Vogue's Anna Wintour stepping down after 37 years

Anna Wintour steps down as editor-in-chief at Vogue
Anna Wintour held the position for nearly 40 years.
LOS ANGELES - Anna Wintour is stepping down from her role as editor-in-chief at "Vogue" after 37 years, she announced in a staff meeting on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Wintour, 75, who has led "Vogue" since 1988, will still serve as chief content officer (CCO) for Condé Nast.
What we know:
Wintour, known for her shades and bold bob hairstyles for decades, began her career at "Vogue" in 1988, preceded by Grace Mirabella.
Wintour transformed Vogue during her decades at the magazine. She was named creative director in 1983, served as editor-in-chief of British Vogue from 1985 to 1987 then rejoined the American title as editor-in-chief.
Her first cover, published in November 1988, featured model Michaela Bercu in a $50 pair of jeans (the first time denim was on the cover of Vogue) with a $10,000 Christian Lacroix sweater in a fun and relaxed shot photographed by Peter Lindbergh, People reports.
"It was so unlike the studied and elegant close-ups that were typical of Vogue’s covers back then, with tons of makeup and major jewelry. This one broke all the rules," Wintour told Vogue in 2012. "Afterwards, in the way that these things can happen, people applied all sorts of interpretations: It was about mixing high and low, Michaela was pregnant, it was a religious statement. But none of these things was true. I had just looked at that picture and sensed the winds of change. And you can’t ask for more from a cover image than that."
She was known for championing emerging designers including Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and John Galliano.
Her reputation for being fierce apparently inspired Miranda Priestley's character in "The Devil Wears Prada," a book later turned into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.
In 2013, Wintour became the artistic director of Condé Nast and in 2019, earned her third job title when she was named global content advisor.
Wintour has been the lead chairperson of the Met Gala, fashion's biggest night and a major fundraiser for the fashion wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, since 1995.
What they're saying:
"And it goes without saying," she joked, "that I plan to remain Vogue’s tennis and theater editor in perpetuity."
"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," Wintour told staff.
"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," she added.
What we don't know:
Wintour's replacement has not been named.
Dig deeper:
Four years ago, Condé Nast changed its editorial structure, bringing together editorial teams around the world for the first time. Every market where Condé Nast operates has a head of editorial content led by a global editorial director. The new role at American Vogue is part of that reorganization. The new structure has already been rolled out at other Vogue titles around the world.
What's next:
As CCO, Wintour will continue to oversee the company's editorial brands, including GQ, Wired, Glamour, Bon Appétit, Vanity Fair and Allure, except for The New Yorker.
She'll also remain involved in Vogue World, a traveling fashion and cultural event the magazine began in 2022.
The company will not seek an editor-in-chief to replace Wintour at American Vogue, replacing that title with the new head of editorial content. The new lead will report directly to Wintour in her capacity as global editorial director, Vogue said in a statement posted to its website later Thursday.
The Source: This information is based on Anna Wintour's announcement in a staff meeting on Wednesday, as reported by multiple news outlets. Details regarding her career at "Vogue" and Condé Nast, including her first cover, are drawn from "People" magazine and "Vogue's" own archives. Her previous comments about retirement were made in an interview with FOX News in December 2024. The Associated Press contributed.