When it comes to fashion icons there are two distinct camps. On the one hand you’ve got Kate Moss and Erin Wasson, with their laid back cool-girl city styling, on the other you have Lady Gaga and Anna Dello Russo – perpetually overdressed, wonderfully eccentric and utterly fascinating.
Last night the Editor at Large of the most outrageous Vogue of them all, Vogue Japan, was at the V&A for a Q&A session hosted by Gianluca Longo. As expected, the lecture theatre was packed to the rafters with journalists, stylists, bloggers and young designers, all waiting with baited breath to hear the inimitable style star speak.
First and foremost, I’m sure you want to know all about her outfit. Picture this: thigh-high, peep-toe boots; a leather pinafore dress thick with embellishment (think Xena the Warrior Princess); a silver bauble headdress; and YSL’s ostrich feather coat (the same one she wore to Marc Jacobs’ AW12 show last week). Perfectly Anna.
It would take me forever to cover all the pearls of wisdom that came out of her mouth, so I’ve condensed it for you into a few inspiring sound bites.
‘I’m often quoted as saying “I don’t want to be cool, I want to be fashion’. To many people cool means thoughtless and not try-hard, but I think style is about expressing yourself. Don’t be lazy!’
‘Getting dressed is like preparing a table of food – you want it to be full to the brim. I love glamour, excess and maximalism. Why reserve sequins and extravagance for the evening? Wear your best dress in the day time too’
‘A blogger is a cross between a paparazzi and a journalist. They offer a new view and turn the camera on the people – the editors, the buyers – who are the tastemakers. They are not afraid to communicate what’s really going on fashion, with no agenda other than their passion’
‘Put on a high heel, go outside and everything will change’
‘Fashion is a fierce industry. If you want to succeed you must be determined – never miss a season, be on duty always and keep your eyes fresh. Put in 10-hour days if that’s what it takes’
‘My biggest challenge in this industry is not to get old. And I don’t mean ageing – I mean adapting to change. I didn’t have the first clue about what a blog was when I first started mine, now it gets 25,000 hits a day’
‘Of course I’ve made a faux pas, it’s part of the process! Take a risk, be ridiculous, provoke. Express something new’
‘Dressing up is my job now. I plan all my Fashion Week outfits six months in advance and change five times a day while covering the shows – usually when I’m being shuttled from one to the next by my driver’
‘Fashion is ageless. It’s not about what you are but how you feel. Experiment and try new things’
‘My style is schizophrenic. I wear masculine tailoring by designers like Ermenegildo Zegna to menswear shows’
‘The last time I counted I had 4,000 shoes. I never wear the same thing twice, but if I think it will still be an incredible piece in a few year’s time then I archive it in storage. Maybe one day I’ll do something with my collection’
I’m not always dressed up. When I go to yoga in the morning I wear leggings and a little top and when I walk my dog I’ll be in jeans. But I’m a firm believer that high heels create your attitude. I’d rather go barefoot than wear a flat’
After the talk finished we were offered free beer and canapés in one of the adjoining gallery rooms. We gossiped and drank until the museum emptied, then made our way outside. And who should we happen to run into…
Anna’s greatest fashion hits:
