After nearly four decades at the helm of American Vogue, Anna Wintour is stepping back from her role as editor-in-chief. The long-serving fashion icon, who joined Vogue in 1988, shared the news with staff during a meeting held this morning, Thursday 26 June.
While Wintour will no longer lead the U.S. edition of Vogue, she is not departing the brand or Condé Nast. Instead, she will continue as Global Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, overseeing the magazine’s international editions and a broad portfolio that includes Vanity Fair, GQ, AD, and more.
A new role, Head of Editorial Content, will replace the editor-in-chief position at Vogue US, and the individual appointed will report directly to Wintour, mirroring the editorial leadership structure across other editions of the magazine.
In her remarks to staff, Wintour reflected on her journey and the future of the brand:
Anybody in a creative field knows how essential it is never to stop growing in one’s work. When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine.”
Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be. And that is exactly the kind of person we need to now look for to be HOEC for US Vogue.
Over the past four years, Wintour’s remit at Condé Nast has grown significantly. Her global responsibilities now span a vast editorial network, as well as oversight of major cultural events such as the Met Gala and Vogue World.
“On a practical level, many of my responsibilities at Vogue will remain the same,” she told staff. “Including paying very close attention to the fashion industry and to the creative cultural force that is our extraordinary Met Ball, and charting the course of future Vogue Worlds, and any other original fearless ideas we may come up with… and it goes without saying that I plan to remain Vogue’s tennis and theatre editor in perpetuity.”
“But how thrilling it will be to work alongside someone new who will challenge us, inspire us, and make us all think about Vogue in a myriad of original ways.”
Wintour took over from former editor Grace Mirabella in 1988 and began reshaping the publication almost immediately. Her very first cover, the November 1988 issue, made fashion history by featuring model Michaela Bercu in a pair of $50 jeans paired with a $10,000 Christian Lacroix jacket, a look that symbolised the new era of high-low fashion. The relaxed, spontaneous image, shot by Peter Lindbergh, marked a bold break from the magazine’s previous aesthetic.
Wintour’s replacement has been not yet been named.
