This week, Vogue magazine announced that Chioma Nnadi will be the new editor of the magazine’s website, effective immediately. But before you assume this means a Black woman will be replacing Anna Wintour, be clear: that’s far from the case.
According to WWD, on Monday, Wintour herself made the announcement to staffers that Nnadi will be taking over Vogue’s online portal Vogue.com. But the fashion icon will remain “indefinitely,” in her role at the top of the Vogue foodchain.
As the head of the magazine’s digital content, Nnadi will be taking over for Stuart Emmrich, who announced his exit in June after less than a year. While Emmrich had an illustrious career in print, his experience in digital media was almost nonexistent. Nnadi on the other hand has served as the website’s fashion news director since 2014 and was more than equipped to serve as an in-house replacement.
“We all know Chioma here at Vogue, of course,” Wintour reportedly wrote in an email to her team. “We know how brilliant she is, what a wonderful writer and editor, and what a supportive colleague. Above all we know her as someone who intuitively understands fashion and brings to it a genuine love of discovery.”
Nnadi is known for her sense of style and in the correspondence, Wintour gushed about how she “absolutely relies” on her eye, ‘cosmopolitanism,’ and impeccable taste.
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“Even better, she is forward-looking and understands that Vogue needs to reach new audiences and do so in new ways,” she added. “She respects our iconic past but is not tied to old traditions. Chioma is an exceptional editor for this role and I couldn’t be happier to see her lead us forward.”
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