British Vogue Cover: Forty Icons Farewell with Edward Enninful

“The end of an era” with forty “legendary women”: Edward Enninful said goodbye to British Vogue with an unusual cover. The magazine’s outgoing editor-in-chief wrote on Instagram that the idea for the photo for the March issue came from just one question. “Will forty of the most sought-after and blessed women in the world be able to walk into a Manhattan studio one day in December to take this photograph? Spoiler: they came.”

Dressed modestly in black or beige, partly in lace, partly seated, partly standing, posing face to face, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Serena Williams, Victoria Beckham, Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa, Linda Evangelista, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss and Miley Cyrus, Naomi Campbell, Salma Hayek and Anya Taylor-Joy. Neither the poses, nor the outfits, nor the makeup are anything unusual: the most important thing is the number of stars in one photo together.

The women traveled for the photo shoot from London, Paris, Milan and Los Angeles, among others, and were “bonded by their size, determination and the earlier cover photo,” the report said. The photo was taken by fashion photographer Steven Meisel. He shared the photo on Instagram, writing a few words: “What an honor.”

Edward Enninful announced his retirement last year. He was the magazine’s first black editor-in-chief, a position he has held since 2017. Under his leadership, British Vogue featured disabled people, a man and a transgender model on its cover for the first time. Duchess Meghan and Greta Thunberg were also in the running for the title. It is reported that his resignation was not entirely voluntary.

The system is “shocked”

“I knew my final issue would be about women,” Enninful wrote about the photo. “Women have shaped British Vogue for some 108 years and have undoubtedly influenced every moment of my six and a half years here, not to mention guiding and guiding me throughout my life.” beyond fashion, have had an impact on the “fabric of society” in recent years.

In his farewell statement, Enninful wrote that he was full of gratitude. He still remembers a colleague telling him in his first weeks as editor-in-chief: “Diversity is synonymous with decadence.” He was shocked. He “shocked” the system when his first cover featured model and black activist Adwoa Aboah. Aboah can also be seen in the current title. At the time, Enninful wrote, the cover was a hit and put black and brown women on the covers of many other magazines.

Enninful will continue to work for Condé Nast as a creative and cultural consultant for Vogue. And apparently wants to continue as before: “I am determined to continue to champion the incredible diversity of voices in the fashion and media industries and ensure that the energy explosion of the last few years continues.”