Fashion visionary Dame Anna Wintour has stepped down as editor of US Vogue after almost 40 years in the role, US media is reporting.
The British-born 75-year-old is described by many as the single most powerful person in the global fashion industry.
She is credited with transforming the magazine into a powerhouse that could make or break trends and designers.
Wintour broke the news she was stepping down as editor-in-chief at a staff meeting on Thursday, local time.
However, while she will exit the top role at Vogue, she will stay on as global chief content officer at group owner Conde Nast.
She will also remain as editorial director at Vogue, US media reported.
The search now begins for her replacement.
Raised in the UK by a British father and an American mother, Wintour took the helm at US Vogue in 1988.
She has since carved out a path as one of the most influential and formidable figures in fashion and magazine journalism.
Famous for her signature sunglasses and bob haircut, her choice of covers for the monthly magazine was seen as authoritative in the publication's heyday.
Wintour was also renowned for her strict control over content, sometimes axing work without discussion.
She has widely been considered the inspiration behind hit 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, in which the role of a tyrannical magazine editor was played by Meryl Streep.
Wintour was made a British Dame in 2017.
She was also named a companion of honour earlier this year, joining a select group of 65 recognised for major contributions in their field.
At the ceremony in London in February, she removed her trademark sunglasses to receive the award.
She said at the time that she had told King Charles III she had no plans to stop working.
AFP
