What are you wearing? Like, right now? Presumably your mother didn’t dress you, so you picked those clothes out yourself. Because we can’t walk around naked without getting arrested (I haven’t tried, but please feel free to give it a go and let me know how you get on), clothes are odd things that are a non-biological necessity of modern life. We can’t choose the skin we’re born in, but we can choose the second skin we wrap around ourselves. Whether you are The Devil Wears Prada chic or the devil in Primark high street, clothes can be an extension of your personality. And this is something many queer people — from drag queens to gay men and trans people — embrace. For our 300th issue, we decided to go back to Attitude’s roots and indulge our stylish side by showcasing not one, not two, but three out gay leaders from the world of fashion. Three men who have challenged the status quo of an industry.
In less than a year at the helm of British Vogue, editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has repositioned the brand to make it relevant to 21st-century Britain. He has championed racial diversity and embraced models of diff erent sizes. When I asked what fashion means to him, his answer was beautiful in its simplicity. “Fairytales,” he said as we photographed him for his cover shoot at Vogue House. He continued, saying how a stylist picks the model, dresses them and puts them in an imagined scenario — be it in a studio, on set, or on location — to create a series of images that can veer into art.