Anna Wintour steps down as ‘Vogue’ editor: 5 biggest controversies the fashion mogul faced in her 37-year career

Anna Wintour announced that she is quitting American Vogue on June 26, 2025. For 37 years, she was the magazine's editor-in-chief. In 1988, Wintour instructed Vogue to cover politics and activism more, put famous people on the covers, and show off new designers.

The magazine has become increasingly influential in culture since then. However, her life has not been devoid of controversy; at times, her accomplishments have been overshadowed by criticisms of elitism, corporate culture, and ethical breaches.

As she moves into the position of global editorial director, the industry is now trying to figure out how to balance her immense power with the critiques that have dogged her throughout her career.

The top 5 biggest controversies Anna Wintour faced during her editorialship at Vogue

Let us dive into the top 5 biggest controversies that Anna Wintour faced during her career:

1. Accusations of a racist work environment

After George Floyd was killed in 2020, Vogue came under a lot of internal criticism for not having enough Black editors, writers, and photographers. Anna Wintour apologized in public for the magazine's part in institutional racism.

A 2020 New York Times investigation, which Business Insider later published, quoted numerous Black authors who alleged that Wintour had created a "racist culture" in which cultural appropriation was permitted to go unchecked and improper language was used in corporate emails.

2. The André Leon Talley fallout

In his 2020 book The Chiffon Trenches, André Leon Talley, Anna Wintour's long-time friend and American Vogue editor-at-large, talks about how their relationship has been strained. Talley claimed that he was heartbroken when Wintour departed his job as a red carpet host at the Met Gala in 2018, even though he had adored her for years.

Their spat got a lot of press, with much of the coverage concentrating on Wintour's alleged authoritarian behavior and the magazine's concerns about sexism and ageism.

3. Animal Rights protests

Animal rights groups, especially PETA, criticized Anna Wintour for supporting fur in Vogue editorials. Even though more and more companies were banning fur, Wintour didn't want to restrict fur photo spreads or run advertising from animal welfare organizations. Protesters famously attacked her with a tofu pie at a Paris fashion show in October 2005, and activists also put a dead raccoon on her plate at a restaurant.

4. Elitism and body-shaming allegations

Some individuals say that Wintour has too much power over the appearance of high-profile people. She is said to have told Oprah Winfrey to eat less before her Vogue cover shot and Hillary Clinton to get rid of the blue clothing. Wintour remarked that most people were like "little houses" when questioned about obesity in 2009.

5. Workers’ compensation lawsuit

A New York judge ordered Anna Wintour and her business partner to pay more than $140,000 in unpaid workers' compensation. Wintour's inadequate handling of her non-editorial business affairs is shown by the fact that she had to pay $32,639 out of her pocket for the settlement.

Some people said this episode showed a leadership style that cared more about status than the health and happiness of workers. They believed it was part of a bigger pattern of harsh conduct at work.

Anna Wintour's leaving ends a phase in fashion journalism that was both fresh and contentious. Her career was full of challenges with racism, ethics, and the workplace atmosphere, but her creative instincts made Vogue the world's cultural authority.

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