Boy, did I get this wrong. Anna Wintour is the Great Survivor. The ultimate editor in chief had a hard 2020. Not only are magazine sales plummeting, Black Lives Matter has placed a spot light on company policies. By her own admittance, Vogue was not a friendly work place for people of color with a lack of diversity. Then came the remarks from ex bff Andre Talley. Speculation was rife, those sunglasses would be packing up, leaving the New York Conde Nast headquarters at the right time.
The past few weeks have major exits of international Vogue editors. Chinese founding head Angelica Cheung departed in November. It was last week, when I got a sudden message, German Vogue chief Christian Arp would leave her position at Conde Nast in December citing personal reasons after 17 years at the magazine. Business of Fashion reported Arp was pushed out. Vogue Spain editor Eugenia de la Torriente resigned last month. What is going on at the publishing house?
Not All On One Card
Conde Nast honcho Roger Lynch has decided to streamline operations as well as have one voice over all 30 titles. Ms. Wintour’s new titles are Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director of Vogue. Thankfully, I do not think she needs to worry about putting all that on a business card. Lynch states, “Anna’s appointment represents a pivotal moment for Condé Nast as her ability to stay ahead in connecting with new audiences.” An interesting comment given the realities of the past year.
The more interesting variable is the rise of Vogue UK chief Edward Einnful. His approach has made the title relevant. Mr. Einnful will oversee France, Germany, Spain and Italy Vogue editions.
It is no secret magazines have struggled over the past years. Vogue and Conde Nast have not kept up with the times. Ad budgets have spread across different platforms. Print sales have declined. Titles have closed. Staff layoffs. How does this new deck chair arrangement change the present landscape for Conde Nast? Instagram and Tik Tok have become the place for instant fashion influence and inspiration. I see cost savings in this revamp, but no fresh ideas. That could be a continuing problem for the Vogue team.