On the 1st August, Edward Enninful had his first day as new editor-in-chief of the acclaimed bespoke fashion magazine, British Vogue. Replacing Alexandra Schulman after her 25 year long run, the longest serving editor-in-chief in British Vogue history, Enninful is now making his own history by being the magazine’s first male editor.
In 1972, Enninful was born in Ghana shortly before moving with his family and siblings to London. His mother was a seamstress, inspired by Ghana’s vivid colours, and he would frequently watch her work closely. At the age of 16, Enninful was scouted on a train by leading stylist Simon Foxton and soon he was juggling modelling, a degree at Goldsmiths and assisting in shoots for i-D Magazine. Then when the current fashion director of i-D stepped down, Enninful was appointed the position. He was just 18, making him the youngest ever fashion director of an international publication at the time.
Vogue: Mike Trow
For over two decades Enninful held this role and during this time, he also freelanced with both Italian and American Vogue. Known for his stand-out and edgy editorials, he styled famous shoots such as Italian Vogue’s “Belle Vere” cover, which exclusively featured plus-sized models, and i-D’s “The Best British” story, including all its 12 covers each with a different British supermodel. In 2011, Enninful moved on from i-D in order to become W magazine’s fashion and style director. He continued to take risks in his editorial work and, having lost its popularity in 2010, W magazine began to once again grow to new heights following Enninful’s entrance.
Throughout his career, Enninful has been hugely dedicated to promoting diversity within the fashion world. This was evident as soon as he led the production of Italian Vogue’s “Black Issue”, which included only black models such as Naomi Campbell and Jordan Dunn. In fact, in 2016, he was granted an OBE due to his immense services to diversity in the fashion industry
Truly a dream come true
This is merely a taster to what British Vogue can expect for it’s future. A shift in its fashion is inevitable, not simply due to Enninful’s race and gender, but also down to his usual risk-taking and modern outlook; already his first task has been to launch British Vogue’s new profile on Snapchat. Enninful will ensure a new, edgy and progressive future for the magazine, promising diversity both within Vogue’s pages and within the company itself. He describes the role as “truly a dream come true” and we eagerly anticipate what’s in store for Enninful’s first publication of the magazine in the upcoming months.
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