Model Adwoa Aboah was ‘appalled’ by how ‘uninclusive’ British Vogue used to be

'It was so vanilla'

Adwoa Aboah has said she was "appalled" by how non-inclusive British Vogue used to be, saying the magazine was "so vanilla".

In 2017, the model graced the cover of the publication for Edward Enninful's first issue as the new editor-in-chief.

While Aboah expressed her excitement over being featured on the cover following its publication, in the past she felt the magazine predominantly catered for a particular category of model.

"For an English magazine I was completely appalled by how uninclusive it was, for a magazine birthed out of London, where we are so lucky enough to walk the streets and see all different types of shapes and sizes and colours and faces and ethnicities and backgrounds, for it to be only directed to one type of person," the 26-year-old told Krishnan Guru-Murthy in the latest episode of Channel 4 podcast Ways to Change the World.

Aboah added that she witnessed other models who she's worked with being "supported and nourished" by British Vogue in a way that she never was.

"And I can never really understand why that was," the Gurls Talk founder said. "You know I'm British, as much as the other girls, and I'm born in London, and it was so vanilla."

Aboah was styled by Enninful for her December 2017 British Vogue cover, shortly after being appointed as a contributing editor for the magazine in July.

According to the model, the overwhelmingly positive response her cover received at the time was "madness".

"Me and Edward still every now and then will giggle to each other and think... we had no idea what that was going to create," Aboah told Guru-Murthy.

"We were just excited to be working together and to be creating together."

In December 2017, Naomi Campbell lambasted British Vogue for the lack of diversity of its editorial staff during the tenure of former editor Alexandra Schulman.

The model shared a photograph on Instagram of the publication's editorial staff, alongside the caption: "This is the staff photo of @britishvogue under the previous editor #AlexandraSchulman. Looking forward to an inclusive and diverse staff now that @edward_enninful is the editor…let’s hear your thoughts?" The picture has since been deleted from the social media platform.

During an interview conducted earlier this year, Aboah expressed her belief that her role in the fashion industry is to be "f***ing authentic".

The model explained that being herself "through and through" can "set an example for others on their journey", then "that's as good a message as any".

In March, Aboah appeared alongside the Duchess of Sussex during a panel discussion led by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust in celebration of International Women's Day.