Anna Wintour's Vogue Editor-In-Chief Replacement Sparks Nepo Baby Accusations: 'This Is Really The Era For Nepotism'

Anna Wintour has reportedly passed the baton for the Vogue editor-in-chief to Chloe Malle, the daughter of actress Candice Bergen and director Louis Malle. 

Fans are claiming that Wintour's choice of Malle reeks of nepotism, suggesting it has more to do with Malle's industry status rather than merit. 

Wintour revealed that she was stepping down from her role as head of editorial content for Vogue in June. 

Wintour was appointed as the magazine's editor-in-chief in 1988, and now, Malle will reportedly take over from her. As originally reported by Puck, the fashion icon told prospective candidates that she was in search of professionals who could keep the brand going while she focuses on other aspects of the business. 

Page Six later confirmed that Wintour will continue as Vogue's global editorial director and Condé Nast's chief content officer. 

The 75-year-old media executive will now focus her attention on mentoring regional leaders abroad who have struggled to attract advertisers and audiences. 

Some candidates who were in the running include big names such as Sara Moonves, Nicole Phelps, and Stella Bugbee, the editor of the Styles section at The New York Times.

Wintour's choice of Chloe Malle has since sent tongues wagging on the internet, suggesting that it wasn't merited. 

One fan wrote, "Nepo baby as the new Head of Editorial Content at US Vogue…," and another fan commented, "Anna Wintour choosing Chloe Malle as the new Head of Editorial Content for American Vogue is very fitting-white, nepo, and puppet." 

In the same vein, another fan wrote, "Wow, this is really the era for nepotism, it's crazy." Yet, another added, "Anna passing down the torch to another nepo baby is very fitting."

One fan jokingly referenced the role Malle's mother, Candice Bergen, played in the popular show, "Sex and the City," writing, "A double nepo baby since her mother was the Vogue editor in chief in sex and the City."  

"The nepo bullsh-t dance never ends," another user remarked.

When the announcement was made that Wintour would be stepping back from her role at Vogue, the fashion icon spoke about the importance of constantly seeking growth as a creative. 

"When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine," she said. 

The media executive acknowledged that she has had great pleasure "helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas."

Malle has held several roles in the fashion industry. She has been a social editor and a podcast host. An Ivy League-educated New Yorker, she is also a wife and mother of two children. 

According to The Independent, Malle was "a little embarrassed" when Wintour first interviewed her back in 2011. She broke the cardinal rule and wore black to the meeting. "You're supposed to never wear black. I wore black," she recalled.

The 39-year-old editor also revealed that she used to hate going out, but had to change her interests when she stepped into the industry. Before she applied for the social editor role in 2011, she was hesitant because fashion was not her main focus at the time. 

"I was hesitant when I was interviewing, because fashion is not one of my main interests in life, and I wanted to be a writer more than an editor, but I was so seduced by the Vogue machine that I couldn't resist," she said. 

Malle's alleged appointment as editor-in-chief comes just two months after Wintour stepped down. In June, The Blast reported that Wintour's exit from Vogue sparked intense reactions amongst fans.

One fan heartbreakingly wrote that it "doesn't seem right" for the fashion mogul to leave because Vogue is often associated with her. 

Another fan commented that it was the "end of an era," while a third argued that it was time because the "US Vogue covers haven't been good in a while."