Gaumont UK options the story of wartime Vogue editor

Dressed For War: The Story of Audrey Withers, Vogue Editor Extraordinaire from the Blitz to the Swinging Sixties by Julie Summers has been optioned for TV.

Dressed for the War was published by Simon & Schuster UK and supported by Vogue. 

Gaumont UK acquired television rights from The Agency Ltd on behalf of Felicity Bryan Associates. The drama series will be produced by Alison Jackson. 

Dressed for the War is set in the 1940s and tells the previously untold story of Vogue editor-in-chief Audrey Withers. The biography depicts Withers on her mission to turn Vogue, then an upper-class fashion journal, into a magazine for women of all backgrounds. The editor-in-chief also battled with the patriarchal conventions of the time and the world war unfolding around her.

Jackson commented: "It’s a privilege to bring Audrey’s work and world to life – once described as the ‘most powerful woman in London’, her influence on our world now is nothing short of extraordinary. She remains an inspirational woman, both in her public and private lives. Audrey fought against a patriarchal society designed to destroy her. She not only survived but thrived and therefore it couldn’t be more pertinent. It is hugely exciting that Julie has trusted us with this incredible biography, and we can’t wait to bring the story to life."

Summers said: "I could not be more delighted that Dressed For War has landed in such safe and creative hands. The strong female team at Gaumont match Audrey Withers’ team at Vogue during the war and I am convinced they will produce a powerful drama for our times."