It was announced on Monday that Ghanaian-born, British-raised Edward Enninful will replace Alexandra Shulman as editor of British Vogue. Shulman boasted the longest rein of any Vogue editor, announcing her retirement precisely 25 years since her appointment.
Enninful is no stranger to breaking barriers – he became the youngest ever fashion director of an international publication when he was promoted at i-D magazine aged just 18 years old. He has since gone on to work in various other distinguished roles at Italian Vogue and American Vogue, and most recently as fashion and style director of W magazine.
Also listed in his achievements is Vogue Italia’s globally celebrated “Black Issue”, a 2008 edition that was so successful Condé Nast printed another 40,000 copies to meet demand. Last October Enninful was awarded an OBE, and in fabulously fashionable style he chose close friend Naomi Campbell to accompany him.
While rumours have circulated on the lips of the world’s best dressed for weeks, many were sceptical that Enninful would make the cut. He is the first black editor of any edition of Vogue, and the first male editor to head British Vogue.
“Edward will undoubtedly shake things up in a way that will be so exciting to watch,” said Anna Wintour, speaking to the NY Times, while W’s editor, Stefano Tonchi, claimed it was a “historic moment” for fashion.
Of course not everyone is happy with the decision, with some claiming the most fitting editor of the mag is undoubtedly a woman. “Is it really necessary to have a bloke in charge of a women’s magazine? I know plenty of guys who read Vogue but let’s be honest – it is a fashion publication for women. So why can’t we have a woman leading it?” asked journalist Miranda Larbi in a recent Metro article.
Despite the inevitable naysayers, many say Enninful’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for society. They believe that the originally working-class, gay, black man could have the ability to liberate the upmarket fashion mag of its elitism. On top of that he is destroying gender roles and stereotypes at a time when traditional boundaries are becoming more blurred than ever. This shift towards gender fluidity is increasingly evident in the fashion world, with brands including Gucci, Burberry and Calvin Klein recently combining men’s and women’s shows to reflect such diversity.
Fashion continuously aims to quash boundaries and celebrate difference, thus the appointment of Enninful seems likely to breathe new life into a publication traditionally aimed at a very small and privileged cross-section of society. Only time will tell if Enninful can successfully fill the impeccably stylish shoes of Shulman, but with a resumé that reads like his, we have little doubt he’ll soon be making waves in a sea of well-heeled women.
Written by Thea Carley
