Anna Wintour was born in Hampstead, London, England, the daughter of an American mother, Eleanor Trego (Baker), and an English father, Charles Wintour, former Editor of the Evening Standard. She is from an upper-class family, with many prominent ancestors. She started her career in 1970, working in the fashion department at Harpers & Queen in London. Six years later, she joined its sister New York publication Harper's Bazaar as its Fashion Editor. After a stint as Senior Editor at New York magazine, controlling the title's fashion and lifestyle coverage, Wintour was named Creative Director of American Vogue in 1983. British Vogue hired her back as Editor in Chief for two years. In 1988, she rejoined American Vogue as Editor-in-Chief and in that capacity, has helped raise over $10 million for AIDS charities since 1990.

Like her image, Wintour's daily regime is legendary. Now based in Manhattan, she wakes up at 5:45am every morning, plays tennis for an hour before being professionally made-up, coiffed and chauffeured to the offices of American Vogue. Though one of New York's most prolific party throwers, she never stays at any one event for more than the first ten minutes, preferring to be in bed by 10pm.

Wintour has held the position of Editor-in-Chief of Vogue since July 1988, and was named Artistic Director of Condé Nast in March 2013. In addition to editing Vogue, Wintour executed the development and successful launch of Teen Vogue in 2001, and serves as Editorial Director for the title. Wintour's career has included positions at Harpers & Queen, Harper's Bazaar, New York Magazine, HG, and British Vogue. During her tenure at Vogue, Wintour has been actively involved in philanthropic fundraising, particularly for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, for which she has raised more than $100 million. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her leadership and charitable efforts, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Lifetime Achievement Award and the Award of Courage for AIDS Research from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR). In 2008, Wintour was appointed to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her service to British journalism and fashion. In October 2009, President Obama appointed Wintour to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Most recently, in 2011 she was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Wintour also serves as an Elective Trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.