Meeting with Edward Enninful, the star stylist turned designer for Moncler

Numéro: How and when did your collaboration with Moncler start?

Edward Enninful: When I announced that I was stepping down from my position at Vogue in June 2023, the first call I got was from Remo Ruffini, who invited me to be a part of the project Moncler Genius. I have always had a huge amount of respect for Moncler, not only for the creativity of their teams, but also for their avant-garde approach to collaborations

Why did you wait so long to collaborate with a brand?

I’ve had a 30-plus-year-long career as a stylist. I have worked with most of the fashion designers out there, both for advertising campaigns or runway shows. I was very happy doing what I used to do. Besides, I didn’t want to simply create a collection for the sake of doing it. This time, it just felt like the right time for me and the right people to do it with. It was an opportunity that resonated with my personal values and vision.

How did you feel when the project started, when you told yourself “now I am going to design a collection for a fashion label” for the first time?

It was really fun! I just approached it the same way I have always approached my work. It started with a simple thought, an idea, then tons of graphic research and AI imagery. I think what surprised the teams at Moncler was how clear my ideas were right from the start. I’ve always been known for my searching skills, so I started there. Then, I narrowed down my focus. I’ve always felt like it was the perfect time for me since I was able to use all my styling skills, from research to development, editing and tapping into what people want to wear. Everything came together through that project.

Did you fly to Milan a lot for the project?

I went there many times. The teams also came to London. We live in a digital world, so we used Zoom meetings and many WhatsApp groups extensively. The Milan teams are so incredible. They’re able to create images with technical fabrics and find solutions for the clothes to work in hot and cold weather. I was like, “is this even possible?” I learned a lot from them. The overarching idea behind the collection was really to create a uniform for ever-changing climates.

To be honest, when I first discovered your all black, graphic collection, and that you drew your inspiration from “survivalist glamour”, I was a bit surprised.

Looking in from the outside, people may see in a more positive light. Everyone knows me for wearing black all the time, and I wanted to create something that was true to me. I didn’t want to design a collection I wouldn’t be able to relate to. I’ve always believed in reality with an added touch of magic. So for me, black was a starting point because that’s a shade I love. Then, I played with textures and shapes to counterbalance the absence of colour. It was really interesting for me.

How did this idea of a full wardrobe come about?

Initially, they wanted eight pieces, but I said no because my feminine silhouette is a woman who is facing climate change and wearing everything she needs on her back. So it went from eight jackets to a whole wardrobe, including scarves, water bottles and hats… Remo and his team were amazing. You can’t work alone, and I learned a lot as well by creating couture shapes with technical fabric. I like to invest my time in things that I love. If something’s not fun, I can’t do it.

What is your favorite piece in the collection?

God, it’s impossible to pick one only! I love outerwear across all the spectrums, from the long coats to the layered jackets. I also enjoyed working with technical knitted pieces, as they’re everything but traditional. We can do so much at Moncler, like technical organza. As a stylist, I always loved runway shows, but to be able to feel and reinterpret it is really amazing.

Since the launch of Moncler Genius in 2017, many designers have participated in the project, including Pierpaolo Piccioli, Jonathan Anderson or Simone Rocha. Did you fear being too influenced by what was made before you?

I’ve been a stylist my whole life, so I just did what inspired me, things I would want to photograph, shapes that I love. I like to pay tribute to other people’s works. My style comes from a classic base, always. Then, I lead from there and mix reality with magic, like I said. I started the collection with a huge board of inspiration, from women in the tundra to women in sandstorms. That’s how I love to work, I don’t just walk into a studio and say “let’s start with fabric”. Maybe that’s how some designers work, but for me, it all comes with a visual representation of what the collection should look like.

Did you know that A$AP Rocky, Nico and Donald Glover were the guest designers of this season?

No, everybody was working on their own. We discovered the list of co-creators at the same time as you. I’m so honoured to stand alongside such great talents. I am really looking forward to the fashion show in Shanghai, since I practically know all of the designers anyway. To experience this as a group is so exciting for me.

I like Moncler’s idea of bringing together talents that do not come from fashion only, like musicians and artists. Creativity in fashion obviously comes from many different artistic fields.

