The final cover of British Vogue has been revealed by Edward Enninful in his role as Editor-In-Chief.

The last cover of British Vogue under Edward Enninful’s leadership has been revealed and it is quite stunning.

The “Legends Only” feature showcases 40 distinguished women in music, TV, film, and fashion. These include Jane Fonda, Adowa Aboah (the first-ever cover star), Naomi Campbell, and Grammy winner Miley Cyrus. The photos were taken by American photographer Steven Meisel and styled by Enninful.

In the image, Oprah Winfrey is positioned in the middle, accompanied by professional tennis player Serena Williams and former Spice Girl, now fashion designer, Victoria Beckham.

In the picture, there are two sets of mother and daughter: models Kate and Lila Moss, and Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber.

In June, Enninful revealed his decision to resign as the Editor-In-Chief of British Vogue in order to take on a new position as Conde Nast’s worldwide creative and cultural advisor.

During that period, there were many rumors circulating that implied a conflict between Enninful and Anna Wintour, who is the Editor-In-Chief of American Vogue and also the chief content officer of Condé Nast.

Former editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, wrote in The Mail Plus that while Enninful had a significant global impact, he was consistently overshadowed by Anna Wintour within the company.

In 2017, Enninful became the first black homosexual man to lead the magazine as editor. He is praised for promoting diversity and inclusivity within the publication, and for transforming the traditional idea of a British Vogue cover model.

Enninful wrote his 76th and final editor’s letter, reflecting on his six and a half years as editor-in-chief. He mentioned encountering challenges when he set out to diversify the magazine’s content by featuring a wider range of faces.

“In 2017, when I first started working here, I remember discussing my initial concerns. During this meeting, a senior employee made the statement: ‘Diversity is equivalent to being low-class,’ ” Enninful shared.

I was both surprised and genuinely unsure about what to think. Were individuals truly closed-minded, or was their a lack of understanding about the reality of the world?

He advised not to be overly attached to the past and to never listen to negative thoughts.

Enninful stated that upon the release of his initial cover, which highlighted black model and activist Adwoa Aboah, it caused a stir and was perceived as a provocative change.

He accused Vogue of being a major contributor to the lack of diversity in the fashion industry.

“Previously, magazines considered non-white cover stars to be unmarketable (this publication was especially guilty of this). I found this notion to be absurd, and as it turned out, I was right. Our first cover featuring a non-white model was a success. By the following September, I recall being in a newsstand and noticing that the majority of fashion magazines featured Black and brown women on their covers.”

Enninful expressed that he reflects on his time with a sense of satisfaction and joy. He also acknowledged that he and his team successfully demonstrated Vogue’s ability to actively and genuinely connect with society through fashion, surpassing their initial expectations.

During his tenure, Laverne Cox, the first out trans person featured on the cover of Vogue in 2019, while the first 80-somethings – Judi Dench in 2020 and Miriam Margolyes in 2023 – also covered the magazine.

For the May issue last year, he highlighted activists, frontline workers, and a “new generation of talented individuals with disabilities.”

Some other notable cultural moments were Beyoncé riding a horse in 2022, Rihanna with a child in 2023, and Rihanna wearing a durag in 2020.

In 2019, Nadine Ijewere broke barriers as the first photographer of color to capture a British Vogue cover featuring singer Dua Lipa.

The complete roster of featured celebrities on Enninful’s final issue includes: Adwoa Aboah, Adut Akech, Simone Ashley, Victoria Beckham, Selma Blair, Naomi Campbell, Vittoria Ceretti, Gemma Chan, Jodie Comer, Laverne Cox, Cindy Crawford, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Debose, Cara Delevingne, and Jourdan Dunn.

Paloma Elsesser, Karen Elson, Cynthia Erivo, Linda Evangelista, Jane Fonda, Kaia Gerber, Gigi Hadid, Salma Hayek, Iman, Maya Jama, Jameela Jamil, Karlie Kloss, Precious Lee, Dua Lipa, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kate Moss, Lila Moss, Rina Sawayama, Irina Shayk, Anya Taylor-Joy, Christy Turlington, Amber Valletta, Serena Williams, Oprah, and Anok Yai are all part of the group.

Enninful concluded his last editor’s letter by stating that even though he is transitioning into a new position, he remains committed to advocating for the diverse voices in the fashion and media industries. He also expressed his determination to maintain the momentum of growth and innovation that has been seen in recent years.

After Enninful left, British Vogue has named Chioma Nnadi, the editor of Vogue.com, as its new Editor-In-Chief.

She started working as a writer for Vogue in 2010. She was then promoted to fashion news director and, most recently, became the editor of Vogue.com.

Nnadi, a journalist hailing from London, has been chosen as the first Black woman to take charge of the iconic fashion magazine that has been in existence since 1916. Upon the announcement of her appointment, she expressed her immense excitement and gratitude for being selected as the head of editorial content at British Vogue.

The March 2024 edition of British Vogue will be available for purchase on February 13, 2024.

Source: independent.co.uk