Chioma Nnadi is appointed head of editorial content at British Vogue

Chioma Nnadi is appointed head of editorial content at British Vogue with Anna Wintour praising her ‘impeccable reputation’ as she succeeds outgoing editor-in-chief Edward Enninful

• Chioma Nnadi will become the first Black woman to edit the fashion magazine  

Anna Wintour has selected Chioma Nnadi as the new head of editorial content at British Vogue in replacement of outgoing editor-in-chief Edward Enninful. 

New York-based Londoner Ms Nnadi, currently editor of the US edition’s website, has been praised by Ms Wintour for her ‘impeccable’ reputation and will become the first Black woman to edit the fashion magazine. 

The decision follows months of conjecture surrounding who would replace Enninful, 51, who made history when he was appointed Vogue’s first Black editor-in-chief in 2017. 

Nnadi credits her Nigerian father for igniting her passion for fashion – saying she only remembers him wearing suits and taking his tie off on weekends. 

Speaking from her New York home, Ms Nnadi said: ‘Is there pressure? Yeah, there’s definitely pressure – it’s Vogue.

Anna Wintour has selected Chioma Nnadi (pictured) as the new head of editorial content at British Vogue

Ms Nnadi is to replace outgoing editor-in-chief Edward Enninful (pictured with Anna Wintour) 

‘It still means something to be in Vogue, it still has authority. [Edward] broke new ground. It’s more than being part of a magazine – it’s part of the cultural conversation.’ 

The big announcement, reported first by the Guardian, follows a few days of fashion shows – with Vogue World putting on a bizarre show in the West End on Thursday to celebrate the beginning of London Fashion week. 

The hotly-anticipated event, held at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, attracted a whole host of A-list stars and many of them got involved with the on-stage entertainment.

Viewers, who watched via the YouTube livestream, took to social media to admit they were left baffled by the ‘bizarre’ show, which was billed as ‘multi-act celebration of the British performing arts’. 

Ms Nnadi’s new job will focus on ‘digital storytelling’ and keeping Vogue ‘interactive’ with readers. 

It will also be part of a shift that has seen the editors of Vogue’s European editions replaced by global heads after Conde Nast’s 2020 company-wide restructuring. 

Ms Wintour described Ms Nnadi as a ‘beloved’ colleague who will focus on ‘music and culture’ as well as fashion, adding that the new editor is ‘bringing Vogue into the future’. 

Ms Nnadi said: ‘Working under Anna, you get a sense of what’s going to be next. I haven’t checked my email but she’s probably on to the next thing already.’

Ms Nnadi’s new job will focus on digital storytelling’ and keeping Vogue ‘interactive’ with readers

READ MORE: Could Anna Wintour pick Chioma Nnadi to take over as new Vogue editor? ‘Shy’ Londoner who learned about style from her Nigerian father ‘who only wore suits but took off his tie at weekends’ could take reins from Edward Enninful

Ms Nnadi grew up in central London, born to her mother, a Swiss-German nurse, and her Nigerian father who came to the UK to study in the 1960s. 

She worked at Indie magazines such as the Fader and Trace before spending some time working at London’s Evening Standard. 

She moved to New York to work for Vogue in 2010 – where she is currently running the US site. 

Ms Nnadi revealed she anticipated some comparisons to be made between herself and Enninful, but highlighted their differences: ‘As a Black woman, but also as a biracial woman, how I view the world is also how I see it – through a lens that is influenced by my background, by where I live, and by having parents from different cultures and having to move between these cultures.’ 

The Londoner has been described as low-key, nuanced and even ‘shy’ by colleagues – in many ways the polar opposite of Enninful, who has an army of celebrity friends such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey and the Duchess of Sussex. 

Enninful was born in poverty-stricken Ghana before his eventual introduction to working class Britain and gradual ascension to the highest rung on the editorial ladder at Vogue and an estimated £1milllion-a-year salary. 

Ms Ndadi, whose father is Nigerian and mother Swiss-German, is known as the ‘nicest person at Vogue’. 

Before the announcement, Ms Ndadi told The Times: ‘Chioma is a great choice. She is serious and clever and really knows her stuff. She doesn’t suffer fools.’ 

‘Chioma isn’t the terrifying fashion editor of old,’ another Condé Nast insider said.

‘She’s quite shy one-on-one, and very calm. She’s one of those people that pauses before she answers a question.’

Source: Read Full Article