Book: A Visible Man by Edward Enniful

Unlike the Kings Road where every good trend went to die 

This biography of the former Vogue editor, Edward Kobina Enninful, has been on my reading list since it was first published. It's a fascinating account of his journey into the fashion industry.

Obsessed with the appearance of Boy George at an early age, Edward is all set for a career in fashion. Music-wise, he declares Whitney as his first album and is a R&B man at heart. His entry into the fashion world came when he was scouted as a model, which deepened his passion for fashion and fashion magazines. Starting as a stylist, he leveraged his connections in Ladbroke Grove, West London, where he crossed paths with individuals such as Naomi Campbell, who became a lifelong friend. His early career led him to write for and fashion direct the publication he admired, ID magazine. He even reported solo on Paris Fashion Week as a teenager while still a teenager.

Apart from Naomi, he knew everyone from Kate Moss (as a schoolgirl) to Jason Statham and Nene Cherry to Pat McGrath plus every photographer, stylist and model from when they all started together. Many of whom gave him a leg-up whenever possible. No wonder he worked his way up to the top of Vogue and continued to advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the fashion world.

Edward put Black models on the cover of ID in the early 90s while also moving from styling the Buffalo look to perfecting grunge.

I always wondered how different it was for a black person living in a majority-Black population, in this Ghana than for someone in the UK. Now I know. A childhood in Ghana had its challenges too and the family fled to Britain as asylum seekers in the mid-1980s. What a time to arrive! However, as it is now, his senior militarian father was not allowed to work for 3 years so his fashion designer mother worked to put food on the table.

Because it was the 80s, there has to be a mention of Kensington High Street’s Hyper Hyper, a store I loved and was in awe of until I finally got there aged 18 and bought a much worm pink mini-tutu dress. Obvs. 

Edward talks of being a hypochondriac and then a serious illness involving his eyes takes hold. Luckily, by this point, he has the means ‘to pay anything’ to get to the best specialists and surgeons. His eyes after all are the tools of his work.

And about the devastation of the 2016 referendum.

He also has severe imposter syndrome even when at the top of the fashion tree with many accolades, an army of fans and an OBE (its acceptance justified perfectly as a gay black immigrant). This is not helped by his predecessor at UK Vogue being publically unsupportive and rumours abound that he got to the top via rich parentage. (see fleeing as asylum seekers above). He details how most people in these circles are from affluence. This explains why items featured in these magazines is beyond the reach of most fashion fans. I only thought about this recently having read this article by Sali Hughes on how the industry has a socioeconomic diversity problem. I’ve read fashion magazines my whole life and never figured this out.

Overall, this biography offers a captivating and inspirational insight into the life and career of Edward Enninful, showcasing his remarkable work ethic and his commitment to uplifting others in the industry.

Plus I learnt some new words that I had to look up:  

Copacetic

Delineated

Indissociable