On February 8th, British Vogue’s current Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Edward Enninful, released the upcoming cover for the March 2024 issue. Titled Legends Only, Enninful gave a passionate, reflective goodbye to the magazine of which he has reigned over the last six and a half years. Eulogising his time at the company, Enninful contemplates the idea of legacy, especially that of British Vogue, on which he comments on himself as being “a custodian, ever mindful of the magazine’s unique history”. This month’s cover, now available to purchase, highlights the role women have played in the success of British Vogue since its separation from its American counterpart in 1916, with women occupying the role of EIC from the beginning until Enninful’s appointment in 2017. Enninful’s role at the company has ushered in a new era for British Vogue, having featured the first cover photographed by a black man (Missan Hariman – September 2020 issue), British Vogue’s oldest cover model (Judi Dench – June 2020 issue), and British Vogue’s first solo male cover model (Timothee Chalamet – October 2022 issue).
Vogue is to Lifestyle what air is to humans. Vogue promoted what was once considered frivolous and, coincidentally, feminine to the forefront of society, airing in an era of prestige. Over a century after its beginning, Vogue has become a societal staple, going beyond the boundaries of the Western world and inviting in-depth connections across cultures and countries. No longer is the concept of fashion and art and cosmetics considered superficial, rather it is seen as a vital part of commentary on societal values.
With this in mind, the 40 women brought together for Enninful’s final issue highlights what society thinks it means to be legendary in 2024; and specifically, what it means to be legendary as a woman in 2024. Looking at the cover, the first thing that comes to mind is the diversity; long-gone are the days of 90s television in which slim figures and pale skin dominated our screens. The models range from young to old, from one side of the world to the other. It promotes the message that all women are part of a singular sisterhood, and this is the one thing that unites all women everywhere.
And yet, the models all stem from the same industry, with the sole exception of Serena Williams, the only sportswoman present. From Laverne Cox to Dua Lipa, every woman comes from the same background of acting, modelling, singing, and/or presenting, so, is this what we believe women have to be in order to be legendary?
To me, legendary is the mothers who work two jobs in order to support their children, it is the doctors who get mistaken for their husbands, it is the journalists who fight prejudice, and it is the transwomen who have to go against misogyny alongside transphobia in order to succeed. Surely, that is the version of legendary we should be promoting? Not the Hollywood alternative, of wealth and fame and recognition.
If Greta Gerwig’s Barbie taught us anything, it is that women can do everything, and only being able to represent one industry among 39 women is astounding. Though Vogue has certainly been beneficial in bringing lifestyle, fashion, and women’s issues to the forefront of commercial society, there is still work to be done – it is no longer enough to promote women in industries in which only the smallest minority can enter. Vogue must instead be championing and celebrating the face of the working woman, the female EICs and journalists who made Vogue what it is today, the young girls prioritising academics to pursue fashion design, and the students studying chemistry to move into the make-up industry. These are the faces we need to be labelling as ‘Legends Only’. For certain, being able to see a woman who looks like us in a position of celebrity status is always valuable, but perhaps in another six years we’ll be able to see women who not only look like us, but reflect our lifestyles as well.
The March 2024 issue will be released on February 13th, 2024.
“WOODRUFF, Porter (1894-1959).British Vogue, Jan. 11, 1928.” by Halloween HJB is marked with CC0 1.0.