“I just wanted to create a magazine where everybody could see themselves. A magazine for people who had been ‘othered’ – when I say ‘othered’ I mean people you don’t really see in the media. I wanted them to be seen.
“I also wanted to create a space where young people can be what they see. My mother always said, ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’ It’s good for business, too – the more people who see themselves reflected in the magazine, the better it is for sales.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to not have specials, to not have a size issue, a Black issue, but to just live in a world where every magazine, every month, features everybody? That was really what I wanted to bring to British Vogue. When I started, I assembled a team, who really believed in inclusivity. Having the right team made it all possible.
“There is this myth in the media that if you are the ‘other’ you won’t sell magazines. I still recall, during my early tenure in 2017, brainstorming my first issues, when a senior company staffer said these words to me: ‘Diversity equals downmarket.’ I was so shocked, but I’m glad to say we proved them wrong! To attract diverse talent into the fashion and media industry, we have to look outside of the ‘normal’ places.
“Right from my first issue, people were blown away. People were ready for change and ready to see something that represented the real world.
“I have invisible disabilities [Edward is partially blind and his hearing is less than 50 per cent so he wears hearing aids], but this gives me empathy for others. Being Black, gay and disabled, I have experienced being othered. I was welcomed into the industry, and it didn’t matter that I didn’t have good eyesight or hearing. I was encouraged and mentored.
“During my time as editor–in–chief, I feel like I achieved everything I wanted to. Looking at the fashion industry now, it’s different, in a good way. Of course, we can’t lose momentum. We have to keep fighting for those who are ‘othered’ and fight for people to be seen and heard. We have to keep going.”
This interview is taken from an event Lifestyle attended, hosted by the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME). Watch the conversation in full on the BSME YouTube page.
