The former British Vogue editor-in-chief and author on a romantic kiss on a traffic island, her school-run regrets, and a very expensive nude
Born in London, Alexandra Shulman, 68, studied social anthropology at the University of Sussex. She was a secretary at Over 21 magazine and, in the early 80s, became a journalist at Tatler. In 1990, she was made editor of British GQ and, from 1992 to 2017, she was editor‑in‑chief of British Vogue. For her contribution to fashion journalism, she was awarded both an OBE and a CBE. Her books include novels and the bestselling memoir, Clothes … and Other Things That Matter. A collection of essays, Black Coffee and Red Lipstick: Notes on Living, is out now. She is married for the second time, has a son and lives in London.
When were you happiest?
Anytime that I’m lying in the sun next to a swimming pool with a good book.