Anna Wintour Stuns Fashion World—Announces Chloe Malle as Vogue Successor While Keeping Control

Lead paragraph In a week of headline-grabbing revelations, longtime Vogue power broker Anna Wintour confirmed two major talking points: her hand-picked successor is Chloe Malle, and the legendary editor says Hollywood’s infamous fashion satire The Devil Wears Prada gave her “a fair shot.” The twin disclosures—dropped on separate podcasts within 48 hours—have reignited global curiosity about Wintour’s legacy and the future of American Vogue. Chloe Malle named head of editorial content Speaking on Vogue’s own podcast The Run-Through, Wintour revealed that Malle—who has spent 14 years rising through the magazine’s ranks—“had to prove herself like every other candidate.” She stressed that Malle brought “the clearest vision and the most original ideas” during an extensive interview process, pushing back at social-media criticism over Malle’s “nepo-baby” pedigree as the daughter of actress Candice Bergen and late French director Louis Malle. • Career timeline: social editor (2011) → contributing editor (2016) → Vogue.com editor (2023) → head of editorial content (2025). • Why it matters: Wintour, 75, will remain Condé Nast’s global chief content officer but is winding down a record 37-year tenure as U.S. editor-in-chief, making Malle the most powerful new voice in American fashion media. Wintour breaks silence on The Devil Wears Prada Separately, the editor sat down with The New Yorker Radio Hour and, for the first time, publicly assessed Meryl Streep’s icy Miranda Priestly portrayal. “I found it highly enjoyable and very funny… in the end I thought it was a fair shot,” she said, adding that she even attended the 2006 premiere wearing Prada. Her easygoing take arrives as filming begins on a newly announced sequel slated for 2026, further stoking pop-culture buzz. Industry reaction • Fashion insiders praise Wintour’s strategic timing: combining a graceful exit narrative with a self-deprecating media moment humanizes the famously steely editor. • PR analysts note that acknowledging the film’s humor neutralizes past criticism while steering attention to Vogue’s leadership transition. • Digital sentiment: Google searches for “Anna Wintour successor,” “Chloe Malle,” and “Devil Wears Prada quote” spiked within hours of the podcast drops, signaling robust audience interest. What’s next for Vogue Malle will oversee the January 2026 relaunch of Vogue’s website and its first A.I.-aided trend report, initiatives insiders say were key to her selection. Meanwhile, Wintour remains Met Gala chair and will consult on Condé Nast video projects, ensuring her influence endures even as a new editorial era begins. Takeaway By simultaneously crowning her successor and embracing pop-culture mythology, Anna Wintour has rewritten the final chapter of her Vogue reign—on her own terms, with trademark precision, and with the fashion world watching every move.