Edward Enninful: My Vogue is about being inclusive, it’s about diversity

New editor says magazine will feature ‘all different colours, shapes, ages, genders, religions’
Edward Enninful and Jourdan Dunn celebrate the December issue
Dave Benett
Anna Davis @_annadavis8 November 2017

The new editor-in-chief of British Vogue has set out his “inclusive” vision for the magazine, saying it will be diverse and show women of all different body shapes, races and class.

Edward Enninful, the magazine’s first black and first male editor in its 101 year history, said he wants Vogue to feel “a bit like a shop that you are not scared to walk in to.”

In an interview with the BBC ahead of his debut issue, Mr Enninful said: “My Vogue is about being inclusive, it’s about diversity. Showing different women, different body shapes, different races, class. To be tackling gender.

“Before I got the job I spoke to certain women and they felt they were not represented by the magazine, so I wanted to create a magazine that was open and friendly. A bit like a shop that you are not scared to walk into.

“You are going to see all different colours, shapes, ages, genders, religions. That I am very excited about. You are going to see less of models who don’t look so healthy.”

Edward Enninful - in pictures

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Mr Enninful, 45, who was himself a model as a teenager, insisted that he takes the care of young models very seriously and has introduced a mentorship scheme where models under the age of 18 are accompanied to shoots.

He said: “I do feel for the young models today who don’t have the chaperones or don’t have their mothers with them. I was very lucky. They are pretty exposed but we are doing what we can at Vogue.”

He added that he will tackle the “size zero” culture in the fashion industry by showing different body types and having conversations with designers and retailers. He added: “When I started in the nineties a sample size was a 4 and a 6. Now it’s a zero zero. I feel it’s a conversation the whole industry has to partake in.”

He revealed he has also suffered abuse on social media “like everyone else”, and makes a point of deleting bullies and their negative comments to send a message that bullying is wrong.

Mr Enninful, 45, was confirmed as the new editor of British Vogue in April, taking over from Alexandra Shulman. The December issue is the first to be published under his leadership and hits the stands on Friday.

It features Adwoa Aboah on its cover, a 25 year old who is one of the most talked about British supermodels of the moment.

Adwoa Aboah - Style File

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She has also launched her own organisation entitled Gurls Talk, which encourages young women to speak about issues they face, whether that be mental health, body image, addiction or sexuality.

Mr Enninful was last night joined by stars including Kate Moss, Alicia Vikander and Stella McCartney at a party to celebrate his debut issue at the River Cafe.

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