Anna Wintour, legendary editor in chief of Vogue, will speak as part of the sixteenth annual Pratt Institute President’s Lecture Series at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 19, 2010 in Memorial Hall Auditorium on Pratt’s Brooklyn Campus. Wintour’s lecture will be free and open to the public, however seating is limited and by reservation only. The lecture will be followed by a question and answer session with Hamish Bowles, Vogue European editor at large.
Wintour has been at the helm of Vogue since 1988, and is credited with transforming the magazine into one of the world’s leading fashion publications.
“I look forward to the honor of welcoming such a legend in the fashion world to Pratt,” said the Institute’s President Thomas F. Schutte. “The entire campus is excited about what promises to be a memorable event for all, especially the fashion students, who will receive the rare opportunity to see and hear from one of the industry’s most influential and renowned figures.”
During her tenure at Vogue, Wintour has been actively involved in fundraising, particularly for AIDS research and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1990, she helped develop the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) AIDS charity program, the CFDA/Vogue Initiative, through which she has helped raise more than $16 million. In 2003, Wintour spearheaded the establishment of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund for emerging American fashion designers; it has so far awarded almost $2 million to up-and-coming fashion talent.
In September 2009, in response to the economic downturn, Wintour spearheaded Fashion’s Night Out to promote the retail industry, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion. In New York City alone, thanks to the thousands of people who turned out to shop that evening, participating stores saw a 50 percent rise in traffic, and seven out of 10 people went home with something new.
In February 2010, Wintour was elected to the American Society of Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame. She also has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA and the Award of Courage for AIDS Research from the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
In 2008, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) designation to Wintour and in October 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama appointed her to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
As the European editor at large for Vogue, Hamish Bowles, who will serve as the moderator for the Wintour’s lecture at Pratt, is recognized as one of the most respected authorities on the worlds of fashion and interior design. After beginning as Vogue’s style editor in 1992, Bowles was promoted to European editor at large in 1995. He currently oversees all lifestyle and interior design features, as well as acting as Vogue’s liaison to the European fashion markets.
Memorial Hall Auditorium is located on Ryerson Walk on Pratt’s Brooklyn Campus. Visitors can enter campus at the main gate at Hall Street and DeKalb Avenue.
Event seating is limited and credentials will be required. All others interested in attending the lecture, please email events@pratt.edu by Tuesday, April 3, 2010 and an email confirming your seat reservation will be sent to you. Reserved seats will only be held until 6 p.m.
The Pratt Program Board, a student-run group, also has organized a private screening of “The September Issue: Anna Wintour & the Making of Vogue” on April 15 – a few days in advance of Ms. Wintour’s visit – for Pratt students, faculty, and staff. The screening will take place 7:30 p.m. on April 15 in the Pratt Student Union. The 2009 documentary film by R.J. Cutler gives viewers a behind-the scenes look at the process behind the production of the legendary magazine.