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Anna Wintour steps down: Did Vogue editor really inspire Miranda Priestly from Devil Wears Prada? Here's the truth
Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue editor in chief in a move that has rocked the fashion industry
Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue editor in chief in a move that has rocked the fashion industry. The 75-year-old, who will still remain the chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue, is now seeking a head of editorial content to handle more of the day-to-day operations.
Wintour, according to the Associated Press, broke the news to Vogue staff in a meeting earlier Thursday. “Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas," she said. The 75-year-old transformed Vogue during her decades at the magazine. She was named creative director in 1983, served as editor in chief of British Vogue from 1985 to 1987 then rejoined the American title as editor in chief.
Read More: Anna Wintour net worth: Here's how much Vogue's editor-in-chief made before stepping down
However, her role at Vogue received massive media attention after ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was first published. There has been a years-long speculation about Wintour being the inspiration behind Miranda Priestly, the character Meryl Streep played in the film.
Did Anna Wintour really inspire ‘The Devil Wears Prada’?
The connection between Wintour and Priestly is widely accepted but nuanced. Lauren Weisberger, Wintour’s former assistant at Vogue from 1999 to 2000, wrote The Devil Wears Prada based on her experiences. The novel depicts Priestly as the demanding editor of Runway, a fictional magazine mirroring Vogue, with a sharp bob, sunglasses, and exacting demeanor—traits closely associated with Wintour.
However, Weisberger has consistently denied Priestly is a direct portrayal of Wintour, calling the character a “fictionalized composite” inspired by various fashion figures. In a 2024 BBC interview, Wintour sidestepped the comparison, saying, “I leave it to others to decide,” and noted she enjoyed the film.
Meryl Streep, in a 2024 Variety interview, said she drew inspiration from multiple sources, including Diana Vreeland and Wintour’s “economy of words,” but not Wintour alone.
