Anna Wintour is stepping down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years. She will continue her role as Vogue’s global editorial director and global chief content officer at Condé Nast.
There is no Vogue without Wintour. She has revolutionised the magazine and positioned it at the centre of the zeitgeist since she released her first cover in 1988. This featured a pair of $50 Guess jeans styled with a $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket on model Michaela Bercu, ushering in a new perspective on fashion. Wintour is a visionary who changed how covers were shot and who got to be the star. She also helped boost the careers of designers such as Marc Jacobs.
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A new era for Vogue
The question is, who can fill the shoes of the most powerful woman in fashion? Journalist and author of Anna: The Biography Amy Odell predicts The Cut’s Lindsay Peoples or British Vogue’s head of editorial content Chioma Nnadi could be top contenders. When Edward Enninful left his position as editor-in-chief of British Vogue after six years, Nnadi became his successor and is the first Black woman to lead the media brand.
However, Vogue could change its direction and take a page out of Refinery29’s book by hiring someone outside of fashion or publishing. At the end of June, podcaster Brooke DeVard was announced as the chief content officer for the lifestyle platform. Her CV includes marketing roles at Nokia, Viacom, Ralph Lauren and Instagram.
Wintour’s three decades as editor-in-chief weren’t perfect, but she had a massive impact on the entire industry. In addition to running Vogue, she glamourised the annual Met Gala, making it the fashion event of the year. The 2025 fundraiser broke previous records by raising more than $31 million (£23.1 million) for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
Arguably, it was time for Wintour to step down. The covers were getting stale, particularly when compared to the artistic direction of other editions, cut as Vogue Portugal.
Vogue in the creator age
Whoever takes over US Vogue needs to fully dive into digital culture. It needs to set trends, not follow them. It should fully embrace influencer culture and TikTok. Just as designer Jonathan Anderson reshaped LOEWE and now Dior, the next editor has to be an edgy pioneer with an appetite to reposition the brand. Fresh talent, new ideas and modern photographers have to be at the heart of what comes next
Wintour isn’t going anywhere and will likely remain heavily involved. In her words: “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.”
By Caroline Edwards, trends editor for CORQ.
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