New shades of Vogue: Anna Wintour taps Chloe Malle as editor-in-chief
Months after Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour announced she would step down, the magazine has chosen her successor. Chloe Malle will take on the top role, making her the new creative force behind one of the world’s most influential fashion publications.
Wintour first became editor-in-chief in July 1988. During her 37-year tenure, she expanded Vogue’s influence globally and transformed the Met Gala into the blockbuster cultural event it is today.
Chloe Malle’s rise at Vogue
At 39, Malle is close in age to Wintour when she first accepted the job. She currently serves as an editor at Vogue.com and co-hosts the podcast “The Run-Through with Vogue.”
Malle began at Vogue in 2011 as a social editor. She later became a contributing editor, writing features and overseeing special projects. In June, she interviewed Lauren Sánchez Bezos for a Vogue cover story about her marriage to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Malle shares her vision
In Vogue’s official announcement, Malle wrote:
“Fashion and media are both evolving at breakneck speed, and I am so thrilled — and awed — to be part of that. I also feel incredibly fortunate to still have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.”
“When it came to hiring someone to edit American Vogue, letting me turn my attention more intensely to Vogue’s multifaceted growth across its global audiences and publications and events like the Met Gala and Vogue World, I knew I had one chance to get it right,” Wintour told team members, according to the announcement.
Malle also told The New York Times that she knew whoever stepped into the role could not succeed as “Anna Lite.”
“Placing my own stamp on this is going to be the most important part of this being a success,” Malle said. “There has to be a noticeable shift that makes this mine.”
Wintour’s continuing role
Although she is stepping away as editor-in-chief, Wintour is not completely done with Vogue. She became chief content officer at Condé Nast in 2020 and will remain in that position.
Condé Nast, the parent company of Vogue, also publishes Vanity Fair and GQ, among other titles. Wintour will continue to shape content across the company while Malle steps into the editor-in-chief role, effective immediately.
“I’ve spent my career at Vogue working in roles across every platform — from print to digital, audio to video, events and social media,” said Malle. “I love the title, I love the content we create, and I love the editors who create it. Vogue has already shaped who I am, now I’m excited at the prospect of shaping Vogue.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
