wintour’s uniform change.
So do we.