The fashion icon Edward Enninful on Modern Britain: 'We Are Less Tolerant Now' Than in the 90s.

A chance encounter during a tube journey in 1988 altered the trajectory of a young Ghanaian immigrant to Britain. Scouted as a model, Edward Enninful was swiftly pulled into the capital's vibrant 1990s creative scene, progressing from mannequin to stylist and, before turning twenty, becoming the style editor of the publication i-D.

"It was the zenith of the YBA movement – Jay Jopling, Tracey Emin. I met Kate Moss at a casting," he remembers. "Then I met Naomi for a cover, and I felt we’d be kindred spirits. We all mixed across disciplines. Friday rolled into Saturday into Sunday. I miss that spontaneity."

While Enninful may seem wistful, he is in good company. Recently, a longing look back of the 1990s has become pervasive. Yet in the intervening decades, Enninful perceives a profound shift. "In my view, we’re less accepting now than we were in the 90s," he remarks. "It’s not even this country – it’s worldwide."

Shifting Attitudes

This change is difficult to overlook: the rise of far-right politics, the pushback against social awareness, and the reassertion of narrow beauty standards. In place of the optimism of the late 90s, now a more divisive political personality looms as a potential leader. Even, the British flag, once an emblem of cultural optimism, has returned as a polarising symbol.

In Enninful's view, the response has consistently been to promote culture in all its multifaceted forms. This was the guiding principle behind his landmark issue as editor of British Vogue in 2017, which served as a portrait of modern Britain, featuring a broad spectrum of cultural icons from music.

"Those in a position of influence should use it," he asserts, referring to those publishing choices. "People often debate about immigration; I could not have had this life if Britain was not a open country, if it did not offer my family a refuge and an education. That’s the Britain I believed in. I hope this phase will fade."

A New Wave of Consciousness

He finds hope in the next generation: "Their awareness is greater than we were. They discuss unconscious bias – I was not even aware what that was."

His formative years would shape a pioneering career marked by fearlessness and inclusivity. Enninful set a precedent as the first male, first Black editor, first openly gay person, and first disabled Black gay man to assume the editorship at British Vogue. His tenure featured landmark covers showcasing people of diverse backgrounds, curvy models, an octogenarian, and people from varied communities. Significantly, sales rose.

"To overlook vast segments of the population, it’s not just that you’re not being inclusive – it’s bad for business," he explains.

Launching a Creative Venture

He has established his new venture EE72 and its accompanying magazine, 72, his key endeavour since moving on from his previous role. He expresses a desire to continue being a "change-maker".

"My nature is to challenge the conventional wisdom. I was raised in a place where the majority was Black – the physicians, the lawyers, the leader. Then we arrived in England, with nothing, and I became the 'other'. I was very shy. My teachers declared I’d never amount to anything. Me and my brothers were stopped by the police the suspicion laws … this duality gave me a unique perspective between worlds."

Defying the caricature of fashion editors as brash and highly strung, Enninful is softly spoken and exudes calm. His path has involved hardship, including openly discussed struggles with mental health and substance use.

He has also undergone significant health issues, having had multiple operations on his eyes, now leaving him with limited vision. "I endured such a dark place for two years, away from work, anxious I was going to go blind. It’s like PTSD; you just live in fear 24/7. I prayed, if this ever ends, I’m just going to embrace every opportunity that I was so fearful to do. I’m not going to restrict myself to just being an editor or a figure in fashion."

Curating a Cultural Era

This determination to be defined narrowly has inspired him outside the realm that built his career. He is now curating a major 1990s exhibition at Tate Britain, showcasing work by a group of pivotal artists and photographers from the era. The show, he explains, aims to evoke the decade's artistic collaboration – and give platform to those who did not receive due recognition at the time.

"Galleries sometimes neglected to promote the right artists because they lacked the expected background," he observes.

The magazine 72 itself functions with a different strategy, eschewing traditional advertising in favour of partnership-based projects. "The question is, what can we create collaboratively? Is it an event, a podcast? The magazine is part of a broader vision."

Looking Forward Without Fear

Today, Enninful stands as one of the world's most influential creative power brokers. His journey, he feels, is a proof to the power of defying expectations.

What would the younger Edward react to the Edward of today? He laughs heartily. "He would be astonished, but he’d be proud. In those days I was anti-establishment. I would not have believed institutions like Tate were within my reach."

He reflects. "I never take anything for granted. We lost our home, we fled our country. I came close to losing my vision. So fear isn't an option. People have doubted me my entire life. But nothing can stop me once I’ve decided to do something."