What Anna Wintour Is Really Like As A Mom

One of the most touching parts of The September Issue happened when Anna Wintour was asked what her one weakness was and immediately answered, "My children." It was a rare moment of vulnerability from the woman often described as one of the world's most intimidating bosses. And, we admit we can't help but wonder if Wintour is a similarly formidable matriarch.

Now, we have our answer. In Teen Vogue's latest edition of Breakfast With Bevan, Bee Shaffer opens up about what it's like to be Anna's daughter. And, it turns out, it's not as scary as you might imagine. That said, Shaffer also seems to have inherited some of Wintour's, er, stricter traits. "I'm very punctual," she says. "And, I actually don't understand when people are late. It's so easy to be on time!" Shaffer then goes on to explain that she simply leaves an hour and a half early for most things — why didn't we think of that?

Shaffer also says the "one thing" she inherited from her mother is an early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule. While Anna famously leaves functions early for her 10 p.m. bedtime and wakes at 5 a.m. for a round of tennis before hitting the Vogue offices at 7 a.m., Shaffer says she's always in bed by 11 p.m. and up by 6 a.m. "You just feel like a superior person [when you're up early]," she says. No snooze button for Bee, then.

Still, Anna does not appear to be an entirely uncritical mom. Describing herself as a "theater geek" who can't sing, Shaffer relates Anna's less-than-charitable reaction to her childhood performance of "Where Is Love?" from Oliver! "Well...it was a tough song," quoth Anna. It seems no one is spared Wintour's legendary honesty, not even her one weakness. (Teen Vogue)