Edward Enninful: Britain feels less tolerant now than we were in the 90s'

"When Edward Enninful was scouted on the tube travelling through London in 1988, it changed his life. The Ghanaian teenager, newly arrived in Britain, was drawn into the capital's creative scene of the 90s as a model, then stylist and, by 18, the fashion director of i-D magazine. It was the height of the YBA [Young British Artists] movement Jay Jopling, Tracey Emin. I met Kate [Moss] at a casting, he recalls. Then Naomi [Campbell] for a cover, and I knew we'd be great friends."

"If Enninful sounds nostalgic, he's not the only one. Lately, wistful romanticisation of the 90s has reached fever pitch. But in the intervening decades Enninful believes something has shifted. I feel like we're less tolerant now than we were in the 90s, he says. It's not even just this country it's everywhere. The regression is hard to ignore: the rise of the far right, the backlash against wokeness, and the reassertion of Eurocentric beauty standards."

Edward Enninful was scouted on the London tube in 1988 and entered the city's 1990s creative scene as a model, stylist and, by 18, fashion director of i-D magazine. He formed close ties with figures like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell during the Young British Artists era. Enninful observes increased intolerance since the 1990s, citing the rise of the far right, backlash against wokeness and a reassertion of Eurocentric beauty standards. Enninful promotes celebrating cultural diversity as an antidote. His 2017 British Vogue issue presented a portrait of modern Britain featuring Sadiq Khan, Skepta, Steve McQueen and Zadie Smith. He credits lenient immigration policies for his opportunities and finds hope in younger generations' awareness.

Read at www.theguardian.com