The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue and the European Editorial Director of Vogue, Edward Enninful OBE, will receive the Trailblazer Award for his contribution to the fashion industry at The Fashion Awards 2023 presented by Pandora (TFA).
Enninful began his career as a model and styling assistant before being named Fashion Director of i-D at 18 years old, making him the youngest person ever to have been named an editor at a major international fashion title. In his role at i-D, Enninful’s fashion stories pushed boundaries by fusing provocative elegance with a radical narrative.
Enninful’s approach to storytelling was also seen in his work in American Vogue and Vogue Italia, where he was a contributing editor, frequently collaborating with photographer Steven Meisel. In 2011, he took over the position of Fashion and Style Director of W Magazine and restored the cultural relevance of the magazine. During his time at W Magazine, Enninful was awarded an OBE for his services to diversity in the fashion industry.
Enninful is currently the European Editorial Director of Vogue and became the first black Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue in August 2017. 2024 will see Enninful step into the newly appointed position of Editorial Advisor of British Vogue and Global Creative and Cultural Advisor of Vogue.
In his six years as Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Enninful has challenged traditional beauty standards and transformed the fashion media landscape with his editions including, Fashion Now, Reframing Fashion, The New Front Line, The New Supers, and The Supers. Enninful’s covers consistently feature and empower strong women and changemakers. In 2022, Enninful released his Sunday Times bestselling book, A Visible Man, where he shares the story of his journey from Ghana to British Vogue.
“We are thrilled to honour Edward Enninful with the Trailblazer Award for his immense contributions to the fashion industry,” said Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council.
“A fierce campaigner for diversity and inclusion in everything he does, Enninful has shaped a new vision for fashion media through his tenure as Editor-in-Chief at British Vogue, not only in the UK but globally.”
The Trailblazer Award celebrates the very best innovators and creatives in fashion, whose work in the past year has significantly shaped the industry. Previous winners include Alessandro Michele, Kim Jones, and Sarah Burton.
