British Vogue's new editor, Edward Enninful, is arguably fashion’s best stylist and has been for the better part of a decade. He has been involved in some of the most iconic fashion editorials and brand campaigns, which have all contributed to him being respected andregarded as one of the best in the game.
The move by Condé Nast to appoint him editor is wise. He’s loved by fashion insiders, models, photographers and, most importantly, the celebrities who magazines now depend on to sell copies off news stands.
It’s a clever move, one that has been applauded by many, and we all expect the Ghanaian-born England-raised stylist to take the magazine to another level.
British Vogue editor Edward Enninful, receiving his Isabella Blow Award from Rihanna and Naomi Campbell in 2014
The beginning
A former model (he and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen modelled together), he quit the ramp and went behind the scenes as the fashion director of edgy fashion magazine i-D. This was at age 18. He contributed to making the magazine one of the edgiest in the industry and different from the other fashion magazines. He was one of the few black people in the 1980s and 1990s who actually had clout in the industry, and this was a sign of what was to come in the future.
Stylist extraordinaire
When you look at Edward’s portfolio, it’s like being allowed into the hallowed halls of a fashion exhibition. He has built up an impressive body of work, one that has seen him become the stylist of choice for many magazines, including his current magazine, W, and Italian and American Vogue. Fashion brands like Swarovski, Carolina Herrera, Lanvin, La Perla, Ulyana Sergeenko and Tiffany & Co have hired his services to style their collections and campaigns. He has worked with everyone. From the great models of the 1980s and 1990s, to the new supermodels, the Insta-models that fashion loves to celebrate. His excellence has seen him being awarded at the British Fashion Awards in 2014, where he was honoured with the Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator, which is basically a lifetime-achievement award for services to fashion.
One of British Vogue editor Edward Enninful's editorial's
He is good for sales
His edge is his biggest asset. He works with the right people at the right time, with many models, photographers, fashion brands and make up artists booking more jobs after working with him. Before he took over as fashion director at W magazine, the magazine had been suffering with competition from titles like Interview and V- Magazine. The magazine soon saw an increase in circulation and advertiser revenue, for which editor Stefano Tonchi has given credit to Edward. He has built a reputation as someone who not only shakes up mainstream fashion titles, but also makes them draw in younger readers.
Diversity king
Fashion’s major issue (besides anorexia and under-age models) has always been the lack of diversity on the runways, covers and pages of magazines. He was instrumental in Vogue Italia’s “Black Issue”, which featured only black models. It’s not only racial diversity he has championed; like his British Vogue predecessor, he has also pushed for plus-size models to be accepted in the industry, even putting three of them on a 2011 cover of Vogue Italia. He was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II last year for services to diversity in fashion, which he accepted with his mother and long-time muse, Naomi Campbell.