Anna Wintour emerges victorious in the battle for the soul of Vogue by appointing her faithful ally Chioma Nnadi as “successor” to Edward Enninful – but she will only have the title of “head of editorial content”, NOT editor.

Anna Wintour has chosen Chioma Nnadi to replace outgoing editor-in-chief Edward Enninful – but she will only have the title of “head of editorial content”.

New York-based Londoner Nnadi, currently editor-in-chief of the US edition’s website, will focus on “digital storytelling” and keeping Vogue interactive with readers.

But Enninful’s former role as editor-in-chief appears to no longer exist as Ms Wintour takes full control of British and American Vogue – amid years of power struggle between the two rumors.

Former magazine editor Alexandra Shulman claimed Enninful was “still playing second fiddle” to Wintour – following a shift that saw editors at Vogue’s European editions replaced by global executives after the restructuring of the company by Condé Nast in 2020.

Enninful, who was named editor-in-chief in 2017, had to have his articles approved by a new entity called Global, indicating a huge loss of autonomy, according to Ms. Shulman.

Ms Nnadi, who will instead become “head of editorial content”, was praised by Ms Wintour for her “impeccable” reputation and will be the first black woman to edit the fashion magazine.

The move follows months of conjecture over who would replace Enninful, 51, who made history when he was named Vogue’s first black editor-in-chief in 2017.

Nnadi credits her Nigerian father with igniting her passion for fashion – saying she only remembers him wearing suits and taking off his tie on the weekends.

Speaking from her home in New York, Ms Nnadi said: “Are there pressures? Yeah, there’s definitely pressure – it’s Vogue.

“Being in Vogue always means something, it always has authority. (Edward) innovated. It’s more than being part of a magazine: it’s part of the cultural conversation.

The big announcement, first reported by the Guardianfollows a few days of fashion shows – with Vogue World staging a bizarre show in the West End on Thursday to celebrate the start of London Fashion Week.

The highly anticipated event, held at the Theater Royal Drury Lane, attracted many A-list stars with many getting involved in the entertainment on stage.

Viewers, who watched via live stream on YouTube, took to social media to admit they were baffled by the ‘bizarre’ show, billed as a ‘multi-act celebration of British performing arts’ .

Ms Nnadi’s new job will focus on “digital storytelling” and keeping Vogue “interactive” with readers.

It will also be part of a shift that saw the editors-in-chief of Vogue’s European editions replaced by global executives after the Condé Nast company restructured in 2020.

Ms Wintour described Ms Nnadi as a “beloved” colleague who will focus on “music and culture” as well as fashion, adding that the new editor-in-chief “takes Vogue into the future”.

Ms Nnadi said: “Working under Anna, you get an idea of ​​what’s going to happen next. I haven’t checked my email but she’s probably already moved on.

Ms Nnadi grew up in central London, born to her mother, a Swiss-German nurse, and her Nigerian father who came to study in the UK in the 1960s.

She worked for independent magazines such as Fader and Trace before spending time at London’s Evening Standard.

She moved to New York to work for Vogue in 2010, where she currently runs the US site.

Ms Nnadi revealed she expected comparisons to be made between her and Enninful, but highlighted their differences: “As a black woman, but also as a mixed race woman, the way I see the world is also how I see it – through a lens that is influenced by my background, by where I live, by having parents from different cultures, and by having to move between those cultures .

The Londoner has been described as discreet, nuanced and even “shy” by his colleagues – in many ways the opposite of Enninful, who has an army of famous friends such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey and the Duchess of Sussex.

Enninful was born in poor Ghana before his eventual introduction to the British working class and his gradual rise to the top rung of Vogue’s editorial ladder and a salary estimated at £1 million a year.

Ms. Ndadi, whose father is Nigerian and mother Swiss-German, is known as the “nicest person in Vogue.”

Before the announcement, Ms Ndadi told The Times: “Chioma is an excellent choice. She is serious and intelligent and really knows her job. She can’t stand fools.

“Chioma is no longer the terrifying fashion editor of yesteryear,” another Condé Nast source said.

“She is quite shy one-on-one and very calm. She is one of those people who pauses before answering a question.