British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful will be relinquishing his role after six years of breaking borders at the renowned fashion niche magazine.
The 51-year-old will stay as an editorial advisor to the UK title but move into a newly-created job next year geared toward growing the brand globally.
His new position as Vogue’s global creative and cultural advisor will also permit him to take on outer projects.
Enninful will be concerned with the recruitment pursuit for his heir.
The Ghanaian-British ingenious is the first black man to hold the top job at the British fashion magazine.
British Vogue recently featured its first disabled models, including actress Selma Blair who lives with multiple sclerosis and Ellie Goldstein, a 21-year-old model with Down’s syndrome.
Other memorable editions from Enninful include having actor Timothée Chalamet as the first man to appear on the cover in October 2022.
In an interview last year about his favourite Vogue covers, Enninful enunciated the motivation behind his first one in December 2017 featuring mixed-race model Adwoa Aboah was geared toward resetting “the image of modern Britain”.
“It was important to create a cover that represented the Britain of today, a multicultural society where everyone was welcome – where my family was welcome,” he mentioned.
His broad network and celeb camaraderie have also led to editions such as September 2019’s “Forces for Change” edited by the Duchess of Sussex.
Last month, Enninful attended the King and Queen’s Coronation. He has assisted the King’s charity, the Prince’s Trust, with its assignment in Africa and worldwide as a global ambassador.
He assumed office as editor-in-chief of British Vogue in August 2017 from Alexandra Shulman, who had been at the helm of affairs for 25 years. One of his priorities was to diversify his employees at the 107-year-old publication.
Enninful has been open about his toils with racism and being a black gay man. In interviews with the BBC, he has also articulated concerns about losing his eyesight, his struggles with alcoholism and being turned away from his father for 15 years.
British Vogue’s contributing European sustainability editor Dana Thomas told the BBC she was “thrilled” by the news.
“This gives him more freedom to do what he does best, and what clearly brings him joy, which is the creation of beauty.
“His influence has been immense. I write for British Vogue because I found him so inspiring. His leadership in the areas of inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability – what he calls the three pillars of British Vogue – have been unmatched in any publication”.
In a notation sent to Vogue staff, Enninful mentioned he would “continue to contribute to the creative and cultural success of the Vogue brand globally” in his newly-created job, “whilst having the freedom to take on broader creative projects”.
A lead of editorial content for British Vogue will also be employed, he said, adding: “For now everything remains the same, and I’m so excited about what the future holds for us.”
Enninful extended his gratitude to editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Roger Lynch, the chief executive officer of publishers Condé Nast, “for their continued support”.
© 2023 • story by Edem Latsu Nukafu
Writer’s email: edemlatsu093@gmail.com
