Anna Wintour to step down as Vogue editor-in-chief after 37 years, ending an era of American fashion

Anna Wintour, an icon in the fashion industry who has been at the helm of Vogue for nearly four decades, will be stepping down as editor-in-chief, according to a number of sources including Women’s Wear Daily and The Business of Fashion.

Wintour told staffers on Thursday that the company is seeking a new head of editorial content at American Vogue, per USA Today. She will remain as Condé Nast’s chief content officer and as Vogue’s global editorial director.

She is best known for her impeccable sense of fashion—immortalized by her famous bob hairstyle, large sunglasses, and Georgiancollet necklaces—as well as for helming the Met Gala, considered one of the fashion world’s most exclusive social events.

As a businesswoman, she has been criticized and praised for her direct, take-no-prisoners “girl boss” management style, which was immortalized in the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada, in which Meryl Streep played Miranda Priestly, a character rumored to be inspired by Wintour.

Wintour—who is British, but became a U.S. citizen in 1972 after marrying child psychologist David Shaffer—has presided over Vogue since 1988, making it the “fashion bible” that it is today.

As chief content officer, Wintour oversees a number of Condé Nast brands, including: Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, Bon Appétit, Tatler, The World of Interiors, Allure, and others, except The New Yorker, which editor David Remnick runs.