For most of his tenure as editor-in-chief of VogueWintour had two or three assistants at the same time. Odell analyzed what their various responsibilities looked like in the 2010s through primary sources of information.
“The first assistant manages the other two, handles her schedule, and is the primary assistant with whom Anna communicates,” Odell writes. “The second assistant was in touch with the caretakers and cooks at her homes in Manhattan and Long Island, coordinating movie screenings and taking care of her dogs.”
She continued, “The third assistant runs errands, gets theater tickets, helps with fashion week, and orders Anna’s clothes directly from the designers, often custom-made.”
While the first assistant could enjoy the weekend, the second and third assistants would alternate calling, with Anna constantly sending out different requests, often with no subject lines.
When a new assistant started working for Anna, they were given a 21-page overview of how to handle most tasks, although it was noted that detailed instructions were not comprehensive. Their workday starts at 7am and can often turn into 12-hour shifts. Former assistant Meredith Asplundh revealed her starting salary is $25,000, while Laurie Schechterone of Anna’s first assistants, shared that she lost 8 pounds in the first two weeks.
