Anna Wintour Continues Role as Met Gala Chairperson

After nearly four decades of reigning with an iron fist, Anna Wintour is stepping down from her fiery throne as editor-in-chief of American Vogue.

According to an announcement yesterday, June 26, by the magazine, the British-American fashion media executive will continue in her roles as global editorial director for Vogue and chief content officer for Condé Nast. But her departure from her long-held position at the helm of the magazine’s United States edition sent shockwaves big enough to give Carrie Bradshaw a panic attack — and raised questions about the status of her related work, such as her role as longtime chair of the Met Gala.

Primarily recognized for shepherding countless style trends and designers’ careers, Wintour is also known for turning the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser benefit for its Costume Institute into one of the most important events in the fashion industry. She began co-chairing the Met Gala in 1995, and a source close to Vogue confirmed to Hyperallergic that Wintour will remain in this position.

Wintour’s influence over the benefit, which began in 1948, has resulted in numerous changes to the event, from its scheduling (it is now traditionally held on the first Monday of May) to its notoriously exclusive invitation-only guest list. It has also garnered her plenty of criticism, as many have scrutinized the charity event’s increasingly exorbitant price tag and sometimes problematic themes like 2023’s celebration of Karl Lagerfeld.

During her time as co-chair, many have called for a boycott of the event entirely, and in 2024, the red carpet reverberated with the echoes of hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters marching throughout Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

While it remains to be seen who will succeed Wintour in the coveted Vogue role, it appears that she’ll continue to head the Met Gala, at least for now.