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Back in June, we reported on the news that Anna Wintour would be stepping down as editor of Vogue after 37 years.
At the time, there were whispers about potential replacements, but it was much too soon to jump to any conclusions with regard to successors.
But now, it seems that the early front-runner will indeed ascend to the throne.
And the choice has created quite a bit of controversy on social media.
Chloe Malle promotion prompts ‘nepo baby’ criticism online
Chloe Malle was announced this morning as the new editor-in-chief of the American edition of Vogue.
As the heir to arguably the most famous editor in the world, the 39-year-old industry veteran will essentially become the fashion world’s top arbiter of taste.
“Fashion and media are both evolving at breakneck speed, and I am so thrilled—and awed—to be part of that,” says Malle in a statement published by Vogue today. “I also feel incredibly fortunate to still have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.”
“When it came to hiring someone to edit American Vogue, letting me turn my attention more intensely to Vogue’s multifaceted growth across its global audiences and publications and events like the Met Gala and Vogue World, I knew I had one chance to get it right,” Wintour reportedly told her team ahead of the announcement.
Chloe first went to work for Vogue as the magazine’s social editor back in 2011, when she was just 25.
She has since risen through the ranks, and in recent years, Chloe has served as a contributing editor as well as the host of the Vogue podcast.
So no one’s doubting that she has the necessary experience and qualifications.
But many folks have pointed out that as the daughter of Emmy-winning actress and acclaimed film director Louis Malle, Chloe enjoyed certain advantages during her meteoric rise.
Generally, well-intentioned “nepo baby” discourse has little to do with talent and everything to do with opportunity.
For the most part, stars with famous last names are not lacking in ability, but Chloe is obviously not on a level playing field with someone who is equally talented and ambitious, but who was raised by a bus driver and a school teacher.
At the end of the day, of course, no one is promoted to such an important post simply because of their connections or famous name.
Wintour is as highly regarded for her ability to recognize talent as she is for her impeccable sense of style, and she feels that Malle is worthy of taking up the mantle at Vogue.
“Chloe has long been one of Vogue’s secret weapons when it comes to tracking fashion. But she is not so buried in the industry that she misses the world: Like the best designers, she understands fashion’s big picture, its role shaping not just what’s on the runway but the changing fabric of modern life,” she said today, adding:
“Although she is no stranger to the glamour of red carpets, her talent has been for original thinking and hard work.”
We congratulate Chloe and wish her all the best in her new role.
Chloe Malle, Daughter of Candice Bergen, Named Anna Wintour’s Successor at … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.