ANNA DELLO RUSSO MANGA STORY.

AdR manga story was drawn by uber-famous Riyoko Ikeda,

who is also the author of the amazing Rose of Versailles series. 

All drawings are copyright to Ms. Riyoko Ikeda and published

on a 2008 issue of VOGUE Japan.

 

 

Spring 1962. Bari, a town in South Italy.

The girl who will give a great support to the fashion industry was born.

Mother:”This girl is so sweet! She looks like an angel!”
Father:”Let’s name her Anna”. Anna (thinking):”Mum, dad, the clothes you’re wearing today are so unfitting!”.

When they came back home from their trips abroad,
Anna’s parents gave her some traditional costumes as presents.

Anna:”Do you like my outfit? I’m a Mexican! And now I’m a Chinese!”.

Mother:”Bellissima! You’re so nice, but now please stop playing!”. 

 When she started attending the primary school, Anna started to carefully think about her outfits.
Anna:”Today I’d love to wear an all-pink outfit. Mum, can I borrow your bag?”.
Anna:”Tomorrow I’ll wear the yellow dress, so I need matching gold jewellery”.
Mum:”Oh, Anna. Why don’t you juust wear tees and jeans, like anybody else?”.
Anna:”Mum, I don’t like child clothes”.
Anna:”I like clothes with an inspirational design”.

Precocious young Anna started working on what would soon become her job.

At seven years old, she started keeping her own fashion archive.

 

 

 

Anna:”One day I’ll buy everything Fendi!”.

 The secondary school started. Anna:”Why don’t we swap your

mother’s Versace skirt for my jeans, just for today?”.

 Anna:”Can we swap your mother’s Armani blouse for my t-shirt?”. Friend:”Ok”.

 Friend’s mum:”Hey! That’s my Armani dress!”.

 She went sunbathing with her new friend Alessandra.

Alessandra:“Italian girls must be tanned”. Anna:”The sun! Hooray!”.

 

 

Doctor to Anna’s mum:”They’ve had a sunstroke!”.                                                                                                                                                            Time went by. Anna and Alessandra decided to open a clothing shop in her town.
Anna’s father didn’t agree with her decision, so she – frustrated – would end up studying fashion in Milan.
Anna’s mum:”At last I’ll have more room in my closet!”.
After finishing her studies at university, she started working as an assistant at Condè Nast Italia.
Anna:”They’re looking for fashion editors at Vogue”.
Friend:”What a great opportunity!”. Friend:”I guess there will be lots of candidates”.
Condè Nast interviewer:”Anna Dello Russo, do you speak English?”.
Anna:”Ehm, just a little French”.
Condè Nast intervewer:”Ok, so today you’ll start attending an English course at Berlitz School”.
Anna:”What? Does this mean I’ve got the job?”.

 

Anna worked as fashion editor for 12 years. The problem was that she never stayed in Milan more than two days in a row.
Anna:”I want to eat anything but hamburgers!”. Anna:”I want to spend Christmas with my family!”.
Condè Nast senior editor:”Well done!”.
Condè Nast senior editor:”And your new photoshoot is in Africa”.
Anna:”What???”.
When 33 years old, she got married with an assistant photographer she had met at work but…
Husband:”Where shall we go for our honeymoon?”.
Anna:”I cannot have a honeymoon. Tomorrow I’m leaving for another photoshoot”.

 

 

 

When she came back from the photoshoot, her husband was gone.
They divorced after six months of marriage.
The great photographer Helmut Newton appreciated Anna’s work a lot.
Helmut Newton:”I’d love to take a portrait of you”. Helmut Newton:”Stand there”.
In the portrait she was wearing a Yamamoto trench coat and she was smoking a cigarette.
When the portrait appeared in several magazines, her fame raised.
Before being appointed editor-in-chief, she brilliantly passed a state exam.
She worked as editor-in-chief at L’Uomo Vogue for six years. 

 

 

 

After some years and a quick evolution in her career, in 2006
Anna was spending some time in a villa in South Italy.
 Anna:”Hello, Anna’s speaking. Hey, boss…”.
Condè Nast boss:”The position of fashion director at Vogue Nippon is vacant.”
Condè Nast boss:”Would you like filling it?”. Anna:”What???”.
And now…Anna:”Good morning, Saori. Please take care of Kate Moss’ outfit for the upcoming cover photoshoot”.
Anna:”Mitsuko, great news! Mert and Marcus will do the cover photoshoot”.

 

Anna has salmon and traditional Japanese food (including miso soup, tofu and rice) for breakfast.
At six o’clock in the morning she practices yoga and swimming.
As the fashion editor of Vogue Nippon, she constantly travels (New York, Milan, Paris, Tokio).
Journalists:”Anna, Anna!”. Journalists:”Anna, here!”.
And so Anna Dello Russo’s journey along fashion’s golden street goes on.
Anna:”…Anything for fashion”.