- By Noor Nanji
- cultural reporter
Chioma Nnadi, by her personal admission, “has large sneakers to fill.”
The brand new editor of British Vogue replaces Edward Enninful, who spent greater than six years breaking boundaries and championing variety on the main style journal.
However London-born Nnadi, the primary black girl to tackle the function, advised BBC Information there may be nonetheless extra to do.
“Clearly what Edward did was unimaginable, I'm simply taking the dialog additional,” she stated.
Nnadi, 44, started her profession in newspapers within the UK, earlier than shifting to New York and becoming a member of Vogue there.
She spent the following 14 years climbing the ranks, finally reaching the place of editor of Vogue.com.
Nnadi has interviewed stars together with Rihanna and Angelina Jolie, and describes herself as “initially a storyteller.”
Talking to BBC Information at Vogue's new London headquarters, Nnadi – whose official title is head of editorial content material – admitted to feeling the stress.
“Completely,” he stated. “Nevertheless it's thrilling. It's an thrilling time.”
Enninful, who was a distinguished advocate for better inclusivity within the style business, modified the tone at British Vogue.
Underneath her management, the publication featured an brazenly transgender girl (Laverne Cox) on its cowl for the primary time, in addition to disabled fashions.
“I’ve nice admiration for what he did, he was somebody I appeared as much as,” Nnadi stated. “So I do know these are large sneakers to fill, however I'm excited to tackle that function.”
Journalist and creator Yomi Adegoke advised BBC Information she thought Nnadi would proceed the work began by Enninful.
“I believe it appears like a very thrilling time, as a result of I believe the change that Edward has made, she’s going to proceed that legacy,” she stated.
Nnadi was born to a Swiss-German mom and Nigerian father, who got here to the UK to review within the 1960s.
Rising up, she stated she didn't see many individuals who appeared like her in high-level positions.
“Excited about child Chioma, interested by what she would have thought, and it's not one thing I’d have imagined in my wildest desires,” she stated.
“And I understand how significant it’s for younger folks to see folks like me, who appear to be me, able like this.”
He added that Vogue has grow to be “way more various” because it started greater than a decade in the past.
For his debut quantity, Nnadi selected to characteristic singer FKA twigs, a nod to his early days as a music journalist.
“She's somebody whose music and magnificence I've at all times beloved,” he stated. “To me, she represents the fashionable British eccentric.”
British Vogue's circulation is round 190,000, in keeping with the newest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Regardless of the challenges dealing with the printing business, that determine has remained steady in recent times.
Nevertheless it nonetheless faces challenges, together with attracting new readers within the age of TikTok and Instagram.
Terry Newman, a style author, stated that proper now it's “survival of the fittest” for media manufacturers like Vogue.
“It's about attracting younger customers and getting promoting. They’ve numerous work forward of them as they attempt to attain that necessary Gen Z reader.”
And he provides: “At present every part is digital. Only a few folks join with print media like earlier than.”
That is one thing that college students at London School of Vogue agree with.
Hannah Jones, who research style advertising, advised BBC Information that she reads Vogue, “however I discover TikTok to be a lot quicker.”
“I don't essentially discover myself studying numerous bodily copies,” stated Zena Utsalo, who research style styling.
Nnadi herself admits that she sees social media because the journal's foremost competitor, quite than simply one other fashionable media model.
Vogue is without doubt one of the greatest polluters. That's one other problem, Nnadi says. “I believe the business has an enormous accountability to get up and see and do issues in a extra accountable manner,” she stated. “I'm positively seeing progress in that regard.”
The journal has additionally been criticized for being out of contact and for exhibiting style that’s unaffordable for most individuals, particularly contemplating the excessive price of dwelling.
Nnadi admits there may be “a fantasy side to style” however maintains that’s what attracts folks. “For me, after I open a magazine, that's actually what I wish to see.”
Nnadi says she was “at all times” excited by style. One among her earliest childhood reminiscences is noticing a pair of shiny patent leather-based sneakers, when she was about 5 years previous, and getting her father to purchase them for her.
Rising up in central London, she discovered her sense of favor by watching folks go by within the metropolis.
“Again then, as a young person, I didn't have the means to purchase designer manufacturers, but it surely was about fantasy and the power to recreate appears that I noticed, and I acquired actually into the concept of designing my garments in a selected manner. and purchase classic gadgets,” he stated.
“I had a type of power and enthusiasm for style and dressing that actually got here throughout when strolling the streets of London.”
She nonetheless loves streetwear and classic, and is understood to be a samba fan. Getting dressed is, for her, “one of the vital joyful issues” she does all day.
Enninful's departure was stricken by rumors of a rift between him and Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue.
So how does Nnadi plan to handle his personal relationship with the legendary Wintour, who impressed the movie The Satan Wears Prada?
“Anna is my boss, I've at all times had a terrific relationship with Anna,” Nnadi stated.
“I believe she's somebody who's unattainable to maintain up with as a result of she's extremely hard-working and I've been very lucky to have her mentorship.”
As for Nnadi, would her colleagues describe her as a terrifying Satan Wears Prada editor, or is she extra calm?
Nnadi laughs. “I hope I'm not scary.”