Edward Enninful Really Brought Out the Star Power for Final British 'Vogue' Cover
Edward Enninful is closing out his time at British Vogue with a bang.
The long-awaited March 2024 issue, photographed by Steven Meisel, stars 40 remarkable women from different fields — think: supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Anok Yai; actors like Gemma Chan and Anya Taylor-Joy; singers like Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa; cultural icons like Oprah. Star power is simply jam-packed within the frame.
This marks Enninful's final cover as editorial director (basically Vogue's way of saying editor-in-chief for its international editions). "Here it is: My 76th and final edition of Vogue, six-and-a-half years and 153 cover stars later, including the 40 legendary women who feature on this cover. It's been an extraordinary ride and an absolute honour," he said, in a statement. "As I step into my new role, as Condé Nast's global creative and cultural advisor for Vogue, I'm determined to keep championing the incredible array of voices in fashion and media, and ensure we keep the energy explosion of the last few years going. We always say it, because it always needs to be said: there is a great deal yet to be done."
The editor announced plans to transition out of his role — which he's held since 2017 — in a memo to staff. (Chioma Nnandi was later appointed head of editorial content at British Vogue.) Since joining the magazine, Enninful received (well-deserved) acclaim for his creativity and his championing of inclusivity in an industry that egregiously lacks it. Condé Nast recognized the power of his leadership, and expanded his role in 2020, naming him European editorial director, overseeing the France, Italy, Germany and Spain editions of Vogue (in addition to the U.K's).
The reunion-style March 2024 cover calls back to a few different iconic Vogue spreads, namely the U.S. edition's 100th anniversary one from April 1992 (shot by Patrick Demarchelier) and Italy's 30th anniversary one from October 1994 (shot by Meisel). Enninful's take on the gathering of influential women, however, manages to include even more talent — it's like a visual metaphor for the spaces he has grown in fashion.
"When it came to my final issue as editor, it was impossible for me to choose one person for the cover who personifies not only Vogue, but the world we live in today," Enninful told WWD. "It became obvious very quickly that we needed to represent inclusivity beyond fashion, and celebrate the community of women who have helped to shape the culture, so I gathered 40 women who have previously graced the cover of British Vogue during my editorship."
Additional stars on the cover include Adwoa Aboah, Adut Akech, Simone Ashley, Victoria Beckham, Selma Blair, Vittoria Ceretti, Jodie Comer, Laverne Cox, Cindy Crawford, Ariana Debose, Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Paloma Elsesser, Karen Elson, Cynthia Erivo, Linda Evangelista, Jane Fonda, Kaia Gerber, Gigi Hadid, Salma Hayek, Iman, Maya Jama, Jameela Jamil, Karlie Kloss, Precious Lee, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Rina Sawayama, Irina Shayk, Christy Turlington, Amber Valletta and Serena Williams.
The full March issue of British Vogue will be available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday, February 13.
Never miss the latest fashion industry news. Sign up for the Fashionista daily newsletter.