Creativity is creativity. I never believe in fashion as the only way, but rather in culture as a whole, whether it’s music, cinema or architecture. If you’re creative, you can really work within all of those realms. For that matter, my work at Vogue UK, and even before at ID Magazine when I was 18, was about culture, to which fashion belongs.

When we look back at your first cover for British Vogue, it was more about representation than simply clothes.

Exactly, and it’s very, very important I think.

Yet I would say that fashion has a special place because it can’t exist without all the other art forms, while still being a pioneer.

There you go. Fashion is the zeitgeist. It represents how people feel at a particular moment in time. From the 18th century to the 1970s and today, fashion conveys the way in which people perceive their time.

What is your first memory related to fashion?

As a child, I used to help my late mother make clothes. She was a seamstress. I used to help her make clothes and zip women into their corsets. I remember the African prints with their bright colours.

You were born in fashion in a sense.

Yes, but I didn’t know it would turn into a career until I was 16. For me, it was only her studio in Ghana, where I spent my childhood, and the 30 apprentices that worked with her.

How did you adjust to your move to the United Kingdom?
I was coming from a country where everyone was black. The doctor was black, the nurse was black, the policeman was black. I landed in a country where I was a minority. The first few years were a bit of a shock because it’s a completely different way of seeing the world.

At an early age, you felt a sharp contrast between Ghana and the UK in the way people treated and judged you.

Indeed, and also regarding the notion of race. I witnessed it firsthand when I arrived in England. I don’t have any problem with race and different religions. In a way, those early days are what pushes my work forward in terms of representation, I try to feature diversity as much as I can.

What you went through as a child must have been a shock to you.

I always say that I grew up between two worlds. At home, I was in Ghana. My parents spoke a different language. When I was with my friends, I was in England. We spoke in England. This duality has really helped me throughout my career since I’ve positioned myself as an observant outsider at a very young age.

Was it difficult as a teenager to adopt such opposite personalities according to your different environments?

It was difficult at first. But anything difficult when you’re young ends up serving you later in life. Now I’m glad I had this experience, because I’m able to look at any situation and see the diversity in it.

Thanks to those experiences, you contributed to make the fashion industry more inclusive for everyone. When did you know that you wanted to work in that industry?

When I was 16 years old, stylist Simon Foxton spotted me on a train and offered me an opportunity to become a model. My mother wouldn’t have it, because she didn’t understand the implications. She’s an African mother. But of course, I persisted and she eventually called Simon Foxton and accepted the offer. Then, Simon introduced me to a photographer called Nick Knight, who I used to meet after school with Simon. Nick Knight was the first person I met in fashion. The minute I walked on set with both of them, something clicked, and I knew it was where I was meant to be. Nothing could stop me and nobody could change my mind.

Making your debuts with Nick Knight is quite impressive, since he was one of the greatest.

When I walked on a set, I would look around at the clothes, the hair, the makeup, the walls, filled with inspiration. My initial plan was to become a lawyer, so I had to stand against my father.

I recently did an interview with Louis de Javier, who told me that he used to model for Vivienne Westwood at one point. Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to do for a living, he knew that he was at the right place and that he could learn a lot there.

You have to be at the right place at the right time. I was eager to learn, I mean, I had a thirst for learning. Back when I was a stylist, I used to walk across London to do returns as an assistant. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have any money. I was completely in love with creativity.

Who are the designers who influenced you at the beginning of your career?

I grew up with a generation of great designers, like the whole Antwerp gang, including Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noter, Dirk Van Seane, or Walter Van Beirindonck. When I was working for ID Magazine in the early 1990s, I met the incredible Michel Montagne, who was the first person to invite us to a fashion show. She was the press agent for Helmut Lang, Jean Colonna, Ann Demeulemeester and all the Parisian avant-garde. Those were the first designers who inspired me, and then became my friends. Helmut and I were great friends before our careers took off. It was the same in London, where I knew John Galliano and Alexander Lee McQueen before they moved to Paris.

You grew up with one of the best generations of designers. The 1990s were the heyday of fashion.

It was a great, innocent period of time. But I think it’s okay to live with your time and social media is really great now. Still, I find something very romantic to picture that 20 years ago, we didn’t have Instagram or anything else. Everything came from your imagination. You had to learn how people were. I used to memorise every fashion show I was seeing on Vogue Runway.

