Fashionistas of all shapes, colours, creeds and ages were out at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall to celebrate the launch of Edward Enninful’s A Visible Man, a memoir of his life that began on a military base in Ghana and finds him now as Editor-in-Chief of the British arm of top magazine Vogue, writes Michael Holland.
The Royal Festival Hall and its many bars and grand staircases doubled up as catwalks as grand entrance after grand entrance caught our eye – And this swagger was all before the evening had even begun.
Once we were all in our seats a short trailer for the book was shown, an incredibly stylish black and white affair with top models and actors reading favourite phrases from A Visible Man. Already I couldn’t wait to get home and begin reading my copy.
At the film’s end, Misan Harriman, who is the Chair of the Southbank Centre, came on stage to read his own favourite section from the book and then introduced the man himself. As one, the packed house stood and gave him a long, heartfelt ovation. He was humbled.
Edward, after giving his thanks and returning the love to us, brought on another legend, Michaela Coel, to lead the discussion that took in a potted history of Edward’s life. While already friends, the two discovered they had another bond – their mothers grew up in the same Ghanaian village.
And so the love-fest continued, with questions from the audience also answered, and with each revelation the more I could not wait to get started on the book.
Edward threw names like Idris, Naomi, Kate, and Rihanna about like confetti, but there was no hint of a boast at any time. In fact, he remarked more than once how he often wonders how he reached such high positions in his various jobs. He became editor of i-D magazine aged just 18, more so because the current editor was leaving and gave him the job on the way out of the door!
But through sheer hard work and determination Edward Enninful also became a stylist on two continents and helped changed the fashion industry from the inside; it is now not so elitist or classist, nor white male-dominated. He put black models on magazine covers when all around him advised against it; brought the ‘othered’ up instead of holding them back; showed that he was the right person for the job and proved himself constantly over many years in many roles until he became the editor of British Vogue.
This is a great story about a black immigrant finding himself in South London with hardly any family here; a young man with debilitating diseases he has to deal with constantly, plus realising he is gay with a homophobic father. A great story that had to be told and there is no one better placed to tell it than Edward himself.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN: 9781526657015
Number of pages: 304
RRP: £25
