Happy birthday Anna Wintour, here’s some of your finest pearls of wisdom. If only they were real pearls, we’d wear them and call it couture.

Anna Wintour is 66 today. The editor-in-chief of American Vogue and artistic director of Conde Nast is one of the most revered and feared women in fashion. We saw her ruthlessness in The September Issue, along with her honesty, pride and as cheesy as it sounds… passion for fashion. In her 66 years she’s done stints at Harper’s Bazaar as well as British and American Vogue and has even had a “fictional” film based on her life (The Devil Wears Prada, duh).

Becoming editor-in-chief of Vogue in 1988, Wintour has since become a firm front row fixture globally. Elitist? Maybe. Controversial? Certainly. Regardless, she’s changed the face of both Vogue and American Vogue almost irreversibly, a phenomenal feat and for that Anna, we thank you, happy birthday. Here’s seven eloquent bombs she’s dropped over the year.

Anna on longevity:

 

“If you’re an overnight sensation, you can be yesterday’s news in no time, whereas building something slowly and carefully that has value and quality, that’s what’s going to have legs.”

Anna on fashion education:

“You either know fashion or you don’t.”

Anna on the definition of fashion:

 

“Fashion is not beautiful, neither is it ugly. Why should it be either? Fashion is Fashion”

Anna on the relevance of fashion:

 

“If you look at any great fashion photograph out of context, it will tell you just as much about what’s going on in the world as a headline in The New York Times.”

Anna on failing… once:

 

“I worked for Harper’s Bazaar. They fired me. I recommend that you all get fired; it’s a great learning experience.”

Anna on decisiveness:

“What people hate the most is indecision. Even if I’m completely unsure, I’ll pretend I know exactly what I’m talking about and make a decision.”

Anna on resting bitch face:

“If one comes across sometimes as being cold or brusque, it’s simply because I’m striving for the best.”