The Extraordinary Career of Edward Enninful
The Extraordinary Career of Edward Enninful
By: Abby Fulmar
After nearly 4o years in the industry, Edward Enninful has worn many hats; he has been a model, stylist, and creative director, and currently serves as British Vogue’s editor-in-chief. Enninful’s dedication to diversity and inclusivity has made him one of the most well-known names in fashion. However, after serving as editor-in-chief for six years, Enninful has recently announced his plans to step down from the position. Before his departure in March 2024, let us look back on Enninful’s extraordinary career, including his rise to fame and his ongoing influence on Vogue and the fashion industry as a whole.
Enninful attributes his commitment to diversifying the fashion industry and empowering women to his unique childhood in Ghana. As a child, Enninful would often help his seamstress mother create garments for women in their community. He was enthralled by the vivid patterns and fabrics used to represent the Ghanaian culture and recalls being constantly surrounded by strong, passionate, and opinionated women. By 1985, military conflict in Ghana was becoming increasingly violent, leading 13-year-old Enninful and his family to pack up and relocate to London. Once settled, his mother continued her sewing business and Enninful was exposed to the experimental fashion and culture London is known for.
When asked by The Daily Show host Trevor Noah on why he decided to pursue a career in fashion, Enninful expressed how he felt as if he “did not have a choice.” He dreamed of becoming a lawyer or doctor until he was randomly scouted by stylist Simon Foxton on the tube at the age of 16. Through his modeling work with Foxton, Enninful met Nick Knight, the co-founder and photographer of i-D Magazine. Knight, surprised by Enninful’s extensive knowledge of fashion, quickly appointed him as the assistant to i-D’s fashion director Beth Summers. Summers left the magazine in 1990 and Enninful took her position a few weeks after his 18th birthday, making him the youngest fashion director ever in charge of a major, international publication.
As fashion director of i-D, Enninful became well-known for his innovative fashion choices inspired by his bold Ghanaian heritage and the “Britpop” movement of the early 1990s. His work caught the attention of avant-garde Italian Vogue, where he would become a contributing editor in 1998. It was during his time at Italian Vogue that Enninful began making significant impacts on the industry through his focus on diversity and representation. In 2008, he curated and produced Italian Vogue’s first “Black Issue.” This special issue included Black models such as Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn and spotlighted Black women’s contributions to the world of fashion.
Enninful’s reputation as a trailblazer and innovator was solidified when he was announced as the new editor-in-chief of British Vogue in April 2017. This was a significant event not only for Vogue but for the fashion industry as a whole. Enninful became the first Black man to hold this role in the UK and has been called “an influential figure in the communities of fashion, Hollywood, and music which shape the cultural zeitgeist” by Condé Nast International chairman Jonathan Newhouse. Enninful has worked to transform British Vogue into a publication that reflects its diverse audience by featuring influential figures like mixed-race model and activist Adwoa Aboah and 85-year-old Judi Dench as cover stars. Along with increasing model representation, Enninful has prompted many other noteworthy changes to the magazine. The once all-White editorial team, established by his predecessor Alexandra Shulman, is now 25% people of color, and British Vogue’s digital traffic has increased 51% since his installation as editor-in-chief.
While Enninful will withdraw from his position as editor-in-chief next spring, this does not mark the end of his journey with Vogue or the industry. He has expressed his continued desire to create change, promising that the last few publications under his supervision will continue to highlight global change makers, the creativity of the UK, and above all, fashion. After stepping down, Enninful will assume the role of Vogue’s global creative and cultural adviser and British Vogue’s editorial adviser. In these roles, he hopes to “continue to contribute to the creative and cultural success of the Vogue brand globally while having the freedom to take on broader creative projects.”
To keep up to date with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, follow us on Instagram and keep reading online at umsquaremagazine.com.
All photos belong to their respective owners.