The fashion world just got its biggest news in decades.
The announcement that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue has sent ripples through the fashion industry. After months of speculation about who would succeed the legendary Anna Wintour, Condé Nast has made it official – and the choice might surprise you.
This isn’t just any ordinary job change. We’re talking about one of the most powerful positions in fashion, the role that can make or break designers, launch careers, and decide what millions of Americans will wear next season.
The news that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue marks the end of an era and the beginning of something completely new.
Who is Chloe Malle Anyway?
Before we dive into how Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue, let’s talk about who she actually is. At 39, Malle has been quietly climbing the ladder at Vogue for 14 years – but her story starts way before that.
She’s the daughter of two pretty famous people: actress Candice Bergen (you might know her from “Murphy Brown” or as Charlotte’s snooty friend in “Sex and the City”) and the late French film director Louis Malle. Her grandfather was ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, which makes Charlie McCarthy technically her “uncle.”
But here’s the thing – Malle didn’t just coast on her family connections. She started at the bottom and worked her way up, proving that the decision for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue was based on merit, not just her Hollywood pedigree.
Malle joined Vogue in 2011 as a social editor, covering “weddings, parties, and fun, fluffy things,” as she once described it. She worked her way up to contributing editor, then to editor of Vogue.com, and now she’s co-hosting the magazine’s popular podcast “The Run-Through with Vogue.”
What This Means for Anna Wintour
Don’t think that because Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue, Anna Wintour is disappearing completely. Far from it.
Wintour is staying on as Condé Nast’s Global Chief Content Officer and Vogue’s Global Editorial Director. She’ll oversee all the international editions of Vogue plus other magazines like GQ, Vanity Fair, and Architectural Digest.
The 75-year-old fashion icon told candidates she was looking for someone “whom she could empower to transform the brand into a live-action content machine” while she focuses on mentoring regional editors around the world.
Wintour will still have enormous influence, but she’s ready to let someone else handle the day-to-day challenges of putting together America’s most important fashion magazine.
The fact that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue with Wintour’s blessing says a lot about how much the veteran editor trusts her judgment.
Why Malle Got the Job
According to fashion insiders, the choice for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue came down to practicality. She beat out other candidates like Sara Moonves (editor of W magazine) and Nicole Phelps (who runs Vogue Runway and Vogue Business) because she was the safest choice.
“Wintour doesn’t aim to provoke. She seeks solutions, and Malle is the path of least resistance,” wrote fashion journalist Lauren Sherman in Puck News. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but in the high-stakes world of fashion publishing, being the “reasonable, rational choice” is actually pretty valuable.
Staff members apparently love working with Malle, describing her as dependable, creative, and – crucially – someone who understands both Vogue’s history and its digital future.
The decision for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue also makes sense because she’s already proven she can handle big stories. She interviewed Lauren Sanchez for Vogue’s June cover story about her wedding to Jeff Bezos, and she’s been managing the website’s editorial direction for years.
The Nepo Baby Controversy
Let’s address the obvious issue. The announcement that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue has some people talking about nepotism. Her famous parents certainly didn’t work against her, but her 14-year track record at the magazine suggests this appointment is about more than just family connections.
“The fashion industry will support Malle in this position, and her pedigree will add to the allure,” Sherman noted. Having Hollywood connections isn’t exactly a liability when your job involves photographing celebrities and getting them to wear designer clothes.
Plus, Malle has demonstrated real digital savvy – something that’s crucial as traditional magazines struggle to stay relevant. She launched that quirky “Dogue” digital issue featuring celebrity dogs, which sounds silly but actually showed she understands how to create viral content.
The choice for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue reflects the reality that fashion magazines need editors who can navigate both high fashion and popular culture.
What Changes Are Coming?
Now that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue, what can readers expect? The role has been renamed from “Editor-in-Chief” to “Head of Editorial Content,” which hints at a more digital-focused approach.
Malle will be responsible for both the print magazine and the website, plus overseeing video content, social media, and the podcast. She’s expected to focus on making Vogue more of a “live-action content machine” – industry speak for creating more videos, social media content, and interactive experiences.
“Fashion and media are both evolving at breakneck speed, and I am so thrilled — and awed — to be part of that,” Malle said in a statement. “I also feel incredibly fortunate to still have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.”
The fact that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue right before New York Fashion Week (which starts September 11) suggests she’ll be thrown into the deep end immediately.
Industry Reactions
The fashion world’s response to news that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue has been cautiously positive. People seem relieved that Wintour chose someone from within the organization who understands the magazine’s culture.
“At a moment of change both within fashion and outside it, Vogue must continue to be both the standard-bearer and the boundary-pushing leader,” Wintour said in her statement. “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.”
Some observers have compared this transition to what happened at Kellogg, where breaking up the company into focused units created more value for shareholders. The decision for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue while Wintour focuses on global strategy could work similarly.
The Pressure is Real
Let’s be honest – the pressure that comes with having Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue is enormous. She’s taking over from someone who’s been called the most powerful person in fashion, a woman who can make or break careers with a single decision.
Wintour transformed Vogue from a fashion magazine into a cultural institution. Under her leadership, the magazine’s September issue became an event, the Met Gala turned into fashion’s biggest night, and “Vogue” became synonymous with high fashion around the world.
Now Malle has to maintain that influence while adapting to a completely different media landscape. Young people get their fashion inspiration from TikTok and Instagram, not glossy magazines. Traditional advertising is declining, and everyone’s competing for shorter attention spans.
The success of having Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue will depend on her ability to honor the magazine’s legacy while making it relevant for a new generation.
What About the Competition?
The timing for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue is particularly interesting because the entire fashion media landscape is changing rapidly. Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Marie Claire are all fighting for relevance, while new digital-first publications are grabbing younger audiences.
Social media influencers now have more impact on what people buy than traditional fashion editors. Celebrities are launching their own fashion lines and bypassing magazines altogether to reach consumers directly.
Malle will need to figure out how to make Vogue essential in this new world. The magazine can’t just rely on its prestige anymore – it needs to provide real value to readers who have endless options for fashion content.
The fact that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue suggests Condé Nast believes she can navigate these challenges better than outsiders who don’t understand the brand’s DNA.
Looking to the Future
The announcement that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue represents more than just a changing of the guard – it’s a bet on the future of fashion media.
Malle represents a generation that grew up with the internet but still understands the power of print. She’s young enough to connect with Gen Z consumers but experienced enough to maintain relationships with luxury advertisers and high-end designers.
“I actually love working with Anna, because I love someone telling me exactly what needs to be done and exactly what she thinks about something,” Malle once said. “There’s no indecision.” That suggests she’ll bring the same decisive leadership style that made Wintour so successful.
The decision for Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue also signals that the fashion industry values continuity. Rather than bringing in an outsider to make big changes, Condé Nast chose someone who understands the magazine’s culture and can evolve it gradually.
As New York Fashion Week approaches and Malle prepares to take the reins, the entire fashion world will be watching to see how she handles one of the most scrutinized jobs in media. The fact that Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue might just be the beginning of a new chapter in fashion history – one that balances tradition with innovation, prestige with accessibility, and print with digital.
Only time will tell if this appointment will be remembered as a brilliant succession plan or a missed opportunity for revolutionary change. But one thing’s for sure: having Chloe Malle become top editor at American Vogue means the magazine won’t be boring anytime soon.
