Earlier this summer, Anna Wintour stepped down from her role as editor-in-chief of Vogue. But she’s still calling the shots at Conde Nast as chief content officer, overseeing all the storied publisher’s magazines (except for the New Yorker). As we speak, Wintour has been toiling behind the scenes to put on her annual fall conference known as Vogue World, set in Los Angeles for its fourth edition.
And Wintour, who turns 76 next month, has been trying to keep the magazine business afloat. Intrigue over the inner-workings of Condé Nast have been high in recent months. Her successor at Vogue, Chloe Malle, made waves when she said that the fashion magazine might be printing less than monthly. And her appointment of Mark Guiducci, a former Vogue employee, as the new head of Vanity Fair creatd controversy (numerous reports suggested that the 36-year-old got the job as a result of a friendship with Wintour’s daughter).
Over the summer, Wintour also visited the White House twice to advocate for lower tariffs on fashion — an admission that will raise eyebrows, given Wintour’s 2018 comment that the president would never again be welcome at the annual Met Gala. But like many in the media, the Democratic bundler’s opposition to Trump has observably softened since his second term began.
Through it all, Wintour remains the face of the publishing empire — and still appears in public donning her signature glasses. She wore them in a 21-minute Zoom conversation with Variety (giving us an extra minute over the allotted time), fielding our questions as she glanced down at her incessantly buzzing phone.
Back to Vogue World, the live event — taking place at Paramount Pictures lot — will team some of Hollywood’s biggest costume designers with fashion houses. The pairings include Colleen Atwood with Alexander McQueen, Milena Canonero with Louis Vuitton, Ruth Carter with Balmain, Catherine Martin with Miu Miu, Arianne Phillips with Marc Jacobs, Sandy Powell with Valentino and Jacqueline West with ALAÏA. All proceeds from the event will benefit victims of January’s devastating L.A. wildfires, via the Entertainment Community Fund.
Here, Wintour dishes on film and fashion’s longtime marriage, the thinking behind her succession plans and a little sequel called “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
Why Hollywood for the next edition of Vogue World?
We were very clear in our minds that we wanted to go to Hollywood next, and to help a community impacted by COVID and [the 2023 labor] strikes.
You’re pairing veteran movie costume designers with iconic fashion houses. What tone are you trying to strike?
We’re not suggesting for one minute that this Vogue World is going to be a nostalgic attempt to bring back an Old Hollywood – it’s to highlight the incredible work that comes out of Hollywood now, and how it needs to evolve and modernize. While the wildfires happened after we chose the location, the impetus was even more urgent and important to us afterward. We’re thankful to have the support of Governor Newsom, and David Ellison at Paramount has been remarkably supportive and a joy to work with.
Many of Hollywood’s rank-and-file workers need this kind of attention at the moment, especially with runaway production.
We’re going through an extraordinary time of change in the fashion industry, and in the film industry. We recognize that and want to help move things forward. Especially for the costume designers, who we’ll give very special recognition during this show.
Speaking of tremendous change, many people noted your recent visit to the White House to talk about tarrifs. What was the result of that meeting?
I’ve been twice. The President, the Vice President and the chief of staff were amazingly open to everything that we were talking about. The fashion industry itself is already highly tariffed at 12.5%, so anything on top of that would be stacking. We’re seeking clarity, and looking at a reality where small business – the tariffs can amount to as much as their payroll. The President talks so much about how important America creativity and American traditions are, particularly as we look towards the 250th anniversary of [the country]. How can we support the creativity and designers who want to make things in America? With tariffs so high, it’s going to become more and more challenging to do so.
The President is no stranger to the art of the deal, did he try to barter a Vogue cover for anyone in his family?
That didn’t come up.
We’ve seen a few big changes come down at Conde Nast in the past week weeks, like Chloe Malle being named editorial director at Vogue. What does “stepping back” from day-to-day at Vogue mean to you, and do you think you’ll be spending extended periods of time outside of New York?
I’m already in Europe a great deal, and I’m visiting the Middle East twice. We recently took back our licenses in Dubai, and had incredibly successful launches of four titles there – Conde Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Vogue and GQ. When I first joined Conde Nast, we were a print publication media company. Now, we look at content from so many different directions – digital, video or even from a film perspective. Our titles have individual studios. Our major events – the Vanity Fair Oscar party, the Met and Vogue World – we plan them not just for our U.S. company but for our global collaborators. And, obviously, being a mentor and a support for newer editors such as Chloe and Mark Guiducci at Vanity Fair. We have an amazing new editor in London, Talib Choudhry at House and Garden. My focus is working with the incredible talent that we have around the world.
The Vanity Fair editorship is an important job in Hollywood. How do you think Mark is doing so far?
I think you have to give him a minute, but he’s really focusing on finding new voices. You’ll see his vision start to take hold in November-December for awards season. I’m very impressed with what he’s thinking, he’s a very collaborative person and his team is excited and happy to be working with him.
When did you meet Mark?
His first job was at Vanity Fair. I’m not sure if I met him there, but I certainly hired him at Vogue quite soon after that. He’s been working with me very closely. When I was talking to him about the position at Vanity Fair, once we decided to give him the job, I said, “Mark, do this job but you have to be my Vogue World partner up until the last possible moment!” I’m thrilled to have him.
Some have noted the title “Editor-in-Chief” is going out of fashion. You’re using “editorial director” now. What’s the thinking behind that choice?
It’s about change and coming up with titles that represent what the people in those positions actually do. Our thinking was “editor-in-chief” represented a certain time. All our editors, wherever they may be in the world, have their names in the center of a big circle with all of these spokes coming out. The job now is about building community through content on social, video, film, events, philanthropy and print. For Vogue, print is our runway. It may not reach the hugest audiences the way we do with livestreaming for Vogue World, but we show it to a contained world and then push it out to the world through different platforms.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is currently in production. Did you ever imagine, 20 years ago, this film would become what it has?
I rest assured in the fact that I understand everyone is very excited about the script. It’s a wonderful tribute to Meryl [Streep], Anne [Hathaway], Emily [Blunt] and Stanley [Tucci]. They’ve all come back with big smiles on their faces. But this also represents how important the world of fashion is, and not just to Hollywood. I was at the U.S. Open recently, watching a tennis player go out onto Arthur Ashe and they were putting silver tennis balls in her hair. The whole world understands how fashion represents personality and character and individuality and creativity, and how wonderful is that? I’m thrilled that the film is coming back, but I’m especially thrilled because it shows how resonant to all parts of our different communities fashion is.
Any chance they roped you in for a cameo in the sequel?
Well, you’ll have to ask Meryl that.
When you were named editor-in-chief of Vogue in 1988, you were ahead of the curve in understanding the importance between celebrities, Hollywood and fashion. How does that manifest today?
It was very moving reading all these extraordinary tributes to Giorgio Armani and remembering how he was one of the very first to understand the importance of this marriage between film and fashion, and how they influence one another. Today, we look at designers like Anthony Vaccarello, whose doing so well with Saint Laurent Productions, building on work like Baz and Chanel or Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière with Emma Stone. We support and admire each other. Fashion does not exist in a silo. What goes out on the runway is influenced by so many different factors, and I would say of the most important is film.
