Reviews: A Visible Man (10)

As a person not massively interested (or knowledgeable) about fashion, I went in to A Visible Man not knowing of Enninful but I was interested in the premise and hearing his perspective on the fashion industry in the last few decades. Enninful's writing is engaging and honest, he does not shy away from fashion's past and is wonderfully forth coming with the changes he has pushed and worked for.

If you think you do not know enough about fashion or the industry to be able to engage with this book then let me tell you that is not the case, A Visible Man is as much about race and sexuality as it is about clothes and magazines and it is a book I would recommend it to everyone.

This is an important book on how growth happens because of our actions and not our inaction. It reminds us all that once we have reached a position of power it is our responsibility to step up. Edward Enninful shows us how he has not turned away but he instead offers out a helping hand to the next generation of black creatives to make their way into the the limelight.

This is a fascinating memoir which charts Edward (Asiamah) Enninful’s journey from his birth in Ghana to becoming Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue. This is a powerful story of using key positions to break down barriers and promote diversity and inclusivity. The cover perfectly matches the contents - this is one impressive man. I find the autobiography inspirational, what he achieves at an incredibly young age for example, becoming fashion director at i-D at 18! Yes, 18! His work ethic is truly phenomenal which inevitably leads him not only to becoming a rising star in the world of fashion but grants him the ability to make important statements. An example of this is his determination to represent black people in his fashion shoots and in magazines which you would think in this day and age would be representative of all but isn’t necessarily so. He encounters resistance but is proved right. He encounters racism on his way up, some of which takes my breath away in shock and makes me feel sad. However, he is an example along with figures such as Naomi Campbell that everyone can be at ‘the centre of the universe’ and do it on your own terms and in his case, by the efforts of yourself. I really enjoy too, the insights into the fashion world from the late ‘80’s, the things that influence him and how he finds his style.

Overall, this has been a interesting and insightful read. He writes with warmth, sensitivity and honesty and comes across as an immensely likeable man.

I was sent a copy of A Visible Man by Edward Enninful to read and review by NetGalley. I really enjoyed this memoir. It was so interesting reading about what goes into the production of fashion magazines and the fashion world in general. I also liked the fact that we got some insight into the models themselves. There is a lot of inspiration in the book and it is really refreshing to see the changes that the author has made within the world of fashion, and beyond, making the world more inclusive for anyone that is marked as ‘different’. The only thing that frustrated me slightly was the fact that there were so few photographs, as there was only one image at the beginning of a chapter – that is until I came to read the credits where there were many more images listed. I realized then that my advance copy on my kindle did not have the complete set. I will have to go in search of a physical copy to satisfy my need! One thing I did do after finishing this book was to go out and buy a copy of British Vogue – I’m looking forward to devouring it, especially as it happens to be an issue dedicated to our Queen!

A powerful and inspiring book, if you like looking at pictures of models in magazines, particularly British Vogue, you will know something about the author, this is his story of how he was picked to become editor of the magazine.

Recommended.

The wider effect that Enninful’s career has had is nothing short of extraordinary and what he overcame to get there makes his achievements even more impressive. His politics are sound and he really seems to want to do what he can to make the world a slightly better place, a quality that I admire. 4 stars not 5 as although the content was mostly very good the way that it was written wasn’t as good as many other biographies that I’ve read. However, a very interesting insight into his personal life and professional career.

I thought this was a very interesting and insightful memoir of a key figure in the UK and international fashion industry. Honestly written and with heartfelt sincerity.

I'm not black nor interested in Vogue- yet I found this warm, honest biography really Interesting.
From a childhood playing with his Mum's dressmaking scraps to receiving an MBE Edward Enningful takes one on a roller coaster through landmark events.
Also fascinating is his explanation of why different Africans have such differing attitudes to colonial whites, depending upon whether they were equals as Ghanaians were or subsumed by conquerors.
If you are remotely interested I fashion or equality it is well worth reading.

A Visible Man by Edward Enninful is the author of this memoir, a man who has a story to tell and tells it well, in words and pictures. Edward Enninful became the first black editor in chief of British Vogue magazine and then went on to produce covers to include all manner of people previously never considered to be gain access of a front cover of a fashion magazine.
He is Black, gay, from a working class refugee family and has single-handedly changed the world of fashion to include many faces never consider before to grace a magazine cover. During the pandemic he produced covers of an octogenarian and then ordinary every day women working throughout the pandemic.
He has changed the landscape of fashion and more people than every before are included working in the industry of fashion and appearing on the front cover.
An interesting man with his own foibles and who changed the fashion industry forever.
Highly recommended

It takes a lot to become the editor of UK Vogue and European director of Conde Nast and it is clear from the get go that Enninful is more than capable of rising to the top, despite the numerous obstacles that paved his way.

He has a ferocious work ethic and a burning desire to succeed as well as a clear and joyful relationship with fashion and culture. I particularly enjoyed the refusal to accept no as an answer when it came to his activism and how he had and has a clear vision for how that can and does work within his role at Vogue. His commitment to raising, highlighting and giving a voice to black talent in all areas his role touches is inspiring. I also loved his much more open and accepting ideas of what fashion is and does across a broader church of class and body size, too. There is a great deal to admire here.

Enninful is a voice for and force of change within the too thin, too white, too rich world of fashion media and this is not just a memoir, this is a clarion call for change.