Anna Wintour’s exit? The truth behind her Vogue departure and who’s next

After three decades of running the fashion universe in high heels and sharper-than-your-tongue bob cuts, Anna Wintour has decided to step down as Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue. But no, she is not vanishing into a garden in the English countryside. She is simply "reshuffling" her power.

At 75, Anna Wintour told Vogue staff that while change is essential in the creative world, she is not stepping away from the action. | Credit: Instagram/theannawintour

Anna Wintour is not leaving the fashion building, just swapping offices

At 75, Wintour told Vogue staff that while change is essential in the creative world, she is not stepping away from the action. Instead, someone new will take over as “head of editorial content” for Vogue US, but still report to her. Translation? She is still the boss’ boss.

Anna Wintour is not leaving the fashion building, just swapping offices. | Credit: Instagram/theannawintour

And while everyone’s whispering about who the next Vogue deity will be, Wintour is busy planning the next Met Gala, shaping global content across Condé Nast, and, according to her own dramatic flair, remaining Vogue’s self-declared “tennis and theatre editor in perpetuity.” A true queen move.

So, what exactly will Anna still be doing at Vogue?

Wintour may be passing the torch, but not the fire. She will continue as Condé Nast’s Global Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director at Vogue, overseeing ALL the editions worldwide. From Vanity Fair to GQ and Architectural Digest, she still has her stylish fingers in every pie.

Anna Wintour will continue as Condé Nast’s Global Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director at Vogue. | Credit: Instagram/theannawintour

She also remains the mastermind behind Vogue World and the Met Gala, basically, anything that makes fashion exciting, expensive, and impossible to ignore. So, while she will not be making monthly cover calls, she is still running the show.

Who’s got next?

That is the golden question. The fashion world is buzzing about who could possibly take over one of the most influential jobs in media. Wintour herself said the next EIC should bring a bold, fresh perspective, basically, someone who can shake the Vogue archives and not get buried under them.

From Devil Wears Prada to real-life power plays

Her icy reputation and the Miranda Priestly comparisons? Legendary. Her September Issue documentary? Groundbreaking. Her decision to put jeans and a $10,000 sweater on her first Vogue cover in 1988? Revolutionary. Wintour has rewritten the fashion rulebook, and now, she is rewriting her own legacy.

From Vanity Fair to GQ and Architectural Digest, Anna Wintour still has her stylish fingers in every pie. Credit: Instagram/theannawintour

Whoever dares to follow her better come dressed… for battle.