Lessons From the Devil

With the recent DVD release of the documentary The September Issue, millions of fashionista’s will get to experience what it takes to survive a day in the world of the holy grail of fashion, Vogue.

Director R.J. Cutler got an inside perspective of the life of Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, as he filmed for 8 months along side her team. He was able to witness the creation of the 2007 September Issue, which everyone knows is the equivalent to The Bible in the fashion world. With all the hype surrounding this film, this particular edition became the single largest issue of a magazine that has ever been published.

Now the most important question- what is it like to shadow one of the world's most notorious fashion icons? Cutler reflects on his full-frontal experience and teaches us the lessons of management he learned from Anna herself.

Lesson 1: Keep Meetings Short

“In Anna's world, meetings often start a few minutes before they're scheduled. If you arrive five minutes late, chances are you'll have missed it entirely. It's not by accident that during the final scene of The September Issue, Anna Wintour is in her office alone, waiting for a meeting to begin, and we hear her voice call out, 'Is anyone coming to this run-through except for me?'"

Lesson 2: Trust Your Instincts

“It's quintessential Anna Wintour: knowing what she wants, making clear decisions and moving on. I once asked her about her creative process and she answered with some frustration. 'I can't explain it,' she said, 'I just do it.' To me it was all very telling -- here is someone who knows that her gut instincts have gotten her to where she is, so she listens to them, trusts them and isn't afraid to put them on the line.”

Lesson 3: Surround Yourself With Great Talent

“The lesson is clear -- Anna Wintour knows that you're only as good as the people who work for you, that bad leaders are threatened by strong team members, and that success comes from surrounding yourself with the most talented people you can find.”

And Finally,

Lesson 4: Don't Look Back

“If I had to choose a statement that summarizes Anna's management style, it might come from her own comment at the end of The September Issue, when she says, 'Fashion's not about looking back. It's always about looking forward.'"

So there you have it- Vogue's management philosophy. As Anna put it so bluntly, "Always move forward. Don't dwell on the past. Life is short and there's lots to get done."