An only child, she moved to Maplewood, New Jersey, which she saw as a sign that "things were getting better economically" for her family, and graduated from Columbia High School.

[2] Her father, an importer of wine and liquor, died in the 1940s; due to a gambling addiction he left debts that his wife and daughter inherited.

After college, she held several junior positions in retail, including at Macy's as an executive trainee and Saks Fifth Avenue as an assistant to the sales promotion manager.

In 1971, she was appointed editor-in-chief and brought in a more casual feel that contrasted with the way the magazine had been defined in its earlier years.

[5] According to her successor as editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, "She eschewed fantasy and escapism in favor of a style that was chicly minimalist and which spoke clearly and directly to the newly liberated ways we wanted to live.

"[5] Due to the economic recession in the United States in the 1970s, Mirabella used more editorials that addressed affordable yet stylish clothing for women.

[1] Her autobiography, In and Out of Vogue, describes her relationships with people that she worked with at the magazine, including Diana Vreeland, Andy Warhol, Jessica Daves, and Si Newhouse.