Beauty
All You Need to Know About the Inaugural Issue of British Vogue’s 1st Black Female Head of Nigerian Descent — Chioma Nnadi
British Vogue’s editorial leadership takes a historic step forward, passing from the groundbreaking tenure of Ghanaian Edward Enninful to the discerning eye of Chioma Nnadi of Nigerian descent.
Enninful, who shattered glass ceilings as the magazine’s first Black Editor-in-Chief, left a legacy of inclusivity and audacious style, paving the way for Chioma Nnadi to become the first black female Head, marking the dawn of a new era in fashion.
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Nnadi, a fashion powerhouse, assumed the role with a unique perspective informed by her extensive years in fashion editorial. She joined Vogue in 2010 in New York and later worked running the American website of Vogue as well as writing for the magazine and co-hosting the Vogue podcast before taking up the reins last October as the Head of Editorial Content at British Vogue.
Resourceful and resilient: for me, those are the two words that truly underpin the brilliance of British style. Three decades later and, while much has changed in the 20 years I have been living in the US, London’s beautiful, creative, scrappy energy – one that just can’t be found or emulated anywhere else – remains undimmed.
And so, back on home turf with the new responsibility and supreme honour of taking up the mantle at British Vogue, I knew my first cover star needed to be someone who defined that inimitable spirit. Luckily for me, it was an easy choice.
FKA Twigs is an artist who represents the ideal of the modern British eccentric: she is a shape-shifter who rejects conformity and takes real joy in clothes. And as someone whose personal style was ignited by the clubbing scene, I was so inspired speaking with Twigs about her latest work and the always-alluring relationship between fashion and music.
She reminded me that it isn’t just about the runway – it exists and can be found in so many different places, be it at a rave or in our home lives.
— Chioma said in her editor’s note
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FKA Twigs whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett is a British singer, songwriter, and dancer who became known as Twigs for the way her joints cracked.
She settled in Hackney in her early 20s becoming something of a local celebrity overnight when, in 2012, she was spotted by the photographer Matthew Stone at Hoxton Station the morning after a warehouse party. She got cast as an extra in a story for i-D. She’d end up on the magazine cover before she’d even signed to a record label.
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I just want to be in touch with nature again though, that’s what it boils down to. I still feel so plugged into the culture. I want to rave, I want to make love, I want to meet people. But equally, I want to find peace.
— Twigs speaking about her career, healing, love, her career, healing from abuse, her diagnosis, facing racism and the chaos of the real world.
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According to the Vogue article, “as an artist, Twigs has always moved through the pop cultural universe at her own speed, often melding genres at opposite ends of the spectrum – opera with R&B, say – to form the contours of her singular sound. She’s stretched the boundaries of her physical body in every possible direction.
For her second album, Magdalene (2019), she mastered the ancient art of wushu sword fighting and ascended to the heavens on a stripper pole in the wildly popular video for “Cellophane”. Her approach to performance style has been just as mutable, defined only by her ability to shapeshift from one exquisitely dressed creature to the next.”
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A Little BTS from the Cover Shoot
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In a follow-up video titled “Life in Looks” after her British Vogue cover debut, she takes readers through 18 of her memorable looks from 2014. From the artwork for her debut studio album ’LP1’ to her British Vogue cover she explains every look in detail.
To be on Chioma’s cover is a huge honour… This is a real milestone.
— Twigs
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Watch the full interview below:
The Launch
The inaugural edition launch of Chioma’s British Vogue was a star-studded bash celebrated at the Ladbroke Hall in partnership with Pandora. It had the likes of Malala Yousafzai, Alexa Chung, Nicola Coughlan among others present.
It was really special to be able to celebrate the new issue with so many people who helped bring it to life in the room, including the wonderfully talented Sierra Leone-born stylist and creative director IB Kamara, photographer Johnny Dufort and of course our ethereal cover star FKA Twigs
— Chioma Nnadi
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Nnadi’s tenure holds the promise of a British Vogue that’s not just stylish, but deeply relevant and excitingly in touch with the ever-evolving world of fashion. This is a reign we are excited to witness unfold.
Read Chioma’s editor’s note here and the explore full feature here
Credit: @britishvogue
