Speculation that Anna Wintour may become an Ambassador

[RobinLondon]

Rumors that Vode editor-in-chief Anna Wintour may be headed back to her native England to serve as an ambassador for the United States are becoming more and more credible.
Two unidentified people are cited as confirming reports that President Obama is considering appointing Wintour as the next ambassador to England.
Wintour, 63, has been a strong supporter of the President and was one of his top bundlers in the last campaign where she raised millions for his re-election bid.

Ambassadorships to friendly countries are commonly given to top-tier fundraisers as a thank you gift after a tough campaign, and the post in London is one of the nicest among them.
Adding to speculation that Wintour will leave her position as editor of the fashion magazine to take a political turn is the fact that the current ambassador to England, Louis Susman, is not expected to take on a second term.

An article by Bloomberg cites two people, described only as being 'familiar with the matter', as saying that Susman is one of three ambassadors with plum positions who will not be continuing their stay abroad.
Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers who is currently the ambassador to Ireland, and Charles Rivkin, the former executive of Jim Henson Co. who is the ambassador to France, will also be returning to the U.S.


Wintour's credentials as a major fundraiser may well be enough to earn her the spot in the American Embassay that abuts London's Regents Park, as Rooney, Rivkin and Susman were all major fundraisers and not career politicians before being appointed by President Obama.
The fact that she is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the U.K. also helps Wintour's cause, but Bloomberg asserts that she may have competition for the gig.
Matthew Barzun, who served as finance chairman for the re-election campaign, is said to be interested in the job.
Another venue Wintour may consider, especially given the time she spends in Paris for fashion shows, is the ambassadorship to France.


In the late 1970s, Wintour dated a French record producer and split her time between Paris and New York, so it would not be her first move to the city if she was appointed to the ambassadorship.
That said, even her innate sense of style may not be enough to secure that spot for her, as Bloomberg reports that Marc Lasry, a fellow bundler and founder of Avenue Capital Management, wants the French ambassadorship.
No matter, as a spokeswoman for Wintour has denied that she has any plans to end her journalistic career quite yet.
'She's very happy with her current job,' Megan Salt told the site.
Wintour has hosted a number of fundraisers for the President in the past few months, all of which have shown the strength of her Rolodex.
In May, she co-hosted a $40,000-per-plate dinner for 50 people in actress Sarah Jessica Parker's Manhattan townhouse. Prior to the dinner, she even appeared in a YouTube video promoting the dinner which offered up two raffled tickets to the event.

In August, she moved her sights out of the city and partnered up with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and his fashion designer wife Georgina Chapman to host a $38,500-per-plate dinner in their Connecticut home.
She used more than just her contacts to make the money flow in for the President during the long campaign.
Wintour used her fashion and business savvy to draw up a spreadsheet and prove to the President's aides that the creation of a high-end accessories line would bring in a sizable amount of cash for the campaign.
From there, she enlisted a host of designer friends to create the goods.
Derek Lam designed a $75 tote bag, Thakoon Panichgul made a $95 scarf with Obama's face pictured, and Richard Blanch was behind the makeup bag that contained red, white and blue nail polish.
Considering her prominent position on the donor list and the cycle of turning donors into ambassadors, it comes as little surprise that Wintour's name has been floated as a possibility.

Souce - Daily Mail

 

[ChristyLeReveur]

Okay I understand Anna W has many connections and I am sure she has good interpersonal skills too. But seriously, a diplomat? I doubt that. Please, Anna, just stick to your fashion world.

 

[MyNameIs]

If this means no Anna at Vogue, I say make her a VP even.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

well, who will take over Vogue US? can it get more commercialized than it already is?

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

Highly doubt it.

 

[Thefrenchy]

I don't believe that at ALL. But then again, I didn't believe Wang could ever go to Balenciaga soooo...

 

[saann]

Will she survive all the unruly hair and bad teeth is the real question?

 

[MulletProof]

I don't believe that either, maybe if she quits Vogue, but still, the relationship between the US and the UK is not exactly US-Luxemburg, the amount of, hum, warfare, doesn't call for a honorary ambassador. I'd probably believe the rumors if they were about being appointed consul-general in New York.. but even that it's a bit complicated with a career of hits in the fashion business. Not to mention how unfair/ridiculing it would be for people devoting a life studying foreign policies to reach that position..

 

[RobinLondon]

Will she survive all the unruly hair and bad teeth is the real question?

Is that why she really wanted to leave her native England in the first place?!

 

[Deleted member 1957]

Will she survive all the unruly hair and bad teeth is the real question?

Embassies are supposed to be the most glamorous places especially when they host those parties..at least according to spy movies. Plus have you seen the Parisian politicians?
They put Vogue staffers to shame
pics RT.COM

 

[RobinLondon]

The American ambassador's house in London has the largest private garden after Buckingham Palace. If given the choice to live somewhere so grand, I'm sure Anna would consider it. When she eventually leaves Vogue, no doubt she will receive a record breaking pay off. If this rumour is true, she'll end up living somewhere "rent free" whilst presumably still earning.

