Sometimes, art imitates life in the most remarkable of ways. In a stunning piece of industry news, it was announced that Chloe Malle, daughter of actress Candice Bergen and famed director Louis Malle, will be the new head of editorial content at American Vogue. The news is made all the more poetic by the fact that her mother once famously played a similar role on screen, a fictional editor-in-chief who was a force of nature in the publishing world. Now, Malle is stepping into the real-life shoes of a fashion titan, taking over for the legendary Anna Wintour, and in doing so, is continuing a family legacy that spans generations and genres.
A Dynasty in Publishing
The news that Chloe Malle, at 39, has been appointed to the top editorial role at Vogue sent a ripple of excitement through the fashion and media worlds. Her new position marks a significant changing of the guard, as she succeeds the unparalleled Anna Wintour, who held the title of editor-in-chief for 37 years. But for fans of pop culture, the appointment is a moment of cinematic synchronicity. Malle’s mother, the award-winning actress Candice Bergen, is beloved for her memorable recurring role as Enid Frick on Sex and the City.
Enid Frick was a cold and wonderful “diva of publishing,” as showrunner Michael Patrick King described her, and her character was the editor-in-chief of Vogue when Carrie Bradshaw was contracted to write a column for the celebrated magazine. The connection was so clear that Carrie Bradshaw even quipped, “Did I just bump into Anna Wintour?” The character, who first appeared in season 4, became a fan favorite, returning for later seasons and reprising her role in the sequel series And Just Like That… In a delightful twist of fate, the on-screen publishing dynasty of the Bergens has now become a reality, with a daughter following her mother’s footsteps into the highest echelons of the fashion world.
Stepping into an Icon’s Shoes
To take the reins from Anna Wintour is to step into a role that has been synonymous with power, influence, and mystique for nearly four decades. With her signature pageboy bob haircut and dark sunglasses, Wintour, who will continue as Condé Nast’s global chief content officer and Vogue‘s global editorial director, has been the most powerful and well-known person in publishing. She revolutionized Vogue, transforming it from a mere fashion magazine into a global cultural institution and a launching pad for designers. She also, famously, turned the annual Met Gala into the Super Bowl of fashion, a singular event that cemented her legacy.
Wintour’s cool demeanor and exacting standards made her a pop culture figure in her own right. Her legendary reputation as a demanding boss became the inspiration for the character of Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, in the hit film The Devil Wears Prada. Malle is fully aware of the immense responsibility and high expectations that come with this new chapter, telling Vogue in her announcement, “I also feel incredibly fortunate to still have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.” Wintour herself expressed confidence in Malle, praising her ability to find “the balance between American Vogue’s long, singular history and its future on the front lines of the new.”
Chloe Malle: A Career Built on Words and Wit
Though her parentage has often been a topic of public interest—she has described herself as a “proud nepo baby”—Chloe Malle has spent a decade diligently carving her own career path. A graduate of Brown University, where she studied comparative literature and writing, she began her professional life as a real estate writer for the New York Observer. She then freelanced for publications like the New York Times Style section before her “big break” in 2011, when she landed a job as a full-time social editor at Vogue. It was a position she hadn’t originally sought, but she admitted to being “so seduced by the Vogue machine that I couldn’t resist.”
From there, she steadily rose through the ranks, covering everything from celebrity weddings to high-profile parties. In recent years, she has been a key player in Vogue‘s expansion into the digital space. She was the editor of Vogue.com, where under her leadership, direct traffic to the website doubled. She also co-hosted the successful weekly podcast, The Run-Through with Vogue, showcasing her sharp wit and deep knowledge of the industry. Her career trajectory demonstrates a keen understanding of both the traditional and modern sides of media, a balance that will be essential as she leads the magazine in a rapidly changing landscape.
The Next Chapter for Vogue
The appointment of Chloe Malle, effective immediately, ahead of the upcoming New York Fashion Week, signals a new era for Vogue. While Wintour will still be a presence at the top of the masthead, Malle will be responsible for the day-to-day editorial and creative operations of the magazine, a role that no longer carries the “editor-in-chief” title. This shift in structure is indicative of a broader transformation at Condé Nast, which has openly declared itself “no longer a magazine company” but a “global media company.”
Malle’s background in digital media and her ability to tell stories across different platforms will be a major asset as she navigates this new world. She enters a position with both the weight of a legendary legacy and the freedom to shape a new future. For a magazine whose influence is embedded in the cultural code, a leader whose own family history is so closely intertwined with the very pop culture universe it helps to define, is a compelling, and perhaps perfect, fit for the next chapter.
