If you asked the public if Hell could freeze over, most would likely say no. However, it seems that times are changing, because I would’ve said the same thing about Anna Wintour stepping down from her editor-in-chief post at Vogue. It appears some of us may be looking at an icy afterlife.
Regarded as one of the most iconic figureheads in the fashion world, it never occurred to the public that Wintour would step down from her position at Vogue. After nearly four decades leading the esteemed fashion magazine, Wintour is finally taking a well-deserved rest. Well, sort of. Let’s talk about Wintour’s career, what comes next for her and for American Vogue.
Born in London, England in 1949, Wintour has journalism in her blood. Her father, Charles Wintour, served as editor-in-chief for London’s Evening Standard Newspaper. Though she dropped out of school in 1966, young Wintour did not let that stop her from pursuing a career in fashion. Only four years later, she became a fashion assistant at Harper’s & Queen magazine.
After a move across the pond and several fashion-editorial stints at different New York magazines, Wintour served as editor-in-chief of British Vogue in 1985. This position served as the steppingstone for a long, successful, and infamous career.
When she began the position of editor-in-chief of American Vogue in 1988, the world had its eyes on Wintour. Under her lead, Vogue’s household name status increased, furthering the magazine’s reach with different endeavors, such as the creation of Teen Vogue in 2003 and Vogue’s transformation of the Met Gala into the thematic costume ball we know it as today.
Her prowess did not go unnoticed by the public. Wintour and the whispers of her demanding and powerful nature were so widespread that many believe that she was the main inspiration for Miranda Priestly in the 2003 novel and 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada.” Wintour stated that it’s “for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly.”
With the reign of Anna Wintour at Vogue at its end, many questions arise. What does Wintour’s exit mean for American Vogue? Who will be able to replace such an iconic editor? Well, let’s circle back to the part where I said her career at Vogue was “sort of” over.
Though she is stepping down as editor-in-chief, Wintour isn’t leaving Vogue in a well-dressed dust. She will remain with the fashion titan as an artistic director. She described her new position as “an extension of what I am doing now, but with a broader scope.” She will also remain the chief content officer at Conde Nast, Vogue’s parent company, overseeing other magazines like GQ, Wired and several more brands, so she isn’t completely out of the picture.
To answer the question of who will be able to fit into Wintour’s expertly polished shoes: I don’t have one, and there is currently no speculation on who may fill her previous role. According to the New York times, the editor-in-chief position is said to be changing titles to now be “the head of editorial content.”
What I can say is this: even Anna Wintour had to start building her career somewhere. She didn’t become an icon overnight, so whoever is tasked with the job of being her replacement should be treated with that in mind. But the creative future of Vogue could be at stake, so all bets might be off.
Ava Hebenstreit can be reached at [email protected]
