Edward Enninful is breathing new life into British Vogue. This year alone, we’ve witnessed 85-year-old Judi Dench make her U.K. Vogue debut, were blessed with a trio of covers celebrating frontline workers and treated to a whopping 14 covers featuring British landscapes just last month. Now the September issue has dropped and once again Enninful lands himself in the history books. Misan Harriman becomes the first black man to capture the front cover (below) in the magazine’s history with Adwoa Aboah and Marcus Rashford starring in the black-and-white cover image. Enninful also handpicked “faces of hope” from around the globe, including Dr. Meenal Viz, Tamika D. Mallory, Riz Ahmed, Janet Mock, Angela Davis, Jane Elliott, Alice Wong, Jesse Williams, Joan Smalls, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Yvette Williams and Patrick Hutchinson snapped by Texas Isaiah, Philip-Daniel Ducasse, Reginald Cunningham and Chrisean Rose.
Unfortunately, the cover did not fare well on our forums. “Edward, my love, it’s getting old and boring!” declared helmutnotdead.
“So basically they did the same thing as their last September cover?” asked depordetioz.
“It’s a resounding NO from me, unfortunately. I understand the world is changing and in no way am I discrediting what the people included champion for, but Vogue is a fashion magazine first and foremost and the fashion angle is missing here,” critiqued vogue28.
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In the same frame of mind was MON: “The world is crumbling with hundreds dying every second and the last thing we’d all like to see is a cover that feels like a funeral. This is not the face of hope. This is why I look to Vogue Paris for fashion content.”
“I am so done with activism in fashion. Where is fashion in fashion?” wondered Scotty.
“As much as I applaud Edward for tackling social issues, this is Vogue not Time or The Telegram. He can cover social issues without compromising the fashion which is just as important,” agreed Urban Stylin.
Handbag Queen was also disappointed. “I don’t think fashion magazines should be in the business of ramming politics down our throats thinking they’ll stay relevant. Most of the social activists probably don’t read fashion magazines. Enough is enough!”
Are you a fan? Sound off on British Vogue‘s latest here.
