Top Fashion Editors

The unsung heroes of this industry — the fashion editors and stylists — are behind the huge success of the leading fashion magazines and publications in the world. They’re also the ones responsible for fashion’s most iconic looks in almost every decade.

Without fashion editors, the fashion scene of today simply wouldn’t be as developed and versatile as it is now. We have detailed clothing items and accessories for every conceivable occasion, while supermodels have celebrity status. Fashion editors might not have the most recognized names or faces, but they’re what keep this industry going.

Of course, everyone who wants to know about fashion should know something about the top fashion editors. this is why we’re discussing some of the most influential ones here:

Anna Wintour

The renowned English editor-in-chief of US Vogue seems to have a natural knack for magazine editing, as she is the daughter of a former editor for the London Evening Standard. She is widely lauded for her inimitable eye for fashion trends as well as for supporting budding designers. No wonder that she is one of the most influential fashion editors of her time.

Carine Roitfeld

Roitfeld was a model before taking up behind-the-scenes work in the fashion world. She eventually became the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris in 2001, a position she held for 10 years. Since

Diana Vreeland

Also widely seen as one of the most influential fashion editors of all time, Vreeland was a renowned columnist and fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar (from 1936 to 1962), and editor-in-chief of Vogue (from 1963 to 1971). She was behind Vogue‘s extravagant spreads — which cost a lot. After her dismissal from Vogue, she was appointed as a consultant to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute until poor health forced her to retire.

Edith Head

Head was one of the leading costume designers of her time; she eventually became the chief designer of Paramount Pictures. What’s really impressive is that she is the first woman to ever secure this position.

This renowned designer also won a record eight Oscars for Best Costume Design. Head designed cinematic costumes for all the top female stars during the glorious old days of Hollywood. These included illustrious names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn. Most of the dresses she designed for them became iconic examples of fashion, and are still serving as inspiration for designers today.

Franca Sozzani

Franca Sozzani was a trailblazer when she sat as Vogue Italia‘s editor-in-chief in 2008, a position she still holds. One of the most popular and unforgettable issues include “The Black Issue,” which was entirely devoted to the beauty of the black women

Another hard-hitting example is the June 2011 issue, which featured spreads of plus-size models taking off their bras. She also introduced Vogue Curvy, which is a branch of the Vogue Italian website that focuses on fashion tips for plus-size beauties.

Grace Coddington

Coddington’s long and illustrious career with Vogue started in her teens when she won the magazine’s “Young Model” section of the British edition. Soon afterward, she started modeling for the magazine.

After a car accident that disfigured her appearance, she began working as a Junior Editor, a position she held for the next 19 years. In July 1988, she joined Anna Wintour in the US Vogue, where she remains as the magazine’s Creative Director. Her brilliance in styling and art directing led to the magazine’s memorable fashion spreads.

Isabella Blow

Blow served as the editor of a number of publications, which included the Sunday Times, Tatler, and the American Vogue where she worked with Anna Wintour for a short period.

This editor is also the one responsible for launching the career of milliner Philip Tracy. She wore many of his hats and was instrumental in making them popular. She also discovered and launched the careers of models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant, as well as the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen. She bought McQueen’s entire graduation collection, which was worth £5,000 by the time she discovered him. Blow managed to cover the cost by paying it off by installments.

Patricia Field

Patricia Field is one of the most renowned costume/fashion designers and stylists in her generation. She is widely known for dressing up the character of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends on HBO’s Sex and the City. Anyone who’s familiar with fashion would know just how influential the ensembles of the whole cast are on the fashion scene of today.

Robin Givhan

Givhan elevated fashion “literature” into a more intellectual and cultural level when she won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This honor was actually a first for any fashion critic. She has worked for The Washington Post for more than a decade and is now one of its main fashion critics. Givhan also previously worked for Detroit Free Press, the San Francisco Chronicle and Vogue.

Tim Blanks

A fashion veteran himself, Blanks served as editor-in-chief of Style.com as well as host for the Canadian fashion TV series ‘Fashion File’. This show ran from 1989 until its cancellation in 2009. Blanks is also the editor-at-large of The Business of Fashion, a position he has held since 2015.

Tim Noakes

Founded in 1991, Dazed (formerly Dazed and Confused) is a British magazine that champions youth fashion and culture. Tim Noakes has been committed to Dazed for many years, first working as its intern before being promoted to the position of editor-in-chief. Under his direction, Dazed‘s website and official social media accounts have been an indispensable online source for out-of-this-world fashion and culture.

The Role of the Fashion Editor

We all know that the fashion editor is a highly important person in this particular industry. However, some might need a little push in order to truly understand the role of the fashion editor. his book called “ Vogue: The Editor’s Eye Hardcover” might come in handy. Authored by Conde Nast and with a foreword by none other than Anna Wintour, this book is a must-have for fashionistas who want to know how the concept of fashion comes together. Check out this work here:

This book mainly focuses on how the fashion editor has played the main role in developing one of the most major fashion magazines to date, namely, Vogue. You get to read about eight of this magazine’s editors along with how they worked with stylists, photographers, and fashion designers to create stunning issues every single month. You can get this book to grace your coffee table or as an addition to your library about the history of fashion.

Conclusion

The fashion editor is part of an immensely complex process, but we usually don’t really think about them much. The fashion spreads we take for granted are the result of hours of backbreaking labor, and a decent editor will make it seem worthless.

In order to truly appreciate fashion, we must also give credit to the vision and creativity of the editor behind the major fashion publications. Of course, a huge budget and corporate sponsors also have a lot to do with the striking offerings!