by As Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour finalizes plans for the third installment of Vogue World, an entertainment extravaganza to be held in Paris this month, she expressed her hope that some of France’s attitude to fashion may decline of the UK. .
“I have not read what I think will be the position of the next Prime Minister on the arts but I hope that he will be able to convince to support not only the arts organizations but the fashion in this country, which is so important to the economy,” she said. said the Guardian on Monday at the Condé Nast offices in London.
While French president Emmanuel Macron regularly hosts events for designers at the Élysée Palace, recognizing the importance of the industry as France’s main export sector, Wintour believes the fashion industry continues to be misunderstood in the UK, in despite contributing more than £60bn. the British economy.
“Over the years I’ve seen prime ministers hosting Downing Street events and saying a lot of the right things but I’m not sure how aware they are of how many jobs the fashion industry creates in this country or how important and it is. [London] in many different ways.
“So I hope the next prime minister will be very open to it,” she said, adding that she was hopeful “we can all lobby the government to do more”.
Ruling out any rumored plans to move back to the British capital – saying “I love spending time here but New York is very much my home” – Wintour described the importance of fashion for French culture.
“I remember flying into Paris for Yves Saint Laurent’s last couture show in 2002 and being greeted by my driver almost in floods of tears. Fashion is all about the city. They understand how important it is and what it means to their culture.”
It is in this capital of fashion that the third installment of Vogue World will take place in the Place Vendôme on June 23, with a cast of more than 500 stars, including models Kendall Jenner and Ashley Graham, Olympic athletes – the focus of the event. on sport – and surprise musical performers who descend on the square in the first arrondissement alongside 800 ticketed seats, which are open to the public.
Orchestrated by Wintour and her global team, the event will last for less than 60 minutes but will go down in French history as a fashion coup. Asked if she gets nervous, she said: “Of course, it’s a huge undertaking.”
Wintour, who has been Condé Nast’s global chief content officer since 2020, says she is working closely with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo on the event, which aims to celebrate 100 years of French fashion. She says Hidalgo was “amazing from the word go. She understands what we are trying to achieve and who we are trying to honor.”
The Paris edition of Vogue World follows its inaugural edition in 2022 in which singer Lil Nas performed with X and Serena Williams walking down the cobbled streets of New York’s Meatpacking District.
A repeat in London in September confirmed Wintour’s position as the most powerful person in fashion as she persuaded everyone from Kate Moss and Stormzy to Ian McKellen to take part, raising more than £2m for arts organizations based in London.
This time proceeds from ticket sales will go to Secours Populaire, a French non-profit that promotes access to sport for children. Third tier tickets start from £1,895. Some free tickets will be given to fashion students and athletes who want them.
Mark Guiducci, creative editorial director of US Vogue, said that they aimed to raise at least €1m for the cause, but with individual contributions from several organizations and donors they expected the final figure to be much higher.
French fashion editor Carine Roitfeld, Off-White creative director Ibrahim Kamara and fashion historian Alexandre Samson will oversee the fashion content of the event, which will feature every decade since 1924, the last time the Olympic Games were held in Paris . Wintour says they aim to pay homage to designers of the past and those who are “very much a part of the French scene today”.
Each decade will bring together a different sport, from cycling to break dancing with looks from houses including Chanel and Balenciaga. Cara Delevingne will host a live stream. “If you don’t have a ticket option, the best seat in the house is watching it live,” Guiducci said.
When asked about the increased fusion of sport and fashion such as this summer’s core tennis trend, Wintour said: “It’s been interesting over the years that I’ve worked for Vogue to see how sport has really infiltrated all fashion .
“At Vogue we have always taken the world of sport and integrated it into the world of fashion just as we have done with musicians and theater and film. I think fashion is so inclusive today and athletes are the global superstars of today and tomorrow. It’s the right time.”
