Bold, Brave or ‘Bout time? Edward Enninful appointed as Editor of Vogue as it takes long awaited steps towards diversity.
As Edward Enninful becomes the first black Editor In Chief of British Vogue, an optimistic Lucy Taylor hopes that this is a step in the right direction for the fashion industry, and the world, becoming colour-blind.
From models on catwalks and pages of ‘glossy magazines’ to editors and designers, the world of fashion has been heavily criticised in a recent article by The Guardian for being ‘whitewashed’. As the same article reports, the ‘absence of diversity’ (which has been ‘present for decades’) has caused a stir within the industry, which has provoked many individuals to speak up about the issue. After reports from Refinery29 (an American-based fashion, style and beauty website) stated that only 4 models out of 47 that were cast in the Balenciaga A/W17 show during Paris fashion week in March were not white, the Huffington Post reported that U.K based model Indi Irvin protested outside the show with a sign reading ‘Les Modeles Noirs Importent’ (‘Black Models Matter’) in an attempt to fight against the discrimination that she, and many of her colleagues, have faced. Speaking about her protest, Irvin stated that Paris Fashion Week was the perfect time to demonstrate because “February was black history [month] and March is women’s [month] so it just felt right.”
However, last month marked an exciting change in the fashion industry as Edward Enninful OBE became the first ever black Editor In Chief of British Vogue, a publication previously criticised by the media for its lack of diversity due its previous Editors all being white women. Upon his appointment, many of his friends and colleagues (who themselves have suffered with discrimination in the industry) rushed to congratulate him and express their excitement about the change. In a heartfelt Instagram post to her 4.1 million followers, friend and supermodel Noami Campbell used the hashtag ‘#TODAYHISTORYWASMADE’ after writing ‘I am truly happy for you words cannot describe how I feel for you right now’ as she applauded her friend’s achievement and expressed her hope that the world of fashion may now be one step further into becoming truly representative and diverse.
Beginning his career as the youngest ever fashion director of an international publication after acquiring the position at i-D magazine at the age of 18, Enninful is now celebrated as a ‘diversity champion’ by the magazine due to his incredible work regarding the subject. Contributing heavily to Italian Vogue, Enninful was the brains behind the 2008 ‘All Black Issue’ which was so popular Conde Nast (the publishers behind Vogue) chose to print 40,000 more copies. He also created a video in which 81 famous faces proclaimed ‘I am an immigrant’ in response to Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban in 2016 for W magazine during his time as editor. Recognised by the Queen for his services to diversity in fashion, Enninful was awarded an OBE in 2016, and used the opportunity to express his passion for the issue, as well as his desire to ‘change it [opinions and views] from the inside’. “If you put one [non-white] model in a show or in an ad campaign, that doesn’t solve the problem” Enninful stated to a journalist from The Guardian. Addressing the wider issue outside of the industry, Enninful expressed “We need teachers in universities, we need internships, we need people of different ethnic backgrounds in all parts of the industry. That really is the solution.”
Appointing Edward Enninful as the Editor In Chief for one of fashion’s leading publications is a pivotal moment. Not only will British Vogue now portray a view other than that of an upper-class white woman and bring diversity to the ‘whitewashed’ industry, Enninful will also bring fresh, new ideas to the magazine which has had the same editor (Alexandra Schulman) for the past 25 years. As Conde Nast International chairman and chief executive Jonathan Newhouse stated “By virtue of his talent and experience, Edward is supremely prepared to assume the responsibility of British Vogue”, and Enninful’s predecessor Alexandra Schulman called him “an exceptionally talented stylist who will no doubt bring and exciting new creative aesthetic to the magazine” Enninful has more than proved himself for his new position. This will hopefully encourage the fashion industry (and the world) to judge people on their credentials rather than their skin colour, and in turn become more diverse, or even better- colour-blind.