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warm and accessible, Alexandra Shulman is the antithesis of a queen of fashion reader. Elizabeth Day visit Vogue editor has many years of service to speak of panic attacks, his first novel, and why she hates being a woman today

Alexandra Shulman, as befits a woman who was editor of Vogue

for 20 years, living in impeccable style house overlooking Queen's Park on the north-west London. The boards are painted white wallpaper and not enough with the birds in cages. Several mid-century chairs, covered with bright turquoise, stood quietly here and there. Even the black and white cat called Coco (such as Chanel, one assumes).

the midst of this ode to good taste, is 54 years, Shulman, the preparation of strong coffee in the spacious kitchen (sand-colored tiles, floor tiles glass ceiling). But despite the sophistication slightly abducted from his home, Shulman in itself is not what you expect. Most of us imagine>

publishers, maintained and terrifying, like ice cream Meryl Streep character

The Devil Wears Prada

never had a hair out of place, but Shulman and smiled at least once this morning, and her hair - Well, how can I put this kindly? - The hair is a wild jumble of foreground to overcome. Her clothes are fashionable, but quietly intimidating: a navy blue cardigan, a skirt with knee design and comfort aspects Anya Hindmarch heels. And - shock, horror! - You eat. , Real, fattening things. "You want a croissant or something?" She asked, passing gestures to a plate full of cakes.

We're here to talk much anticipated first novel Shulman,

we still friends

, which traces the life and loves of three women aged 20 - somethings in 1980 in London, but it is impossible, after rising, not to be assaulted in a discussion about the culture of extreme thinness in the fashion industry. Shulman, by his own admission, is not the slim model - in ballet classes as a child, was always chosen as "the storm", while his friends were raindrops. Do not worry for his role in the perpetuation of a culture where thinness is equated with beauty?

"I think this is one of the true spirit of the fashion industry," he admits, "I think it's very frustrating and I do not know of where it comes from, but I think if I had that absolutely nails, [is] probably the designers because they are cutting children's clothing. And if the girl does not fit into the clothes, then they will not be reserved. So you have the model agent say. "You have to lose weight," And then when it comes to cables, photographers - and to some extent, the fashion editors - to use girls who think they are nice girls, and girls are fresh, they have to work with designers, so it kind of flows. "

In June 2009, Shulman, wrote a letter to the major international fashion houses, including Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Prada and Versace, complaining that his "small" size of the samples were forcing editors fashion models to use with "protruding bones" and "no breasts or hips." And yet, does not support Shulman, seems to have changed much over the three years that followed.

"I'm glad I wrote it. Have you made a difference? I do not think so. But at least I tried to do something and ... uh, yeah I mean, there is no doubt that type of clothing to our western eyes look better in a thinner, but there is a difference between a thin and emaciated young designers I speak all the time and I do not think you can see, many of them. "

male and female designers? She looks dejected. "Yes, probably."

Interestingly, although novel Shulman has three female roles, two of them working in the media, none of them is increasingly worry about their weight. Are you tired of talking about body image? She smiled. "No, I know I have."

writing the novel was something Shulman has always wanted to do for years but do not be discouraged. "I did not have the time or the idea or think you might do," she said. Finally, an officer approached him and recited the script we still be friends over 18 months, writing in the early morning, weekends and holidays. The process was not without surprises - who has written 30,000 words of a previous history to told by his agent "So how was the trash you left.". we still friends

certainly not garbage. Shulman is nice and has a great eye for small detail everything - newspaper reporter women entering the work early and hides the bag of shopping on your desktop, for example, or Sloaney, the mother with a house " the plastic hair "patron household staff. But for someone who was a jobbing journalist, as his 20 years at the top of his profession for more than two decades, shows a remarkable lack of confidence about their writing. "I think the plot and dialogue extremely difficult," she said. "We expect an improvement in it."

The book is dedicated to Shulman's mother, former journalist and author of a book on etiquette, Beyfus Drusilla. "I do not think you particularly like," Shulman said, flatly. "I mean, nobody said," I do not like your book, "but I think you can kind of tell people he does and people who have not and are not really the thing I am sure she will. believes that parts of it are very good. But it has always been very critical of our work so that n is not a surprise. "

does not seem to bother him, in fact, there seems to be an expectation by Shulman that everything she does is never good enough. Some of her friends, she has always been precarious. "She never had the highest regard," says an acquaintance. Another, known as a professional, he adds: "It is very private and secure There are people who have worked with her for years that they had no idea how he felt about them until they leave and threw big parties .. I think that is driven by the need to succeed. Write a book, when you're the director of Vogue

and you know everyone will read it who is stuck his head above the parapet - it's a fucking thing to do "

Do you feel successful? Shulman doubt. "Uh, I'm very happy. Yes, I'm sure I'm successful." Pause. "But do not feel that way to me."

Shulman is the oldest of three brothers who grew up in a house full of Belgravia with the noise of typewriters clattering. His father, Milton Shulman, came to London from Canada during the war and became a theater critic for the

Evening Standard

. His mother helped

Vogue
, among other publications. Have both parents were journalists destined to become a writer "It was my idea of ??a nightmare. I wanted to be a hairdresser. " Girls School in St. Paul, "Shulman was decidedly non-academic (his sister, Nicola, was considered a brilliant and has recently published an acclaimed biography of the Tudor poet Sir Thomas Wyatt - a copy Shulman what is found in the coffee table with a definitive edition of the dog's ears

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Vogue

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