By Bronte Harb and Sophie James

Chloe Malle has been appointed the new editor-in-chief of Vogue’s US edition, taking over from Anna Wintour in one of the most closely watched leadership transitions in the fashion media world.

The announcement was made on September 1, with Condé Nast confirming Malle will oversee the American edition while Wintour steps back from day-to-day duties.

Wintour will remain as Vogue’s global editorial director — overseeing its 28 international editions — and as chief content officer of Condé Nast, publisher of Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair.

Who is Chloe Malle?

After studying at Brown University, Malle began her career in journalism and wrote for publications including The New York Times, Town & Country and The Paris Review.

At 39, she represents a generational shift for Vogue. Born into a prominent creative family, she is the daughter of actress Candice Bergen and the French filmmaker Louis Malle.

Although some critics have alluded to nepotism in her appointment, Malle acknowledged her privileged background in an interview with The New York Times, saying: “There is no question that I have 100 per cent benefited from the privilege I grew up in. It’s delusional to say otherwise.

“It has always made me work much harder. It has been a goal for much of my life to prove that I’m more than Candice Bergen’s daughter”

Malle joined Vogue in 2011 as social editor, and later expanded her role in digital publishing. Most recently, she co-hosted The Run-Through with Vogue podcast.

In the most recent episode of the Vogue podcast, Anna Wintour strongly defended her successor’s merits, saying Malle “really had to prove herself during the interview process,” and adding that “Chloe consistently came back with the clearest vision and the most original ideas” among a field of strong contenders.

Wintour’s legacy

Wintour has been editor-in-chief of American Vogue for 37 years.

Born in 1949 in the United Kingdom and raised by a British father and American mother, she joined Vogue in 1988 as editor.

Her debut cover for the fashion magazine was in November 1988 when she famously put Israeli model Michaela Bercu in a pair of jeans with a $10,000 Christian Lacroix couture jacket.

The bold move away from the magazine’s traditional, glamorous covers firmly established her as an icon within the fashion industry.

Wintour herself, in an interview for Vogue in 2012, said that even the magazine printers called to check if there had been a mistake.

She added: “It was so unlike the studied and elegant close-ups that were typical of Vogue’s covers back then, with tons of make-up and major jewellery. This one broke all the rules.”

Fast forward a year later from her debut issue, and Wintour again rocked the fashion world by putting celebrities, such as Madonna, on the cover.

But what made Wintour was her elevation to the chair of the Met Gala in 1995.

Held on the first Monday of May, the Met Gala is an annual haute couture fundraising and fashion event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.

A mix of celebrities, models and movie stars converge, dressed in couture gowns that are themselves works of arts, all featuring that year’s theme.

Wintour transformed the night into one of the most exclusive fashion events, and one which embraced celebrity culture.

Her personal style as editor also became the inspiration for a book and subsequent film, The Devil Wears Prada, that further cemented her legend.

Former assistant to Wintour, Lauren Weisberger, wrote the novel of which the 2006 film version became a fashion cult classic, starring Meryl Streep as the icy Miranda Priestly.

In her announcement released in Vogue, Malle said: “Fashion and media are both evolving at breakneck speed… I also feel incredibly fortunate to still have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.”

What’s the future of Vogue?

Wintour’s decision to step down from the role was simple, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter, the restructuring within Condé Nast has allowed her to expand her role as global editorial director, still remaining in charge while mentoring Malle as the new editor-in-chief.

According to the New York Times, Malle has already begun shaping her vision for Vogue, which includes producing fewer but more collectable print editions timed with major cultural moments, moving away from the magazine’s traditional monthly schedule.

Malle’s digital expertise could expand Vogue’s multi-media storytelling while maintaining its prestige.

With Wintour still in a senior role, the industry will watch how Malle balances tradition and innovation in her first few months.

Main image by Nicola/Flickr.