Anna Wintour is pretty much an institution at American Vogue. In fact, Wintour has accrued so much power at Conde Nast over the years that she was given the somewhat gaudy title of “Artistic Director for Conde Nast” in 2013. Meaning, she can make or break any Conde Nast publication, any editor, any editorial. When Graydon Carter left Vanity Fair several months ago, many believed that it was the end of the era, but many also thought “huh, I bet Wintour gets even more power at Conde Nast after Graydon’s exit.” Well, Page Six’s sources think the opposite is true: sources say that after Graydon’s exit, Anna Wintour might be pushed out too. Or she might leave of her own accord.

It is almost beyond the fashion world’s wildest imagination, but the chatter coming out of Condé Nast and the publishing industry has reached a deafening crescendo — Anna Wintour could be on her way out of Condé and Vogue as artistic director. A host of stunned sources have told Page Six that Wintour — the grand high priestess of both the fashion and publishing industries since she became editor in chief of Vogue in 1988 — is to exit her all-powerful role at the publishing house this summer after the July wedding of her daughter, Bee Schaffer, to Francesco Carrozzini, the son of former Italian Vogue Editor Franca Sozzani.

The move would also allow Wintour, 68 — who has for three decades been fashion’s ultimate power broker — to step aside on a high after closing Vogue’s all-important September issue. But Condé Nast strongly denies Wintour is going. A Condé corporate spokesperson told Page Six on Monday, “We emphatically deny these rumors,” but declined to comment more specifically on Wintour’s plans.

However, we’re told Vogue UK’s editor, Edward Enninful, is the likely replacement as the editor of US Vogue. It’s unclear who — if anyone — might replace Wintour as the artistic director of Condé Nast, the title she ascended to in 2013, giving her oversight over all Condé magazine titles. Longtime Condé chairman Si Newhouse, who died in October 2017, was Wintour’s biggest cheerleader. But there are rumors that his presumed successor Jonathan Newhouse — who is chairman of Condé Nast International and has been in London running the company’s international arm — is coming back to New York. Jonathan, “doesn’t like [the amount of power] Anna has” and favors Enninful, one source tells us.

Reps for Condé Nast declined to comment on Jonathan Newhouse, and pointed us to reps for their international arm, which didn’t immediately comment.

[From Page Six]

I’m gonna stop Page Six right there. Edward Enninful is doing good work as the new editor of British Vogue, and many believe that he was chosen BY Anna Wintour for that job. Enninful JUST GOT THERE. Yes, Enninful has been working in fashion media for years and he’s got lots of experience, but let him get his feet wet at British Vogue before trying to hand him the keys to Wintour’s office. And while Jonathan Newhouse might not like the amount of power Wintour has, that’s tough sh-t. Because Wintour has barricaded herself into Conde Nast and she won’t be leaving until she wants to. That’s the bigger question: after accruing so much power, what’s left for her? Does she just want to stay static in her current position? That, I have no idea. But keep the faith: if they try to push her out, she will not go quietly.

Oh, and Page Six says this too: “There’s even buzz that Wintour’s exit interview has already been arranged and granted to the New York Times – the newspaper that also smoothed over the edges of Carter and Cindi Lieve’s departures, insisting that both had left entirely of their own volition.” No. That won’t happen. Plus, Graydon really did leave because he decided he was done, right? Hmmm…

Photos courtesy of WENN.