Edward Enninful will receive the prestigious Trailblazer Award at the British Fashion Council’s annual celebration of the industry’s most impactful individuals. At the Fashion Awards hosted on December 4 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Enninful is set to be honored for his leadership in recent years–but also throughout his entire career.
It was recently announced that the beloved editor would be stepping down from his role as editor-in-chief at British Vogue. The March 2024 issue will serve as his final issue under this title. He has served in this capacity since 2017.
Enninful’s covers at British Vogue have breathed life into a space that at times has lacked creativity and originality. In a digital age, it has been refreshing to see women like Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, and others receiving their flowers. During his tenure, Meghan Markle guest edited a September 2019 cover that featured 15 innovative women such as Jane Fonda. His ingenuity and knack for creating issues that proved to be relevant to readers is highly regarded.
Caroline Rush, chief executive of the BFC and organizer of the Fashion Awards, in addition to London Fashion Week, declared that Enninful is a “highly influential figure, with his groundbreaking work and collaborations transcending fashion and profoundly impacting wider culture,” per WWD. She also shared: “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 U.K. but globally.”
Other recipients of the Trailblazer Award have included Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior menswear, Alessandro Michele, the former Gucci creative director in 2021. Sarah Burton previously was awarded the prize in 2019.
In his forthcoming role at Vogue and Conde Nast, Enninful will report to Anna Wintour. Chioma Nnadi was announced in September as the next head of editorial content at British Vogue.