Some Chloe Marfans, many in the publishing world, are worried that at a critical time for Vogue, she will look like she’s being put on the children’s table at this year’s Met Ball.
A widely respected publishing star, she already faces an enviable challenge. While her predecessor, Anna Wintour, remains a dominant presence both in the magazine world and in culture at large, she will be at the helm of the fashion bible.
Months after her appointment, insiders are furious that the Met Gala’s highly formal organizational structure could be seen as an unnatural display of the position of Malle, who tenaciously rose through the magazine’s ranks from junior social media editor to head of Vogue.com to Wintour’s successor.
For decades, Wintour has enjoyed mutually reinforcing her dual roles, using her position as Vogue editor-in-chief to reinvent the Costume Institute’s annual fundraiser as the world’s first fashion event, while using her role as ball gatekeeper to solidify her position as the fashion industry’s (almost) benevolent dictator.
But despite Vogue devoting untold resources to elevating the bash’s reputation, Wintour seems intent on keeping the glitter of the gala on herself, rather than helping Vogue’s top staffers anoint themselves as the new fashion gods in their own right.
Details of this year’s Met Costume Institute bash have been revealed, with Wintour revealed to be co-chairing it alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams.
And under that pantheon are co-chairs of the Met Gala’s organizing committee, Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, who will eventually join Mal as an “additional member” of the organizing committee, along with various models and actors. (Vaccarello is a designer for YSL, which is sponsoring this year’s event).
“Anna isn’t even trying to pretend to share the pedestal,” a media source said, adding that editors could easily use a fraction of her vast power to ease Mal’s rise.
The enthusiasm has been fueled by officials comparing Malle to some of the industry’s most respected members, along with New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman and Pulitzer Prize winner Robin Givhan.
Wintour, 75, announced last June that she would step down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a position she has held since 1988. She named Mull as her successor in September, but with the title head of editorial content. Mr. Winter will continue as chief content officer for publisher Condé Nast and global editorial director for the magazine’s 28 editions around the world.
Another source pointed out that Vogue’s sister publication Vanity Fair also had a new top editor in the past 12 months, with newcomer Mark Giuducci giving the magazine’s legendary Oscar night party the thumbs up, drastically rewriting the guest list and even making a big song and dance about how it was hosting it in a brand new venue.
“They used that profile to announce him as the new guy in town,” the source said. (It should be noted that this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, as Vanity Fair does not share control of the bash with a partner, as Vogue does with the Costume Institute).
Another source brought up the idea of a “ball” and said that instead of casting Mal as Cinderella, the arrangement might cast her as the Queen’s maid of honor.
A Vogue spokesperson said: “Anna highly values the collaboration with Chloe and is always impressed by her vision and creativity.”
“Anna has been a longtime Museum Trustee and staunch supporter of the Costume Institute, overseeing its largest fundraising efforts in decades, raising well over $280 million. Her role at the Museum remains unchanged, and Vogue She is also the global editorial director of Condé Nast, a long-time sponsor of the Costume Institute’s shows and the lead donor to the new gallery. Anna also played a leading role in supporting the museum.” Collect funds for (its) renovation. ”
It was named the Anna Wintour Costume Center in 2014.
A source close to the magazine said, “The Met Gala is a huge undertaking, with many Vogue staff members working closely with museums.Chloe, as head of U.S. editorial content, is leading Vogue’s editorial coverage that night.”
“It is an honor to be a member of the host committee, as it plays an important role in supporting the Costume Institute and its members act as ambassadors for the exhibition,” they added.
