Nearly 40 years and many a cultural revolution later, Dame Anna Wintour steps down as the Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue. Throughout her tenure, Wintour has been regarded as the most powerful woman in world fashion, with her signature bob and sunglasses becoming an iconic symbol of her influence in the fashion industry.
While her reign at American Vogue began in 1988, Wintour had a long journey in the industry before becoming the Editor-in-Chief. Journalism runs in her family, as her father, Charles Wintour, was twice the Editor-in-Chief of the London-based Evening Standard. Anna’s career began in fashion journalism after she dropped out of college. By 1975, she was working as a junior fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar in New York.
In 1983, a conversation with Alex Liberman, the then editor of Condé Nast, got Wintour an open position at Vogue. After a bidding war that resulted in a doubled salary, she accepted the role, becoming Vogue’s first-ever Creative Director.
As the creative director, Wintour reimagined the vision of American Vogue, breaking away from the traditionalist influence that Grace Mirabella, the Editor-in-Chief at the time, had brought to the magazine. She pushed the boundaries by bringing out more dramatic layouts and bold photography, which later earned her the position of Editor-in-Chief in 1988.
However, before stepping into her role as the Editor-in-Chief at American Vogue, Wintour served as the Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue from 1985-1987, where she quickly earned the nickname ‘Nuclear Wintour’ for her bold and drastic editorial decisions. After her time at British Vogue, she moved back to New York to take over House & Garden – a Condé Nast shelter magazine which she famously renamed HG, filling its pages with high fashion and lifestyle features.
Right from her first issue as Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, the November 1988 issue, Anna Wintour made sweeping changes to the cover, which revolutionised the magazine. This cover featured 19-year-old Israeli model Michaela Bercu styling a $10,000 bejewelled Christian Lacroix top paired with a $50 pair of faded blue jeans in a candid outdoor setting. This cover, which featured Vogue’s first cover model styling jeans, was so radical to the magazine’s traditional style that the printer mistook it as the wrong image when he saw it for the first time.
Wintour’s fresh remodel of the magazine birthed a new trend in the industry- the ‘high-low’ look, which, as the name suggests, comprises one high-end luxury item paired with a more understated, low-budget piece. From there on, her work has been pivotal in shaping the fashion magazine into a pop-culture powerhouse.
Throughout her tenure, Wintour is known for having promoted the emergence of the supermodel era, giving names like Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell international recognition while also bringing emerging designers like Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen to the forefront. By featuring celebrities like Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and soon stars like Kim Kardashian and actress Zendaya on the cover, Wintour also began the trend of celebrities becoming cover stars, which spiked magazine sales and reimagined Vogue’s identity.
Her influence is not limited to the magazine and its widely known covers. As the lead chairperson, Wintour transformed the Met Gala from a museum fundraiser to one of the most anticipated nights in fashion, curating guest lists and themes with precision. Wintour has also received numerous accolades for her contributions to fashion and philanthropy, including the Order of the British Empire and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
While Dame Anna Wintour steps down as the Editor-in-Chief, she is not completely exiting the fashion scene. She will continue her roles as Global Editorial Director for Vogue and Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast.
Still, her last days as Editor-in-Chief are not without controversy. Her decision to feature Lauren Sánchez Bezos, media personality and wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on what now appears to be her final Vogue cover has caused quite the stir online. The cover showed their high-profile wedding in Venice, with Lauren Sánchez Bezos wearing a custom Dolce & Gabbana wedding dress. Social media users are criticising Vogue for flaunting billionaires and are accusing the magazine of publishing paid covers, especially in the current political climate where there are growing conversations about wealth disparity and elitism.
Now, the big question lies – who could fill the legendary heels left by Wintour? Online speculations are aplenty about possible candidates for the new job, but there is no official word on who will take over as Wintour’s successor. Whoever takes on the role of Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue will work under Wintour as she continues as Global Editorial Director for Vogue.
Wintour has not been a mere leading force at Vogue – she has transformed it. As the industry absorbs this shift, one thing is clear: Anna Wintour is hardly leaving fashion. She’s simply changing its shape—again.
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