Vogue Grapples With Fallout After Anna Wintour Exit

Vogue is entering unfamiliar territory. For the first time in nearly four decades, Anna Wintour is no longer editor in chief of American Vogue.

As Chloe Malle steps into the spotlight, industry insiders are whispering about culture clashes, power dynamics, and whether the magazine’s identity can survive without its most famous gatekeeper.

Malle may now hold the title of head of editorial content, but insiders say Wintour’s presence still defines the room.

After 37 years steering American Vogue, Wintour stepped down last summer and appointed Malle as her successor in September.

Malle, who joined the magazine in 2011, rose through the ranks to become editor of Vogue.com, co-host a weekly podcast, and launch digital hits such as Dogue. Her March issue marks the beginning of a new chapter.

Still, not everyone is convinced the transition is seamless. “There’s just an extraordinary contrast between the old guard and the new guard,” one source close to Condé Nast told the Daily Mail.

The same insider speculated about Wintour’s mindset following the appointment, noting, “While she thought it was the right appointment, she is probably like ‘What have I done?’”

The insider went further, questioning the impact on the brand Wintour built. They said, “It’s kind of destroying the Vogue brand; the Vogue brand is all about being unattainable and icy and aspirational, and Anna was always aspirational.”

Wintour, 76, has publicly praised her successor, telling the New York Times she appreciates that Malle is not a traditional “fashion obsessive.” However, the source suggested any apparent enthusiasm may be complicated.

“Anybody who tries to bring in new, young, fresh ideas, Anna pretends she wants it, but actually can’t handle it, and is bristling at the idea of new ideas,” the insider claimed.

For decades, American Vogue was synonymous with Wintour. Her icy composure, oversized sunglasses, and razor-sharp instincts shaped not just the magazine but the global fashion ecosystem.

That legacy now hangs in the balance, according to critics who worry the brand’s aspirational aura could soften under a more transparent leadership style.

“What does Vogue stand for if these new woke ways of working, which is I think the right way of working - but how is Vogue going to be sustainable under Chloe? Because Vogue’s whole identity has been about Anna, and Anna is looking like an outdated dinosaur,” the source said.

Despite stepping down as editor in chief, Wintour remains a powerful figure within Condé Nast. She continues to serve as Vogue’s global chief content officer and global editorial director. According to another source, all Vogue editions still report to her.

While one insider suggested Malle’s authority may be limited, noting that Wintour “still signs off the covers, she still signs off the budgets, so really Chloe hasn’t got that much power,” a second source insisted Malle controls her own covers and budget.

The tension between symbolism and structure appears central to the debate.

If whispers were simmering before, a recent joint interview with the New York Times brought them to a boil.

In the sit-down, Malle spoke candidly about feeling “pressure” to uphold Vogue’s legacy. At one point, she imagined what she would do with an expanded budget.

“I would build a whole new podcast studio, I would pay everyone 30 percent more, I would make sure the social team had more people on it, because they’re working all the time, I would have our app staffed more fully,” she said.

Wintour swiftly interjected, clarifying that they “have a very healthy budget at Vogue, and how we use it and use our resources is constantly changing, depending on the moment.”

For observers, the exchange highlighted stylistic differences.

“The thought that somebody could even be honest about wanting to pay their staff more and invest in social media and be honest about being nervous, it’s like the antithesis of Anna,” the insider said.

The contrast sharpened further when Malle admitted she sometimes gets nervous, even half an hour before the interview. Wintour responded that she “never” gets nervous.

According to the source, the dynamic may not have sat well with the longtime editor. “She is not happy, I don’t think, about that interview,” they speculated, before adding, “But then, I don’t know, Anna will always win.”

Despite behind-the-scenes chatter, Wintour has made her support clear.

When announcing Malle’s promotion, she said her successor “understands fashion’s big picture, its role shaping not just what’s on the runway but the changing fabric of modern life.”

She added, “Chloe has proven often that she can find the balance between American Vogue’s long, singular history and its future on the front lines of the new. I am so excited to continue working with her, as her mentor but also as her student, while she leads us and our audiences where we’ve never been before.”

A Vogue spokesperson echoed that sentiment, telling the Daily Mail that Malle has Wintour’s complete support.

Wintour herself offered a succinct endorsement, stating, “Chloe is doing a great job.”