The fashion icon Edward Enninful reflects on Modern Britain: 'We Are Less Tolerant Now' Compared to the Nineties.

An unexpected discovery during a tube journey in 1988 transformed the course of a teenage Ghanaian arrival to Britain. Scouted as a model, Edward Enninful was swiftly pulled into the capital's buzzing 1990s creative scene, progressing from model to stylist and, before turning twenty, becoming the fashion director of i-D magazine.

"That time was the height of the Britart scene – Tracey Emin, Jay Jopling. I encountered Kate Moss at a casting," he recalls. "Then I met Naomi for a cover, and I knew we’d be kindred spirits. We all mixed across disciplines. Friday became Saturday into Sunday. I yearn for that rawness."

Although Enninful appears sentimental, he is not the only one. Lately, a wistful romanticisation of the 1990s has reached fever pitch. But in the intervening decades, Enninful feels a profound shift. "I feel, we’re less accepting now than we were in the 90s," he says. "It’s not even this country – it’s a global phenomenon."

A Perceived Regression

This shift is difficult to overlook: the resurgence of nationalist groups, the reaction against social awareness, and the reassertion of narrow beauty standards. Replacing the optimism of the late 90s, today a different political personality looms as a potential leader. Even, the Union Jack, once an emblem of cultural optimism, has become contentious again.

According to Enninful, the response has long been to champion culture in all its diversity. This was the driving force behind his landmark issue as editor of British Vogue in 2017, which served as a snapshot of modern Britain, including a broad spectrum of prominent faces from music.

"People with a voice should wield it," he comments, referring to those editorial decisions. "People often debate about immigration; I could not have had this life if Britain hadn't been a open country, if it did not offer my family a home and an education. That’s the Britain I cherished. I trust this period will end."

Hope in the Next Generation

He draws solace in the younger generation: "They’re much more aware than we were. They discuss implicit prejudice – I didn't even know what that was."

His formative years would forge a trailblazing career marked by fearlessness and diversity. Enninful broke barriers as the first man, first black man, first openly gay person, and first disabled gay man of colour to lead at British Vogue. His time featured landmark covers showcasing people of diverse backgrounds, curvy models, older individuals, and people from varied communities. Significantly, sales rose.

"Ignoring vast segments of the population, it’s more than that you’re not being inclusive – it’s commercially unwise," he emphasises.

Beyond the Magazine World

He has recently launched his creative company EE72 and its accompanying magazine, 72, his key endeavour since moving on from his previous role. He states his aim to continue being a "disruptor".

"I constantly interrogate the status quo. I was brought up in a place where everybody was black – the doctors, the lawyers, the leader. Then we came to England, without funds, and I was a minority. I was painfully reserved. My teachers declared I’d achieve nothing. Me and my brothers were subject to police stops the suspicion laws … those experiences gave me a sense of being on the inside and the outside."

In contrast to the stereotype of fashion editors as loud and temperamental, Enninful is softly spoken and exudes calm. His life has involved hardship, including well-documented struggles with mental health and addiction.

He has also faced serious health challenges, having had multiple operations on his eyes, now leaving him with partial sight. "I was in such a dark place for two years, not working, fearing I was going to go blind. It’s comparable to PTSD; you just exist in a state of dread 24/7. I thought, if this ever is over, I’m just going to do everything that I was so fearful to do. I’m not going to confine myself to just being an editor or a fashion person."

Curating a Cultural Era

This refusal to fit into a box has propelled him beyond the world that built his career. He is now putting together a significant 1990s exhibition at Tate Britain, featuring work by a group of pivotal artists and photographers from the era. The show, he explains, aims to capture the decade's interdisciplinary energy – and give platform to those who weren't given a spotlight at the time.

"The establishment sometimes neglected to promote the right artists because they weren't of the traditional credentials," he states.

The magazine 72 itself functions with a unique business model, rejecting traditional advertising in favour of integrated partnerships. "The question is, what can we do together? Is it an experience, a series? The magazine is one component of a greater ecosystem."

An Unstoppable Drive

Now, Enninful stands as one of the world's most powerful creative power brokers. His story, he believes, is a demonstration to the power of following your instincts.

What would the Edward of the 90s think of the Edward of today? He chuckles. "He would be astonished, but he’d be impressed. In those days I was anti-establishment. I didn't think institutions like Tate were within my reach."

He pauses. "Nothing is assumed. We were displaced, we left our homeland. I came close to losing my vision. So there is no room for fear. People have doubted me my entire life. But nothing can stop me once I’ve made up my mind to do something."