Chloe Malle, the 39-year-old digital editor who has spent her entire career at Vogue, was named head of editorial content for the American edition on Tuesday, succeeding Anna Wintour after 37 years. The appointment signals both continuity and transformation for the magazine as it grapples with fundamental questions about what it means to be Vogue in 2025.
Malle, the daughter of actress Candice Bergen and director Louis Malle, will take control of Vogue’s daily operations across print and digital platforms while reporting directly to Wintour, who remains global editorial director and chief content officer for Condé Nast. The arrangement reflects the complexity of modern media leadership, where traditional editor-in-chief roles have evolved into multifaceted positions demanding expertise across platforms, revenue streams, and global markets.
The timing of Malle’s promotion coincides with mounting pressures on fashion publications to redefine their purpose and audience. Just weeks before her appointment, Vogue faced significant backlash over a Guess advertisement featuring an AI-generated model in its August print edition. Though the ad included fine-print disclosure, many readers initially believed the blonde, blue-eyed model was real. The controversy underscored deeper anxieties about authenticity in an industry increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence and digital manipulation.
Malle brings a distinctly digital-first perspective to the role, having served as editor of Vogue.com since 2023 and co-hosting the magazine’s weekly podcast “The Run-Through” since 2022. Her tenure overseeing the website included launching Dogue, a playful digital edition featuring celebrity dogs, and controversial coverage decisions like hiring Jack Schlossberg as a political correspondent and profiling Lauren Sanchez Bezos around her wedding to Jeff Bezos.
In interviews following her appointment, Malle outlined a vision that would fundamentally alter Vogue’s traditional publishing model. She believes print issues should be released less frequently and around specific themes or cultural moments, upending its current monthly schedule. These special editions would be printed on thick, high-quality paper and positioned as collectible items rather than disposable monthly magazines.
The strategy reflects broader industry trends toward premium, limited-edition print products as publishers struggle to maintain relevance in an increasingly digital world. Malle’s vision for the website involves cultivating a smaller, more engaged audience focused on original fashion content rather than chasing viral moments or trending topics.
Her approach represents a departure from the digital strategies that have dominated magazine publishing over the past decade, when publications rushed to maximize online traffic and social media engagement. Instead, Malle appears to be betting on quality over quantity, depth over reach.
The appointment has drawn attention to questions of privilege and nepotism in fashion media. Malle acknowledged her advantages in a recent interview, calling herself a “proud nepo baby” while emphasizing her determination to prove herself beyond her family connections. “There is no question that I have 100% benefited from the privilege I grew up in,” she told The New York Times. “It’s delusional to say otherwise.”
Industry observers view Malle’s selection as characteristic of Wintour’s leadership style, which has historically favored continuity over disruption. Fashion journalist Lauren Sherman described the choice as “practical, reasonable and rational,” noting that Wintour “doesn’t aim to provoke” but “seeks solutions.”
The new editor faces challenges beyond traditional publishing concerns. Fashion magazines must navigate an environment where AI-generated content, virtual influencers, and digital fashion compete for attention with traditional editorial content. Recent months have seen major fashion brands experimenting with AI models while facing criticism from human models and photographers whose livelihoods depend on the industry.
Vogue’s influence extends far beyond magazine sales, serving as a cultural arbiter whose decisions ripple through fashion weeks, red carpets, and social media. The magazine’s embrace or rejection of new technologies and approaches often signals broader industry acceptance.
Malle’s background suggests she may be uniquely positioned to balance these competing pressures. Her 14-year tenure at Vogue spans the magazine’s digital transformation, from her initial role as social editor covering weddings and parties to her current position overseeing all web content. She has written for major publications including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and edited several Vogue books.
The first print issue under Malle’s leadership is expected in 2026, providing time to develop her vision for a more exclusive, collectible product. Meanwhile, her digital strategy will likely be implemented immediately as she takes control of day-to-day operations.
Wintour’s continued oversight ensures significant continuity in Vogue’s direction, but Malle has emphasized the importance of making the position her own. “Vogue has already shaped who I am, now I’m excited at the prospect of shaping Vogue,” she said in a statement announcing her appointment.
The broader question facing Vogue reflects challenges confronting all legacy media brands: how to maintain cultural authority and commercial viability while adapting to radically changed consumption patterns and technological capabilities. Fashion and media are both evolving at breakneck speed, as Malle noted, requiring publications to experiment with new formats and revenue models while preserving their core identity.
For Vogue, that identity has long been built on exclusivity, aspiration, and cultural influence. Whether these values can survive the transition to a digital-first, collectible-print future remains an open question. Malle’s appointment represents a bet that they can, but only through careful evolution rather than revolutionary change.
