A Mini Book Review: “A Visible Man: A Memoir,” By Edward Enninful
After receiving many gift cards from Barnes and Nobles for Christmas from friends and family, I knew that Edward Enninful's "A Visible Man: A Memoir" would be one of my first purchases. Enninful is the editor-in-chief of British Vogue and, as a fan of high fashion, I have been following him over the past couple of years since he took the editorship in 2017 — but his legacy began well before then. At 18 years old, he was the youngest fashion editor of i-D magazine. He has been a contributing editor to Vogue Italia and American Vogue. Enninful spearheaded the creation of the infamous “Black Issue” for Vogue Italia in 2008, which featured only black models. My best friend Clay was able to get a copy for Christmas, despite it being an elusive find because it sold out so fast.
Enninful's impact on British Vogue is profound and, for lack of better words, revolutionary. As British Vogue's first Black editor-in-chief, he has molded the publication to be a golden frame for a crystal clear mirror that reflects its global audience and the diversity within it. And he made it his life's mission to do so, writing, “To be frank, I was sick and tired of seeing so many people othered. And if we want to get real: I felt that Vogue had played some part in maintaining this state of affairs.” Its success is evident. During the pandemic, British Vogue remained financially stable and ran 12 issues, while its global counterparts had to reduce production.
This past weekend, as the beginning-of-the-semester rush had ended, I had some downtime to begin reading the memoir, which had been sitting on my shelf. I devoured it. Enninful details his beginnings in Ghana with his close-knit family, describing his love for his mother, who introduced him to the world of fashion as a dressmaker. Enninful also pens his experience immigrating to London in the 80s, when Thatcherism and anti-immigrant rhetoric permeated into society. He recounts his experiences with racism and how he has grappled with his identities as a Black, gay man, past and present, while navigating both the exclusive, one-sided fashion industry and society.
Now, I admit I went into this reading curious to see if there would be some insight into Enninful's rumored frosty tensions with his American Vogue equivalent. This would not be the case, but I was delighted to see the famous names mentioned. Idris Elba, Rihanna, Kate Moss, Megan Markle and Naomi Campbell to name a few. These people, in addition to his family, formed a prominent support system for Enninful, and it was reaffirming to see high-level celebrities uplift and encourage Enninful throughout his journey.
While reading, I would see some parallels between Enninful, myself and even my friends. From feeling the need to work twice as hard and imposter syndrom to the effects of overworking on health, Enninful perfectly captured the sentiments and experiences from people of color on their professional journey and career path: “When you can do all things for all people, and well enough to be consistently rewarded for it, especially from a very young age, you have a harder time landing on what makes you actually you, yourself tick ... You bend to the situation, you don't impose yourself on it. You see yourself as of service to the talent rather than the talent yourself.” As a budding marketing professional, a senior undergraduate student and a Latina, I resonate so much with the mission to amplify different voices in the media, and I see the urgency in doing so. I think because, in 2023, I still see insincere, inaccurate and a low amount of interactions between brands, media and different communities, I have now shifted from creative work to more analytical work. Through data analytics and audience insights, I can, visually through data, express the importance (numbers don’t lie!) of including communities that were previously ignored in the conversation or help clarify the collective of perspectives. And as we move toward an omnichannel society, visibility and access need to be a priority in the grand scheme of digital transformations.
And just as Enninful continues to open the doors for others in an utmost creative and innovative fashion, I am inspired to continue to do the same with a quote in mind. “The world is in too dire a need for creativity, of original thought to hold anyone back who may have the next great idea, who could be helping us move forward together.”
