It’s now been a week since legendary American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour shockingly announced that she was stepping down and seeking a replacement to fill her Manolo Blahnik snakeskin boots.
While Wintour has noted that she will remain as Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, speculation has run wild over who will take over her day-to-day duties at the U.S. publication.
Remarkably, as the names of potential successors continue to be debated, the company has also publicly announced the listing for a new Head of Editorial Content at American Vogue on the job-hunting social media site LinkedIn.
“Condé Nast is hiring a Head of Editorial Content for U.S Vogue,” the bare-bones LinkedIn post, which was first listed earlier this week, reads. “If you are interested, please reach out by email with your resume to condenast@spencerstuart.com.”
Though it is now a generally accepted practice for media companies to post their openings – even for top editorial positions – on LinkedIn, the fact that Condé Nast is doing that to find a replacement for Wintour seems noteworthy, at least on the surface. It may also suggest that the fashion giant may not have actually whittled down the list of candidates to fill that position and is now casting a wider net.
At the same time, the company hasn’t made an official job listing on LinkedIn; instead, it has merely noted that the position is open and provided an email address to express interest. Still, Conde’s method for looking to replace the driving force behind the Met Gala has led to eyebrows being raised.
“Applying for Anna Wintour’s old job through LinkedIn is so based,” one LinkedIn user noted, while another snarked: “crying this was posted on LinkedIn.”
Meanwhile, despite the LinkedIn listing, a bevy of names at both Conde Nast and abroad have been tossed around as the next face of the magazine that Wintour turned into a fashion powerhouse.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the betting favorite to land the job is Architectural Design editor Amy Astley.
“Simply put, she’s been killing it at AD, showcasing the homes of Hollywood A-listers, a list that recently includes Kendall Jenner, Michael Shannon and Lenny Kravitz,” THR noted, adding: “The job feels like Astley’s if she wants it.”
Others who have been floated as taking the mantle are Vogue fashion director Tonne Goodman, British Vogue head of editorial content Chioma Nnadi, The Cut’s editor-in-chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner and Instagram director of fashion partnerships Eva Chen.
The stunning revelation from Wintour, meanwhile, left many of her employees in a state of shock last week. After the 75-year-old – who was the inspiration for the diabolical lead character of The Devil Wears Prada – shared the news in a staff meeting, one employee told The Daily Mail: It was like finding out that God is stepping down from being God.
