It was a sunny Thursday afternoon on June 26th when news broke that shook the fashion industry.
After 37 years of presiding over the US Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour announced her departure from Editor-in-Chief of the fashion publication. The 75 year old, known for her iconic blunt bob and black sunglasses, decided to shift her focus to a more global position as Conde Nast’s (Vogue’s parent company) Global Chief Content Officer.
Wintour’s tenacity and lifespan as Editor-in-Chief of US Vogue led fashion enthusiasts across the globe to assume that her reign was far from over, but her abrupt exit caused them to pose a new question: Who could possibly fill her shoes?
It turns out that question would be answered much sooner than anticipated. While some thought a current luxury fashion designer like Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford could take the wheel, others hoped a fresh face could breathe life into the magazine. After a mere two months, Vogue announced the US Editor-in-Chief position was to be handed over to Chloe Malle, a 39 year old who had worked for the company as an editor since 2011.
Though this trivial promotion could seem insignificant to many, Malle’s hiring reflects a growing trend we have started to see in today’s society. If the last name Malle seems familiar to you, it may be since Chloe’s father, Louis Malle, is a renowned French filmmaker, and Malle’s mother, Candince Bergen, is an actress that has starred in projects such as Miss Congeniality and Sex and The City.
That’s right, the new Editor-in-Chief of US Vogue is none other than a “nepo baby.”
The term “nepo baby” has emerged more frequently in recent years. For those unfamiliar, nepo is short for nepotism, meaning the act of gaining an advantage due to one of your powerful relatives. Kendall Jenner, Lily-Rose Depp, Hailey Bieber, and many more stars of today have notable parents that they have benefitted from and you may not even know it.
Many instances of controversy against these prestigious children have broken out in recent years. With the aforementioned Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of prominent actor Johnny Depp, significant criticism about her acting was brought to attention after her debut performance in 2023’s The Idol. The show’s first season received a shocking 19% on Rotten Tomatoes and gave many a negative perception of nepo babies and their skill.
“Many nepo babies don’t have to work for what they get,”said senior Coco Henretta. “It can sometimes be unfair and can take away from people who might be even better at a certain job. Fame does not equal talent.”
While some believe that a person’s lineage has an inherent impact on someone’s performance or opportunities, others feel differently about this growing trend.“I don’t think being a nepo baby impacts how hardworking a person is, and many of them are really exciting to watch,” said junior Shea Milliman. “I love seeing people like Romy Mars [director Sofia Coppola’s daughter] on social media. If they are honest about their status then I don’t think it’s an issue.”
Malle has acknowledged the privilege she has gained due to the possibilities provided to her from her parents. “There is no question that I have 100% benefited from the privilege I grew up in,” she told The New York Times. “It’s delusional to say otherwise. I will say, though, that it has always made me work much harder. It has been a goal for a lot of my life to prove that I’m more than Candice Bergen’s daughter, or someone who grew up in Beverly Hills.”
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for US Vogue under Malle’s control. Quickly, we will be able to tell if Malle is really up to par for the elite publication or simply worked her way up to the top based on her upbringing. If she does a successful job of pushing the envelope and making a name for herself, we could see a change in how society views the ever growing number of nepo babies.
