Anna Wintour has selected Chioma Nnadi to replace outgoing editor-in-chief Edward Enninful – but she will only hold the title of ‘head of editorial content’.
New York-based Londoner Ms Nnadi, currently editor of the US edition’s website, will focus on ‘digital storytelling’ and keeping Vogue ‘interactive’ with readers.
But Enninful’s former role as editor-in-chief appears to no longer exist as Ms Wintour gains full control of both British and American Vogue – amid a years-long power struggle between the two.
Former editor-in-chief of the magazine Alexandra Shulman claimed Enninful always “played second fiddle” to Wintour – following a shift that saw editors of Vogue’s European editions replaced by global leaders following Conde Nast’s 2020 restructuring of the company.
Enninful, who was appointed editor-in-chief in 2017, had to get stories approved by a new entity called “Global,” which Ms. Shulman said marked a huge loss of autonomy.
Ms Nnadi, who will instead become “head of editorial content”, was praised by Ms Wintour for her “impeccable” reputation and will be the first black woman to edit the fashion magazine.
Anna Wintour has selected Chioma Nnadi (pictured) to replace outgoing British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful
Anna Wintour has selected Ms Nnadi as the new ‘head of editorial content’ at Vogue
Ms Nnadi replaces outgoing editor-in-chief Edward Enninful (pictured with Anna Wintour)
Ms Nnadi, who will become ‘head of editorial content’, was praised by Ms Wintour for her ‘impeccable’ reputation
Ms Nnadi reported her excitement at being selected for the new role at British Vogue
The decision follows months of speculation about who would replace 51-year-old Enninful, who made history when he was named Vogue’s first black editor-in-chief in 2017.
Nnadi credits her Nigerian father for fueling her passion for fashion. She says she only remembers him wearing a suit and taking off his tie on the weekends.
Speaking from her home in New York, Ms Nnadi said: “Is there pressure? Yes, there is definitely pressure – it’s Vogue.
‘It still means something to be in Vogue, it still has authority. (Edward) was groundbreaking. It’s more than being part of a magazine; it is part of the cultural conversation.”
The big announcement, first reported by the Guardianfollows a few days of fashion shows – with Vogue World staging a bizarre show in the West End on Thursday to celebrate the start of London Fashion Week.
The highly anticipated event, held at the Theater Royal Drury Lane, attracted a host of A-stars with many of them getting involved in the on-stage entertainment.
Viewers, who watched via the YouTube livestream, admitted on social media that they were stunned by the “bizarre” show, which was billed as a “multi-act celebration of 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 leaders following Conde Nast’s company-wide restructuring in 2020.
Ms Nnadi posted another message on Twitter congratulating her on the new role at British Vogue
Ms Nnadi’s new job will focus on ‘digital storytelling’ and keeping Vogue ‘interactive’ with readers
Anna Wintour, Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller, Chioma Nnadi in the US in June 2023
Ms Nnadi (right) will be the first black woman to edit the fashion magazine
Ms Wintour described Ms Nnadi as a “well-loved” colleague who will focus on “music and culture” in addition to fashion, adding that the new editor is “taking Vogue into the future.”
Ms Nnadi said: “When you work under Anna you get an idea of what is going to happen. I haven’t checked my email, but she’s probably already working on the next thing.’
Ms Nnadi grew up in central London, the daughter of her mother, a Swiss-German nurse, and her Nigerian father, who came to Britain to study in the 1960s.
She worked at Indie magazines such as Fader and Trace before spending a stint at London’s Evening Standard.
She moved to New York in 2010 to work for Vogue, where she currently manages the US site.
Ms Nnadi revealed that she expected 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 which is influenced by my background, by where I live, by having parents from different cultures and having to move between these cultures.’
The Londoner has been described by colleagues as understated, nuanced and even ‘shy’ – in many ways the opposite of Enninful, who has an army of famous friends including Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey and the Duchess of Sussex.
Enninful was born in poverty-stricken Ghana before eventually becoming acquainted with Britain’s working class and gradually rising to the top rung of the editorial ladder at Vogue and an estimated salary of £1 million a year.
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 smart and really knows her stuff. She doesn’t let herself be fooled.’
“Chioma is no longer the terrifying fashion editor of old,” says another Condé Nast insider.
‘She’s quite shy one-on-one and very calm. She’s one of those people who pauses before answering a question.”