Anais Gutierrez
Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter announced he will step down after 25 years at the helm of the iconic magazine. Carter announced the news on Thursday, as he prepares to enjoy a “third act.”
The news comes just a few days after the iconic magazine released its list of best dressed. The list caused a fuzz since a big name was clearly not included, First Lady Melania Trump.
Farewell, Graydon Carter
Graydon Carter is turning the page on his 25-year stint as editor of Vanity Fair. The news broke on Thursday, and he’s expected to helm the magazine until this December.
Under Greydon, Vanity Fair experienced a period in which he turned the magazine into a cultural force. He used its pages to celebrate popular culture and, more recently, assail the presidency of Donald Trump.
Regarding his upcoming departure from Vanity Fair, Carter said that he wants to leave while the magazine is “in vibrant shape, both in the digital realm and the print realm.”
“I wanted to have a third act. And I thought, time is precious,” he adds, referencing his post-retirement plans.
Greydon is an author and theater enthusiast. He has already produced two plays and also owns a couple of restaurants.
It would be inaccurate to describe Graydon as the last of his kind — Anna Wintour is still at the helm of Vogue — but there are unlikely to be many more magazine editors like him.
He has homes in New York and Connecticut. Hosts the most glamorous party in Los Angeles on the night of the Oscars and has succeeded in crossing the threshold from the cynical chronicler of the world of a celebrity excess eager participant.
Under Carter’s leadership, Vanity Fair published some of the most accomplished magazine writers in the country, chronicling the worlds of finance, politics, fashion, media, and culture.
A quarter of century shaping and changing the iconic magazine
Carter took over the Vanity Fair editorship from Ms. Brown in 1992. As soon as he took charge, he moved to put his stamp on the magazine, and not just in its pages.
Vanity Fair’s annual Oscars after-party became the hottest ticket in Hollywood. He brought some of that west coast glamour to Washington with another regular celebration following the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner
As a result of Carter’s urging, the magazine itself fully participated in the culture it covered.
As for the magazine, serious topics often receive thoughtful treatment: Carter wrote repeatedly about his opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush. Just this summer, Carter has published William Langewiesche on the extreme threat posed by climate change. Michael Lewis on President Trump’s Energy Department and nuclear weapons, and Sarah Ellison on the power and ineffectuality of the president’s two closest advisors: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
The magazine’s celebrity-friendly approach has landed scoops such as Caitlyn Jenner’s debut as a woman in 2015 and Jennifer Aniston’s first interview after splitting up with Brad Pitt in 2005.
But it is also the rare monthly title that breaks the hard news: the same year that Ms. Aniston appeared on the cover, Vanity Fair revealed that Deep Throat, the critical source for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s reporting on Watergate, was Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Mark Felt.
Snubbing the First Lady
Vanity Fair released its 2017 International Best-Dressed List on Wednesday which features notable fashion icons from entertainment, politics and even royalty. But one usually well-dressed figure was notably absent from the list.
Although the first lady of the United States and former model Melania Trump has consistently been recognized for her fashion-forward wardrobe selections, she did not make Vanity Fair’s 2017 International Best-Dressed List.
During her nine-day international trip this summer, a variety of media outlets praised Trump’s fashion sense. Including Harper’s Bazaar which said, “the first lady got rave reviews during her trip overseas.”
Despite such accolades and many others, Melania Trump was not included on Vanity Fair’s 2017 International Best-Dressed List.
Former first lady Michelle Obama, along with her husband, former President Barack Obama, made the Vanity Fair list for the third time.
“Heads of state are particularly well represented this year,” said a press release about the list.
Other political leaders honored included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made the list for the second consecutive year, and French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.
Vanity Fair has been critical of the first lady. Recently, maligning her for wearing high heels as she left the White House with President Donald Trump on Aug. 29 as they headed to bound for Texas to visit with victims of Hurricane Harvey.
According to Vanity Fair, “Her aviator sunglasses and army green jacket say, ‘Business,’ and, ‘Let’s get down to business,’ and, ‘Hello, my name is Tom Cruise and I’m here to give you the business.’ The heels scream, ‘Who’s in for brunch?’”
It was suggested by the magazine that Melania Trump “appears to be taking a page out of the Michelle Obama book of fashion” by wearing J. Crew instead of designer brands.
Source: Forward
