Anna Wintour, the celebrity editor at Vogue magazine who has been talked about as a possible ambassador to France or Britain, was named artistic director Wednesday at the magazine’s parent company Conde Nast.
Charles Townsend, Conde Nast chief executive, said the appointment expands Wintour’s responsibilities.
“Anna has been a driving force behind the success of Conde Nast, so it is a great privilege to extend her influence beyond the Vogue brand to the rest of the organization,” he said in a statement.
Of the appointment, Anna told the New York Times: “It is something I do a lot anyway in my role at Vogue. I advise all sorts of people in the outside world, and really, I see this as an extension of what I am doing, but on a broader scale.”
She will remain editor-in-chief of Vogue and editorial director of Teen Vogue. In her expanded role, Wintour “will curate and cultivate the creative vision for the company… to shape its artistic inspiration and innovation across all platforms,” the statement said.
British-born Wintour held several big-dollar fundraising events for Obama during his successful re-election effort, and US presidents have frequently rewarded well heeled supporters with glittering diplomatic posts.
The new appointment appeared to dampen any hopes for a high-level diplomatic post for Wintour.