Exactly! I think social media are an incredible tool, but there is a romantic aspect in looking back at how your job used to be 20 years ago, when Instagram didn’t exist and you had to memorise everything.

You know what? I was from that time when getting a look book wasn’t mandatory. I was used to drawing all the looks I saw on the runway. For me, both times are incredible. Now I can have easy access to information that would have taken so long back then, or find talents and creatives around the globe and contact them immediately. I think that’s great.

You mentioned that you used artificial intelligence to create this collection for Moncler. We have to see the positive sides of things.

That’s what I always say. You can’t just ignore what scares you. At least find out why you’re scared. You have to pick the best in everything and leave the rest aside. Regarding social media, I only focus on what is interesting to me and I don’t really pay attention to the rest. It’s almost like editing in a way.

Going back to fashion, who is the designer you believe in today and why?

If I had to list everyone, it would take the whole day!

I have all the time you need.

I love Miuccia Prada, Rick Owens, Ralph Lauren… I love what Pieter Mulier does at Alaia. What I love is good design and a clear vision. You could be a young designer, but if you have a clear vision and you believe in your project, then I’m a fan.

Could you tell us about a specific moment in your career that moved you? For me, it was John Galliano’s last collection for Maison Margiela.

I’m happy to hear you mention John Galliano. I remember the first show I ever went to in Paris was one of John Galliano’s early collections. I was sitting in row number 28, and I thought, “I have arrived”. I was so happy.

It seems that you are close to Kate Moss and walked for John Galliano at her debuts.

We grew up together. I met Kate Moss when we were both modelling. She was 14 and I was 16. When I saw Kate on the runway that day, I remember it was probably one of the few times where I got really emotional. She wasn’t a supermodel yet.

Aside from fashion, what inspires you? Do you have a secret passion?

Obviously, because of my background, I’m always interested in what people are wearing on the streets, not just in London or Paris, but everywhere. And of course, the art at large, whether it’s music, film, architecture, cooking. For me, inspiration can come from anywhere. I could just be walking past a tree and look at the bark and be like, “Oh my God! This could be a spot for a film or something”. I’m quite open. I like the fact that when you start working in fashion, you have to be aware of everything. It’s fascinating to see creativity everywhere.

What is your biggest achievement in your career?

Oh, my God… there have been a lot of high points. I can start with my position as fashion director of ID when I was 18 years old, or when I started working with Vogue Italia, the American Vogue, W, and the British Vogue. But what I’m really proud of is that I’ve been able to shine a light on people who are underrepresented in fashion, such as women of colour, people with different religions, ages, sexual orientations, and to include them in a space where they’re not deemed worthy of existing.

Were you aware of the impact he had on the industry when you started working in fashion?

It was just natural. I just saw beauty in diversity… Also, I grew up on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. Diversity was everywhere. Aristocrats, working class people and the Muslim community all lived together. My work as a stylist was just a reflection of everything I saw and loved before he even had a name.

You are like Jean Paul Gaultier, who drew his inspiration from his former neighbourhood to design his Barbes collection at the time. Do you have any regrets?

Well, if you have regrets, you’ll never be able to move forward. I’ve made mistakes and learned from them. I always say that my mistakes are what got me here, not my successes. My mistakes propelled me not to repeat them, or to become better as an individual and in my work. So really, it’s one of my worst mistakes that got me here.

Making mistakes is a requirement to evolve as a person, whether it is on a personal or professional level.

If not, you’ll never grow up. Even now, I’d rather look forward to what’s coming next, than analyse the past. I think that my love for novelty, that same excitement I felt as a kid, really keeps me excited.

What do you want to do with your life now?

It’ll be nice to be able to take some time out for myself. I’ve done many great projects that I’m really proud of this year. I just want to do things that make me happy. I really believe in being happy. We’ll see in the future.

Was it difficult for you to step down from your high position at Vogue to finally focus on yourself and what you wanted to do?

The great thing about stepping out of my role was that I was to take on a bigger role, that of global advisor. Today I’m in Germany, tomorrow I’ll be in France. This dynamic suits me right now in my life. I always say that fear is not an option.