Activist, fashionista, and writer Sinéad Burke has recalled the moment she babbled "word salad" to Vogue editor Anna Wintour when she met her at a fashion show.
The 33-year-old from Meath is the cover star of the current edition of fashion bible Vogue UK and she appeared on Friday's Late Late Show to discuss the honour.
Recalling one of her very first fashion shows, she said, "I was sitting in the fourth row. The seating at these things is usually quite political. The most important people sit in the front row and in front of me was this woman with a bob and a pair of sunglasses on, and, if you’re interested in fashion or have seen The Devil Wears Prada, you might know who she is.
You're an inspiration, @TheSineadBurke 🙌🏼#LateLate pic.twitter.com/cNTZBEc8de
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) April 28, 2023
"It was Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of American Vogue and at the time I thought it was going to be the only fashion show that I’d be at with her there, so I went down and stood in front of her, and she wears sunglasses so you’re not sure if you’re looking at you, and just word vomited at her.
"Like, `hi! My name is Sinead, you’ve been editor of Vogue for my whole life . . . ', which I meant as a compliment. I’m not sure what age she thought I was!"
Their paths were to cross again a few years later when they both attended a dinner in London.
"Someone told me I was sitting next to Anna Wintour, and I said great, sure . . . " Sinéad said.
From runways to galleries, stadiums to television screens, British Vogue's May 2023 covers celebrate a new vanguard of Disabled talent. First up, @TheSineadBurke. In an important essay, she underscores why nothing is more fashionable than inclusivity. https://t.co/TtOxQ8z9QX pic.twitter.com/JVLV9pR10k
— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) April 20, 2023
"And they said, `don’t worry she hasn’t seen the seating plan yet and she’ll probably change it.’ Perfect. She arrived and didn’t change it and we sat together for two hours, and she’s really interested in tennis. I don’t know a lot about tennis. I was in that room, and I was nervous, but I wasn’t intimidated."
Speaking about being a Vogue cover star, Sinéad said, "This is a project I have worked on for the last twelve months.
"I got an email from the editor in chief of British Vogue to say they were interested in putting together an issue around disability, but they didn’t know how or what to do and this cover and the other four covers featuring disabled people around the world has lived in my inbox and on Zoom calls for twelve months.
"So, the idea that on my morning walk I can go into my local shop and see my own eyebrows above the magazine stand is incredibly surreal, but you can’t go in and ask the person you see everyday to pass me down from off the shelf."
She added, "I grew up wanting to be part of the fashion system and this feels extraordinary, and I probably haven’t had a chance to process what it means to be personally. I hope it gives encouragement and a sense of pride to others."
"I look at that cover and it’s an image that feels powerful, 12-year-old me would have done anything to see anyone who looks like me on the cover of Vogue. It feels incredible."
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