Anna Wintour steps down as Vogue editor-in-chief after 37 years, closing a legendary chapter in fashion

Anna Wintour has officially ended her decades-long stint as the editor-in-chief of Vogue.

After almost four legendary decades in the American sector of the company, CNN announced that the fashion mogul is seeking a replacement for the “head of editorial content” position. She broke the news to her employees on Thursday morning.

Per the outlet, despite taking a step back, she is not departing Condé Nast, the magazine's publisher. Instead, she will simply be dialing down on her duties. Wintour, who assumed the position back in 1988, will continue to serve as Condé Nast’s global chief content officer, as well as Vogue’s global editorial director, the New York Post has reported.

Anna Wintour's legacy as editor in chief for Vogue explored:

The Daily Mail has reported that the new head of editorial content is expected to report to Anna Wintour. In serving as the chief content officer, Wintour helms the trajectory of several global brands, including Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, AD, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, Bon Appétit, Tatler, and Allure, among others.

The fashion mogul is largely credited with championing the transformation of Vogue over the years, in addition to making the Met Gala what it is today: a red carpet event that only the elite are invited to. The Daily Mail has reported that Wintour visits each attendee and greets them personally.

Roger Lynch, the Chief Executive of Conde Nast, spoke to the Wall Street Journal about the shift. He said that she likely took this decision to allow more time for her other roles, as she has been working three jobs for five years now.

'This will enable her to make time for everyone who needs her,' he said.

Anna Wintour was born in 1949. She stepped into the world of fashion back in the 1960s, at a then-influential boutique called Biba. By the following decade, she shifted to New York, where she began working for Harper’s Bazaar and New York magazine as a fashion editor.

Right off the bat, her first role at Vogue was as its first creative director. By 1985, she became the editor-in-chief of British Vogue, though by 1988, she assumed the same role for the American magazine, where she has remained ever since.

The news came as a shock to the fashion industry, as Anna Wintour has long rubbished claims that she was retiring. Back in February, when she was dubbed a companion of honor in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, she revealed:

“This morning His Majesty asked me if this meant I was going to stop working and I said firmly, no. It makes me even more convinced that I have so much more to achieve.”

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