Anna Wintour, not a wicked witch but the good fairy

Type Anna Wintour into Google and your first hit is The Devil Wears Prada, bet? I always wonder if there would be such writing about Anna if she had been a man. The woman is not one to hand out pats on the head. She’s running a business. And here is my message for everyone who doubts whether Anna even has a beating heart.

It's about Galliano. John Galliano. You know him as the man who put on the most beautiful shows as creative director of Christian Dior. Peacocks on the left, pirates on the right, you could think of anything and he made it happen. The bigger the success, the more toned our John became. At one point, his moment of gratitude had turned into a spectacle. With his torn blouse, Galliano (with his toned chest out) ran down the catwalk.

It could also be that you know Galliano from the Youtube video in which he, in quite a drunken state, says that he loves Hitler, thinks nothing of Jews, and says all sorts of other ugly things. I still think that alcohol and drugs brought out an ugly side of him. The man had been living in Le Marais, the Jewish neighborhood of Paris, for years. You don’t live there if you were truly that anti-Semitic, do you?

Anyway, you’re wondering how on earth I’m bending this story towards Anna Wintour. Well, I think this is a good moment. It was Anna who made sure that John Galliano ended up in Paris. He had no money but she had connections. She arranged an apartment for him and let him meet the right people. The rest he did all by himself. From Givenchy he jumped to Dior where he designed the most beautiful couture for fifteen years.

 The rest he did all by himself. From Givenchy he jumped to Dior where he designed the most beautiful couture for fifteen years.

And now it’s Anna who is helping him back in the saddle. First, she arranged for John Galliano to help Oscar de la Renta (who was still alive at the time) with designing his collection. After the show, Galliano, incredibly against his nature, remained modest backstage.

Last week, Anna was honored with the British Fashion Award for Outstanding Achievement. She was introduced by an old friend; John Galliano. He recalled how she had helped him, but also what she has done for HIV prevention, and how they ate baked beans together, warmed up in the kitchenette of his studio. To complete the picture, Anna wore his first creation for Maison Martin Margiela, his first real job after his relapse.

 Moral of the story? 1. Anna is indeed kind and 2. Galliano is back.

 If Karl Lagerfeld ever retires, I know his successor.

(Photocredit via Instagram and Twitter)