Anna Wintour to hand over the reins of American Vogue after 37 years

Washington: Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of American Vogue who steered the magazine into the digital age and became a worldwide tastemaker in the fashion industry, will step down from day-to-day editing after 37 years at the helm.

Wintour, renowned for her commanding presence in global fashion, as much as her trademark bob and dark sunglasses, was immortalised by Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, though the film’s creator denied the character was based strictly on Wintour.

Anna Wintour will cease daily editing duties at American Vogue after 37 years running the magazine.Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

The 75-year-old told staff on Thursday (Friday AEST) that Vogue would appoint a new “head of editorial content” to manage the day-to-day editing of the American version of the magazine. The role will effectively replace the editor-in-chief’s job to replicate the editorial structure of other Vogue titles around the world.

Condé Nast, which owns Vogue along with numerous global magazine brands including GQ, Vanity Fair and Wired, stressed Wintour was not leaving the company and would continue in her two other roles: the global editorial director of Vogue and the chief content officer for Condé Nast.

A company spokesperson said it was not accurate to characterise her move as “stepping down”, but the change would allow her to spend more time on the other two jobs. As chief content officer, Wintour has responsibility across the full range of magazines, except for The New Yorker.

Over Wintour’s nearly four decades running American Vogue, there have been frequent rumours about her imminent departure, none of which transpired. A power play for control of the magazine was featured in The Devil Wears Prada.

Bee Carrozzini, left, and Anna Wintour arrive at the 78th Tony Awards earlier this month.Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Wintour, born in London, is from a family of journalists. Her father, Charles Wintour, was a long-serving editor of that city’s Evening Standard newspaper.

She was named creative director of American Vogue in 1983, served as editor-in-chief of British Vogue from 1985 to 1987, then rejoined the American title as editor-in-chief.

Wintour modernised the magazine by featuring celebrities on its covers and mixing high fashion with more affordable street style. She championed emerging designers, including Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, and broadened the brand’s reach by adding new titles around the world.

In 2017, she was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth for services to fashion and journalism.

In April, Wintour was among those spotted watching Australia’s Sarah Snook on Broadway in The Picture of Dorian Gray, for which Snook recently won the Tony Award for best leading actress in a play.

with AP

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.