Anna Wintour, through the years, has become one of the most powerful people in fashion, setting trends and anointing new designers. The Guardian has called her the "unofficial mayoress" of New York City. She has worked behind the scenes to encourage fashion houses to hire younger, fresher designers such as John Galliano, who owes his position at Christian Dior to her intervention. She persuaded Donald Trump to let Marc Jacobs use a ballroom at the Plaza Hotel for a show when he and his partner were short of cash. More recently, she persuaded Brooks Brothers to hire the relatively unknown Thom Browne. Her protégée at Vogue, Plum Sykes, became a successful novelist, drawing her settings from New York's fashionable élite.

Like many successful power brokers, she rarely makes her wishes known directly. Fashion industry publicists say that a simple "Do you want me to go to Anna with this?" from a subordinate is often enough to settle a dispute in Vogue's favor.

Rating: 4

Anna Wintour in her futuristic Chanel frock at the Met's Costume Gala certainly knows what she is in business for. Why, she can even make Queen Amidala and Diva Plavalaguna (Fifth Element) blush. The woman definitely knows what to wear and how it should be done. Just look at those pockets, genius indeed!

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