What is Vogue World about? Details explored amid the tensions happening at Vogue House

Vogue World is making its London debut on September 14, 2023, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End. The event is dubbed London’s answer to the Met Gala and is set as a theatrical extravaganza for fundraising for the British art scene.

Kicking off London Fashion Week, Vogue World will feature performances from leading artists of opera, theater, and film. The show also includes classical and pop music at the venue with a runway presenting the autumn/winter 2023 collections.

The Vogue celebration is headed by Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful. While there are rumors of a power struggle between Wintour and Enninful, the team at the Vogue House considers the show as "Wintour's baby," according to The Guardian.

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Details about the Vogue World and what to expect

Vogue World debuted last year in New York City and is now set to commence in London this Thursday. The event will be streamed internationally with a horde of celebrities in attendance.

Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour is heading the event with Edward Enninful and BAFTA- and Olivier-winning Stephen Daldry as the creative director. Daldry is known for his contributions to The Crown and Billy Elliot. Other people participating in the Vogue team are show director Emily Burns, and creative producer Fran Miller.

Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, and Adwoa Aboah will represent the British supermodels for the affair. As per The Independent, Naomi Campbell, who is close friends with Enninful might play a vital role during Vogue World as she was featured in the main marketing campaign.

As per the invitation, the dress code for the fundraiser is "Opening Night." The tickets for the show ranged from $130 to $3,000, way less than The Met Gala prices of $50,000 per person. The proceeds of the net ticket sales will go to the arts.

Vogue World is said to be a very significant fundraiser for performing arts organizations including The National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Rambert Dance Company, and The Royal Ballet.

When asked about the reason behind starting such an event, Anna Wintour said that the arts were "under threat in the UK." She added that Vogue World will be a "timely reminder" of how important and what a vital part of life they are. Wintour went on to say that the event will serve as a reminder of how much the arts need people's support.

The event will include performances like opera, theater, and film performances. Meanwhile, the celebrities performing at these include British rapper Stormzy, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, and actors Ian McKellen and Idris Elba.

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The feud between Edward Enninful and Anna Wintour

As per the Guardian, there is an unspoken power struggle going on between the Editor-in-Chief at British Vogue Edward Enninful, and the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Anna Wintour based in New York. Edward is the first Black gay man to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief in 2017 and is planning on leaving the position to become the "global creative and cultural advisor."

As per The Independent, rumors arose that Enninful is trying to take up the editor position of US Vogue Magazine which is held by Wintour. As per The Vogue House, this is the reason for their rift and Anna is trying to take back the "control" with Vogue World.

Enninful reportedly said in June 2023 that he was taking a step back from his position and taking a new role at Condé Nast (Vogue's parent company). This was reportedly because of the "freedom to take on broader creative projects."

Edward's replacement for head of editorial content has a lot of candidates. At the top is Chioma Nnadi, the editor of vogue.com, and a global network lead at the company. As per The Times,

"She [Nnadi] is serious and clever and knows her stuff. She doesn’t suffer fools.”

Other applicants include Sarah Harris, Mark Holgate, and Emily Sheffield, all hold the biggest positions in the company.

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Vogue World is live-streaming the entire show at 3 pm EST/8 pm BST on vogue.com.