Anna Wintour has been editor-in-chief of Vogue U.S. for 38 years and the belle of the ball in New York fashion circles. She is considered one of the most influential people in fashion. Wintour is a pop-culture icon who inspired the blockbuster film The Devil Wears Prada, and is often labeled as the pinnacle of taste world-wide. Now, Wintour is taking a step back and passing the reins to the next generation. 

Chloe Malle, daughter of actress Candace Bergen and writer/director Louis Malle, has taken over Vogue U.S. While Malle is technically the editor-in-chief, her title is head of editorial content. This is mostly due to the expansion of vogue.com, Vogue’s social media, and other digital content formats. Malle’s new title is just the tip of the iceberg for her modernization of Vogue. 

Malle began her time at Vogue in 2011 working as the head of all social media and weddings. She was promoted in 2016 to contributing editor. Malle’s writings are also featured in other publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Malle took over vogue.com operations in 2023 and traffic to the site has doubled since. In 2024, she hired Jack Schlossberg (a member of the Kennedy family) to be Vogue’s face for election coverage. This move was unexpected; however, it was extremely successful. Schlossberg became a hit on social media, using his youth to attract a younger demographic to the political side of Vogue. 

It’s not easy to follow in Anna Wintour’s footsteps. A comparison which comes to mind is John Adams becoming President after George Washington or Cam Newton’s run as quarterback for the New England Patriots after Tom Brady left the team. Despite the challenge, Malle is determined to make her mark on Vogue. 

In an interview with the New York Times, Malle stated, “Placing my own stamp on this is going to be the most important part of this being a success. There has to be a noticeable shift that makes this mine.”

Part of her plan is to get rid of the monthly printing schedule. This is a big change considering Vogue has had a monthly printing schedule for over half a century. As of now, it is unclear whether fans of the magazine and those in the fashion industry will be accepting of this as well as the other changes Malle will undoubtedly make. Bringing something classic into the modern era is a delicate dance. Hopefully, Malle can handle the steps.