The House of Vogue may soon have a new queen — and she comes with impeccable social credentials.
Multiple insiders tell us Anna Wintour, the sunglasses-wearing ice queen who has ruled Vogue for 36 years, is quietly grooming Chloe Malle as her handpicked successor.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Chloe is the daughter of late French director Louis Malle and actress Candice Bergen, making her Manhattan royalty with a Hollywood passport.
Why Chloe? The Social X-Factor
Fashion insiders insist Wintour values pedigree as much as publishing chops, and Chloe, 39, has both. After serving as Vogue’s social editor and contributing writer, she’s built a reputation as a polished, poised insider who moves easily between front-row runway shows and Fifth Avenue charity galas.
“She’s charming in a way Anna likes — not too loud, not too desperate,” says one source. “And she knows everyone who matters.”
The Power of a Soft Landing
If Wintour is indeed preparing to step aside, handing the keys to Vogue to Chloe Malle would be the ultimate legacy move. It keeps the brand within a certain social and cultural stratosphere while avoiding a messy public search that might hand the job to an outsider.
“She’s setting up a smooth transition,” says another industry veteran. “No drama, no outsiders, and certainly no one who would try to dethrone Anna’s legacy.”
Chloe’s Editorial Pedigree
This wouldn’t be Chloe’s first time at the helm of a glossy. She’s contributed to everything from The Paris Review to The New York Times Styles section, curating that signature blend of insider wit and high-society access.
Still, running Vogue would be a leap from society pages to global fashion diplomacy — the job comes with balancing advertisers, celebrity egos, and Condé Nast’s shifting media empire.
Anna’s Quiet Chess Game
If history is any guide, Wintour is a master strategist. She survived the magazine industry’s collapse, the digital pivot, and more than one attempted coup at Condé Nast. Any move she makes now will be calculated down to the seating chart at her farewell dinner.
Some insiders believe Wintour will remain involved in Vogue even after stepping down — perhaps as a “global creative director” emeritus, ensuring her influence lives on through Chloe.
The Succession Show We Didn’t Know We Needed
For fashion-watchers, this is the real-life Succession, with better shoes and sharper tailoring. And if Chloe Malle is indeed next in line, she’s not just inheriting a job — she’s inheriting a brand mythology.
The stakes? Only the survival of Vogue’s dominance in a world where influencers, TikTok stars, and AI-generated “it-girls” are reshaping what style even means.
