In a seismic event in the global fashion industry, US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, instantly recognisable with her iconic bob haircut and signature sunglasses, gave up the reins after 37 years at the helm.
As per AFP, Wintour, 75, was famous for making Vogue's front covers an authoritative statement on contemporary fashion, and for her total control over the glamorous pages inside.
The British born fashion magnate will no longer run day-to-day editing of the fashion bible, but magazine group owner Conde Nast was quick to scotch suggestions of retirement.
She will continue to hold senior roles at the group and remain Vogue's global editorial director.
Ushering in news of her departure, Wintour announced at a staff meeting in New York that US Vogue would seek a new head of editorial content. In remarks reported by the New York Times, she called it a "pivotal decision" but stressed she would not be moving out of her office.
"I'll be turning all my attention to global leadership and working with our team of brilliant editors around the world."
Fashion flagship
Wintour was made a British dame in 2017 and in February this year became a companion of honour - an elite recognition.
At the ceremony in London in February, Wintour removed her trademark sunglasses to receive the award and said she had told King Charles III that she had no plans to stop working.
Wintour, who was raised in the UK by a British father and an American mother, reigned over Vogue in the heyday of glossy magazines. US Vogue was a staid title when she took it over in 1988 and transformed it into a powerhouse that set trends — and often make or break designers, celebrities and brands.
Wintour took the title to a global audience, with huge budgets to spend on models, design, photographs and journalism funded by lavish advertisements and high subscription rates. Vogue remains fashion's flagship magazine but, like many print publications, has struggled to adapt to the digital era.
Wintour has for many years also run the Met Gala, an extravagant Manhattan charity event that attracts an A-list of dressed-up stars from the worlds of fashion, film, politics and sports. She is a fanatical tennis player and fan — frequently appearing at Grand Slam finals — and a major fundraiser for Democrat politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the top US honour, before leaving office in January.
As Conde Nast's chief content officer, she will continue to oversee publications including Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, Conde Nast Traveler and Glamour.
Wintour's frosty image
Across her glittering yet rock-solid career in the fashion industry, Wintour's legacy has morphed into more than just an ice-queen magazine editor; to those who understand fashion, she has become an icon in her own right.
"Across more than three decades' worth of issues of Vogue and its spinoffs, she has defined not only fashion but also beauty standards, telling millions of people what to buy, how to look, and who to care about," wrote fashion journalist Amy Odell in Anna: The Biography.
But as per ABC News, even Odell, who interviewed hundreds of people about Wintour, was taken aback at the complexity of her subject.
"People couldn't agree on many things about her, including whether she's an introvert or an extrovert, ruthless or just very demanding," Odell added on reflection.
As per the publication, when Wintour took over as Vogue editor she replaced multiple staff members and exerted more control than any of her predecessors. A 2015 documentary The September Issue about the monthly magazine featured her ice queen image and steely ambition but also revealed a warmer human side. Nevertheless, her decisive leadership earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour", although the editor defended herself in a rare interview with 60 Minutes.
"If I'm such a b**** then they must really be a glutton for punishment, because they're still here," she remarked. "If one comes across as sometimes being cold or brusque, it's simply because I'm striving for the best."
Does the Devil wear Prada?
Those who do not follow fashion news may still be aware of the effect Wintour has had on the industry thanks to the 2003 book The Devil Wears Prada and its subsequent 2006 film.
Wintour's legendary fictional persona took the form of Meryl Streep's tyrannical magazine editor Miranda Priestly, whose ice-cold cutting observations ("Tales of your incompetence do not interest me") remain fixed in the minds of fashion-fiction-obsessed film fans. The role earned Streep an Oscar nomination.
For many years, Wintour declined to comment on The Devil Wears Prada, which was written by one of her former assistants, Lauren Weisberger. Just how similar the fictional Priestly is to Wintour has been the subject of debate ever since Streep brought the role to life in the film. But when it was turned into a musical and opened in London in 2024, Wintour told the BBC that it was "for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly."
One way in which Wintour categorically differs from Priestly is her long-standing devotion to sunglasses – and she finally offered an enigmatic explanation for trademark shades in conversation with the outlet last year.
"They help me see and they help me not see," she said. "They help me be seen and not be seen. They are a prop, I would say."
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