 

[YoninahAliza]

I'm not sure what to believe about this, it doesn't seem real. I suppose if Shirley Temple can be an ambassador then Anna Wintour could be one! Though I do think it's sort of a snub to a lot of people who've spent their whole career in public service and hoped to become an ambassador. It's quite a serious position so in some ways it doesn't seem right to give it to someone who hasn't actively worked for it. Maybe in England it would be "easier" to do but to be an ambassador in many parts of the world is a tough job, and I have so much respect for them. I'm curious to find out if the rumors are true or not, the public reaction would be interesting to see!

 

[fashionista-ta]

Hmm, interesting rumor. It's true that ambassadorships are frequently used as a reward. Hard to imagine what could dynamite her out of Vogue, but maybe this ... Even more interesting to me is the question of what she would do afterwards.

How old is she? Looks like she's 63, so in 4 years she'd be 67.

 

[RobinLondon]

Ambassadorship would be a lovely bridge in between work and retirement.

 

[AD011620]

she is a perfect candidate...

 

[ChristyLeReveur]

I'm not sure what to believe about this, it doesn't seem real. I suppose if Shirley Temple can be an ambassador then Anna Wintour could be one! Though I do think it's sort of a snub to a lot of people who've spent their whole career in public service and hoped to become an ambassador. It's quite a serious position so in some ways it doesn't seem right to give it to someone who hasn't actively worked for it. Maybe in England it would be "easier" to do but to be an ambassador in many parts of the world is a tough job, and I have so much respect for them. I'm curious to find out if the rumors are true or not, the public reaction would be interesting to see!

My view exactly. Diplomacy is kinda important these days... and I think someone who is "professional" should take the job. Not a fashion editor.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

Well the rumour is definitely building speed; I've read about it everywhere! Her appointment could be to France not London...

Reasons she'd be great at it according to current.com

She was one helluva fundraiser. Not only did she enlist designers like Marc Jacobs to design everything from dog collars to sweatshirts for Runway to Win, but she also hosted multiple $40,000-plus dinners for the president, ultimately raising more than $500,000.
She can negotiate. If she can navigate the egos of the fashion world and bring them all together for events like Fashion's Night Out, I think she can handle whatever an ambassadorship to France or Great Britain has to throw at her.
The ambassador takes on a lot of paperwork and administrative duties. Have you seen the September issue of Vogue? Or maybe "The September Issue," the movie about the making of the September issue of Vogue. That magazine does not put itself out.
The ambassador exports American values to the rest of the world. Those values include being ambitious, growing a business and building a brand, right? A-dubs has certainly proved she can do all of that.
The ambassador is a social engineer. They organize visits, welcome visitors, host cocktail parties. Because, the Met Ball. That says it all.
She is good at kissing up to foreign dignitaries. Remember her glowing profile of Asma Assad?
She's fierce. We've all seen "The Devil Wears Prada."

 

[Lee MG Tisci]

i really hope this rumor is true.. i think it's the perfect excuse for having Grace Coddington as the new EIC

 

[RobinLondon]

As the speculation and buzz surrounding Anna Wintour's possible appointment as U.S. ambassador bubbles, percolates, fizzles, then bubbles up again, the White House press corps is getting odder and odder about the issue.

Take for instance the series of loaded (overloaded, actually) questions dumped on White House Press Secretary Jay Carney by ABC's Jake Tapper above. Operating off the rather reductive notion that Ms. Wintour is a tactless, tyrannical editor with the social skills of a jackhammer, Tapper sardonically, disingenuously asks, “Is it important for a diplomat to be diplomatic...in their personal lives or pop culture?” and, "Has the president seen The Devil Wears Prada?” Isn't it remarkable how Tapper — despite being a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth and political reporter with 20 years of hard-earned experience — is able to impersonate a freshman media-studies major? Stunning work.

In any case, anyone with a passing knowledge of Wintour understands that Miranda Priestly was but a humorous, hyperbolic pantomime of the Vogue editor's more colorful personality traits and that, as the head of an international brand, she most likely has a deep and nuanced understanding of British-American diplomatic relations, the graces of international society, and profound social and negotiating skills.

Moreover, let's remember that some of our more noted diplomats had no actual experience in diplomacy or politics before their appointments. World-War II Secretary of State Edward Stettinius was a lifelong businessman, current Ambassador to France Charles Rivkin is the executive producer of Yo Gabba Gabba, and, for pete's sake, legendary Ambassador to Britain Joseph P. Kennedy was a banker of questionable ethics and a bootlegger.

We're starting to wonder if such silly questions would be lobbed at The White House if Wintour — a highly successful businesswoman in a multibillion-dollar industry and a powerful media figure — wasn't in the female-dominated world of fashion. Just sayin'. (Fashionista)

Refinery29.com

 

[Heroin_Chic]

That would be a quite strange career move...but Anna definitly knows how to represent and pull off the poker face.

Why not!?