Edward Enninful says his time at Vogue ended ‘how I needed it to finish’

Edward Enninful has insisted his profession at British Vogue ended ‘how I needed it to finish’ amid rumours he was compelled out of his position by style stalwart Anna Wintour.

Enninful, who was editor of the journal from 2017 till this month, revealed his ultimate subject final month after it was introduced in June 2023 he was stepping down from the position.

The British-Ghanaian former mannequin’s tenure at British Vogue was thought-about extra progressive than any editorship that had come earlier than him as he noticed the primary transgender mannequin, Paris Lees, grace the duvet. He additionally oversaw the manufacturing of braille and audio editions of the journal for visible and audio-impaired readers.

However, regardless of Enninful suggesting he would possibly wish to take over from Wintour as editor-in-chief of Vogue at some point, it was abruptly introduced final yr that he could be stepping down from the position in the beginning of 2024. He has been changed by Chioma Nnadi, the primary black girl to edit the journal.

As he embarks upon a brand new undertaking curating an exhibition of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe’s works, Enninful refused to be drawn on the rumours of a ‘energy battle’ between himself and Wintour, which he dismissed as ‘gossip’.

Edward Enninful has refused to touch upon rumours he was pushed out of his position as editor of British Vogue following a ‘energy battle’ with Anna Wintour

He mentioned: ‘It ended how I needed it to finish’, talking about his ultimate days within the prime job at British Vogue.

Rumours started to fly final yr that Enninful, who had brazenly expressed he’d wish to take over from Wintour at some point as world editorial director of Vogue, had been caught in a power-struggle with the style matriarch.

At the time, a Vogue insider mentioned: ‘He made no secret of wanting the massive job [global editorial director] however he hit the glass ceiling and he’d gone so far as he might go.

Enninful’s tenure on the journal had been one of the crucial progressive ever seen and he made no secret that he could at some point wish to succeed Wintour as world editorial director

‘He thought he could be in London for just a few years after which head for New York, however he now is aware of that he is by no means going to get Anna’s job at Condé Nast.

‘Anna is the undisputed boss. She has seen off many rivals and continues to take action. She might swat him like a fly.’

However, talking concerning the rumours, Enninful mentioned: ‘I don’t touch upon gossip, I by no means have.’

Another style supply on the time mentioned: ‘I believe Edward underestimated [Wintour’s] energy. He had a lot smoke blown up his a**e when he was appointed editor that he could not see his personal trousers.

The Mail on Sunday revealsed final yr that he threatened resignation except given Wintour’s job by the tip of 2022. That, after all, by no means got here to move.

As a end result, an insider mentioned Enninful’s transfer to a different position inside Condé Nast was a ‘energy battle’. 

‘Edward pitched his new imaginative and prescient in opposition to previous Vogue – and misplaced. Succession [the hit TV drama about a toxic media family] has acquired nothing on this,’ they mentioned.

There are studies of blazing rows between the pair with one supply saying that simmering rancour boiled over when Enninful deliberate to make the journal gender impartial.

‘This was an excessive amount of,’ mentioned the insider. Another Vogue supply added: ‘There could be variations of opinion. Wintour would say, ‘Don’t take heed to Edward’ and he would say ‘Don’t take heed to Anna’.’

Known as ‘Nuclear Wintour’ and well-known for her smooth bob and darkish sun shades, she has a popularity for being the demanding titan of the trade.

Vogue insiders known as Enninful the one ‘actual menace’ to her energy. Insiders whispered that the pair ‘do not speak’, with a supply 5 years in the past saying: ‘I do not suppose she ever felt he was certified for that position.’

As far again as 2018, there had been hypothesis that Enninful’s place at British Vogue was solely short-term and that he would take over from Wintour when she retires.

But he mentioned in an interview: ‘Everybody needs to know what I’m doing, however I want to inform you that I do not need Anna’s job. I’ve spoken to her about it just a few weeks in the past.’

As Enninful departs from Vogue and is changed by Nnadi, who’s at present the editor of the US version’s web site, she might be given the title ‘head of editorial content material’ with a deal with ‘digital storytelling’. 

Crucially, Enninful’s all-encompassing position as editor-in-chief will now not be in existence. Instead, Ms Nnadi will probably should report back to a multi-step ladder, ending within the New York workplace. 

Fashionistas in the present day likened the transfer to scenes from The Devil Wears Prada – the difference of the e-book famously mentioned to be about Wintour – wherein Miranda Priestley locations rival Jacqueline Follet in a prime position to cease her getting her personal job. 

Nnadi credit her Nigerian father for igniting her ardour for style – saying she solely remembers him carrying fits and taking his tie off on weekends.

Speaking from her New York residence, Ms Nnadi mentioned: ‘Is there strain? Yeah, there’s positively strain – it is Vogue.

‘It nonetheless means one thing to be in Vogue, it nonetheless has authority. [Edward] broke new floor. It’s greater than being a part of {a magazine} – it is a part of the cultural dialog.’