After 37 years at the helm of Vogue US, Anna Wintour is stepping down as the magazine’s editor-in-chief. The news, which sent shockwaves through the fashion world, marks a symbolic turning point - long anticipated, and perhaps even feared. But this isn’t a full goodbye: Wintour remains Global Editorial Director of Vogue and Chief Content Officer at Condé Nast. In other words, she’s relinquishing day-to-day control, but still shaping the magazine’s ideology from the top.
Influence Unlike Any Other
Wintour took over Vogue US in 1988, and since then her presence became near-total. She transformed a fashion magazine into a cultural institution - where every cover was not just a photo, but a statement, a message, a political or aesthetic gesture. She made fashion matter.
Her personal taste became editorial law - so much so that Vogue was often criticized for being too “Wintour-centric.” And yet, it was precisely this stability and singular vision that allowed the magazine to remain powerful in a media world rapidly losing its identity.
A Conservative Revolutionary
Despite her reputation as an innovator, Wintour was, in many ways, deeply conservative. Her Vogue was slow to open up to new voices - in subject matter and in representation. Her decisions on who made the cover or who was labeled “promising” weren’t just editorial choices - they were assertions of control over the industry’s narrative.
Many argue that Wintour made fashion as exclusive as it is - with its cult of “correct” style, uncompromising beauty standards, and behind-the-scenes hierarchies that she helped build and maintain.
Power That Doesn’t Come Off with the Sunglasses
Her signature dark sunglasses became a symbol - as did her icy charisma. Wintour didn’t just edit a magazine. She curated careers, dictated seasonal trends, and shaped the public image of entire generations. Her power extended far beyond editorial meetings. Politicians, actors, brands, even charities - all turned to her for approval, visibility, and legitimacy.
Nothing appeared in Vogue by accident. Everything passed through her gaze - and with it, through a filter of time, taste, and the hierarchy she designed.
