The Devil Wears Cartier

Anna Wintour is one powerful woman. As the Editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine (a position she has held since 1988), it is said that she has become as much of an institution as her magazine. Universally recognizable in her page boy bob hair cut and dark sunglasses (whether indoors our outdoors), her keen eye for fashion has been known to make or break the success of a designer. A trend can be crippled or created on her demand. While she has been both praised and criticized for her tactics and tough as nails attitude, there is no question that Anna Wintour wields considerable influence over the world of fashion.

It has been widely reported that the book The Devil Wears Prada (later made into a movie) was a thinly veiled true to life story, written by Anna Wintour’s former personal assistant at Vogue, Lauren Weisberger. Ms. Wintour is of course, the devil. She has been known to have a very icy personality, as depicted so entertainingly by Meryl Streep in the film. Did you know that many other characters in our pop culture entertainment have been based on Anna Wintour as well? Ugly Betty’s Fey Sommers shares a wide range of characteristics with Ms Wintour, as does character Regina Krumm in Robert Altmans’ 1994 film Pret-a-Porter. Even Tim Burton jokingly acknowledges that Johnny Depp partially based the look he wore as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, on Anna Wintour! Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?

While Anna Wintour is without question a woman of both style and substance, her personal style is far from being one of a kind. Her haircut is often copied (Katie Holmes and daughter Suri Cruise are currently sporting the look), and her taste in watches also trends towards mass market popularity. Seen here during fashion week, Anna Wintour is wearing a yellow gold Cartier Pasha watch, on a gold diamond bracelet. It is elegant, yes, but a very popular choice and not exactly one that is cutting edge. At other shows during the same week, she wore another Cartier watch: a white gold Tank Francaise on a black leather strap. Again, while the piece is conservative and pretty, it is not exactly a unique look for the woman who determines the future of fashion.

Would you expect the most powerful woman in fashion, with access to all of the top trends in design and accessories to wear a more original timepiece? What would you suggest for Anna Wintour?