Radical change was heralded in the fashion industry when UK Vogue introduced Ghanaian-born Edward Enninful OBE as its new Editor-in -Chief in 2017.
Enninful is so far the only Black gay editor of any Vogue edition in its 129-year history and is the only Editor-in-Chief to transform Black and African representation in fashion.
Read on to discover more about Edward Enninful and his trailblazing impact in the fashion world and beyond.
Thandiwe Newton’s 2021 front-cover reclamation
In May 2021, acclaimed British actor and national treasure Thandiwe Newton proclaimed to the world that she was reclaiming her Zulu birth name from the contracted ‘Thandie.’
And she announced it on the cover of Edward Enninful’s UK Vogue.
In one major swoop, UK Vogue represented readers beyond its typical audience of upper-middle-class white women and the white-skinned stars on the front page that epitomised them.
And by normalising the recovery of Thandiwe’s Zimbabwean heritage from the trauma of colonisation and its ensuing discrimination towards her name, Enninful established a UK Vogue that all races could identify with.
But he has been hard at work to break down these entrenched boundaries for quite some time.
Making diversity the priority since starting at UK Vogue
After being scouted as a model himself at 16, Enninful would quickly climb the ranks at i-D, Vogue Italia, American Vogue, and W Magazine.
But, dissatisfied with simply churning out fashion statements, the beginning of his tenure at UK Vogue would mark the start of a mission making significant statements about diversity too.
Kicking off with his first cover featuring biracial model/activist Adwoa Aboah, he brazenly listed Black household names such as Zadie Smith, Letitia Wright, and Naomi Campbell for good measure too.
Raring to build a Vogue for a “new Britain” that also reflects those from racially marginalised backgrounds, his front covers have also featured:
- Oprah Winfrey
- Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
- Serena Williams
- Marcus Rashford
- Rihanna
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Zoë Kravitz
Such is Enninful’s influence that UK Vogue’s print circulation has astonishingly grown by 1.1 per cent since his appointment – and in a technologically advanced age where readers flock mostly online.
Using Vogue as a platform for activism
In the wake of the death of George Floyd, Enninful spoke out in Vogue UK, openly declaring racism a global issue.
He also shared his stark personal account of attending a subsequent Black Lives Matter protest and the belief that Floyd’s harrowing death was not in vain.
Unafraid to call out society’s double standards, he addressed the racist and “personal” press conduct towards Meghan Markle as she was branded “anti-white” for being a woman of colour supporting diverse causes.
Markle’s guest-editing of the ground-breaking September 2019 ‘Forces For Change’ issue drew such commentary, despite simply serving as a celebration of change-making women from all over the world.
But his activism is not just limited to the pages of Vogue – his Instagram account is a natural who’s-who of Black influencers and changemakers of colour, including:
- Afua Hirsch
- Anthony Joshua
- Malala Yousafzai
- Mayowa Nicholas
- Bethann Hardison
Not content to ‘be the change’ just by himself, Edward Enninful is always making sure other important voices are heard in print and on social media as well.
A diverse UK Vogue legacy in the making
As Anna Wintour admits not doing enough to elevate and promote Black and diverse creatives, it appears Edward Enninful is well on his way to making just the opposite happen.
He also shines a light on other kinds of diversity through UK Vogue’s content, recently showcasing neurodivergent musician Billie Eilish, the mature Dame Judi Dench, and acceptance of non-binary gender identities.
In our view, Edward Enninful is a brilliant, supremely intelligent UK Vogue editor and a staunch advocate of equality of opportunity, particularly welcome in a society where most publications choose to take a back seat on diversity. We all, and Vogue UK, are very fortunate to have him at the helm of such a prestigious magazine.
Long may he reign.
What are your opinions on changes at UK Vogue since Edward Enninful took over? Tell us – we would love to hear your views.
Sources:
- https://time.com/5886975/edward-enninful-british-vogue-interview/
- https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/thandiwe-newton-interview
- https://www.voguebusiness.com/talent/articles/edward-enninful-interview-editor-in-chief-british-vogue/
