Anna Wintour surprises the fashion industry by revealing plans to resign

NEW YORK — Anna Wintour is stepping down from her lead editor Vogue role, according to multiple reports Thursday. 

A fashion magazine is currently searching for a new head of editorial content, previously known as the editor-in-chief, to manage more of the day-to-day tasks, as reported by Women’s Wear Daily and the Associated Press.

According to the Associated Press, this variation will allow Wintour to have more time to oversee other publications in her collection, although the Daily Mail states that she caused surprise and discontent among Vanity Fair staff by appointing her daughter’s “best friend to lead the magazine.”

Despite this unexpected announcement, 75-year-old Wintour will retain her role as Condé Nast’s global chief content officer and as the global editorial director at American Vogue, as outlined in the Daily Mail report.

As chief content officer, Wintour will continue to oversee every Condé Nast brand globally, including American Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, AD, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, Bon Appétit, Tatler, World of Interiors, Allure and more, with the exception of The New Yorker.

Wintour started as editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine in 1988, taking over after Grace Mirabella. Her decades-long tenure has remade Vogue into what it is today: an industry leader in the fashion world. 

She’s credited with putting celebrities on the cover of Vogue and publishing “fun and relaxed shots,” among other things, according to People. 

The announcement of her nearly 40-year tenure ending shocked many in the space, leaving folks reeling on social media with the news. 

“Anna Wintour & her bob stepping down from vogue while Fashion week is taking place is so wild to me,” wrote one user on X. “Like wow. Idk how I feel about this.” 

Wintour also oversees the annual Met Gala, fashion’s biggest night and a major fundraiser for the fashion wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Her longtime position and reputation for being intimidating is thought to have inspired the book, then turned movie, “The Devil Wears Prada.” 

Wintour’s replacement, temporary or otherwise, has not yet been announced. It’s also not entirely clear when she will stop serving in her current role.