Hang your Chanel jackets at half-mast and cue Vogue by Madonna, because word on the street is: Anna Wintour is retiring from American Vogue.

Yes. The Anna. The sunglasses. The bob. The woman who invented fashion’s scariest resting face and somehow made sitting front row a spiritual calling. After nearly 40 years at the helm of Condé Nast’s most sacred fashion bible, Anna is allegedly stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue US. And we are not emotionally prepared.

To be clear, she’s not exactly riding off into the sunset with Karl Lagerfeld’s ghost. According to reports from WWD, People, and the fashion whisper network, Anna announced in a June 2025 staff meeting that she’ll be leaving her current EIC post—but remaining Global Chief Content Officer. Which feels a bit like when your mum says she’s “retired” but still replies all on office emails and runs three meetings a week.

Regardless, it’s the end of an era.

Anna became editor-in-chief back in 1988. That’s 37 years of directing trends, closing covers, approving (and denying) Met Gala invites, and gracefully surviving the TikTokification of fashion. Imagine navigating the Y2K revival and Kim Kardashian’s Balenciaga era in one career? Legendary behaviour.

But the real question is: Who’s next? Maybe these three:

Because if this really is Anna’s last bow (and she hasn’t formally confirmed anything yet), someone’s going to have to inherit those very pointy stilettos.

Here are the top contenders being whispered about louder than a front row side-eye:

• Taylor Antrim, current deputy editor at US Vogue, is a safe bet. He’s already in the family.
• Bee Shaffer (Wintour), Anna’s daughter, could be a wildcard Succession-style twist. A touch of dynasty never hurt anyone.
• Chloe Malle, editor of Vogue.com and daughter of actual Candice Bergen, is another strong contender. (Vogue loves a good name. Preferably one that sounds like it owns three châteaus.)

Let’s not forget: when Edward Enninful stepped down from British Vogue in 2023, he was replaced by Chioma Nnadi, editor of US Vogue’s digital site at the time. Which only adds more fuel to the Chloe Malle theory.

Still, Anna hasn’t made a formal statement. So technically, she’s still perched in that sacred corner office, probably sipping green juice while reviewing spring couture looks and deciding whether red is “in” this year.

But if the reports are true, this could be fashion’s biggest passing of the torch since Phoebe Philo left Céline. We’re bracing ourselves.

And yes, we fully support someone popping Champagne outside the Met Gala just because.