Industry News


Behind British Vogue’s Covers Honoring Frontline Workers

July 13, 2020

By Brienne Walsh

COVID-19 has taught humankind many things, among them that the people we might have taken for granted in the past—grocery store workers, delivery men and women, and postal workers, among many others—are unsung heroes who put their lives on the line so that society could continue to function during the pandemic.

“It quickly became apparent here in London, as it did elsewhere in the world, that these previously invisible people were doing incredible work,” said Olivia Marks, the features editor at British Vogue“We probably don’t thank them enough.”

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In late March, Edward Enninful, the editor-in-chief of British Vogue, decided that he wanted to bestow upon these workers an honor usually reserved for models and celebrities: a feature spread in his publication. It was not necessarily conceived as the cover story. But “as the images came in,” Marks notes, “they quickly cemented that it would become one.”

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Jamie Hawkesworth was the photographer assigned to shoot the story. “A lot of his work is portraiture, so it felt like a natural fit,” Marks says. A veteran of the fashion industry, Hawkesworth has shot many fashion editorials for British Vogue, among them a cover story on Kate Moss that appeared in the May 2019 edition of the magazine. He initially made a name for himself as a photographer in 2010 with a series of portraits of regular people hanging out at the Preston bus station in Lancashire, England. The images were published in a book in 2015. 

A portrait from Preston Bus Station, published in 2015, a project that gave the photographer his first taste of notoriety before he went on to shoot internationally recognized magazine covers. © Jamie Hawkesworth

“When I took those portraits, I would just turn up and see what captured my eye,” he says. “I always try to keep that bit of naivety in my work, even in editorial and commercial photography.” 

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When Enninful, a close friend, called with the British Vogue assignment, Hawkesworth was on lockdown in his apartment. He weighed whether it was safe to expose himself and others to the virus, and ultimately decided that the project was worth it if he followed safety guidelines. Working entirely alone, without an assistant, stylist, or hair and makeup artists, Hawkesworth traveled around London on his bike to photograph 50 subjects over the course of two weeks. He shot the images with a Mamiya RB67, using the natural light available. His subjects included train drivers, midwifes, nurses, grocery store clerks and postal workers. “In no way am I exaggerating, it was one of the best projects I’ve ever done,” Hawkesworth says.

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Hawkesworth did not do any research on his subjects before he met them. He wanted to have a blank slate, which is typical of his process. “When you meet a stranger for the first time, there’s always a surprise,” he says. “Whoever it is, even if it’s Kate Moss, there’s always, always some spontaneous, subtle gesture that makes the photograph.”   

The subjects were ordinary women not used to posing for professional photographers—Hawkesworth did not try to give them too much direction. “I try to give enough space around someone to allow her to be herself,” he said. “If the woman was incredibly awkward or shy, I did not fight against that.”  

He continues: “It’s funny to say, but I get immensely excited when I take pictures. A few of the key workers told me that put them at ease.”  

He generally spent five or ten minutes photographing each woman—more than that, he says, and the energy can dissipate and it can get a little awkward. More than anything, Hawkesworth noticed that the subjects he photographed really appreciated having a break in their routine. “It seemed to bring so much joy, just to take a moment out of their day,” he recalls.  

While Hawkesworth was riding around the city and photographing subjects, Marks was conducting interviews over the phone for the feature. British Vogue has made a point to profile ordinary people along with celebrities. For example, in the September 2019 “Forces of Change” issue, which was guest-edited by Meghan Markle, the magazine profiled architects and engineers along with Salma Hayek and Jane Fonda. “This was a step beyond,” Marks says of the July 2020 covers. “What was so wonderful was that everyone was genuinely thrilled to be recognized for their contributions.” 

In the end, British Vogue ended up choosing three women to feature on the cover: Narguis Horsford, who drives a train for the London Overground; Rachel Millar, a midwife at Homerton Hospital in East London; and Anisa Omar, a supermarket assistant at the London King’s Cross branch of Waitrose. They were chosen, said Enninful in a letter in the magazine, because they embody an “intimate sort of grace—they make you feel safe in their hands.” The covers were accompanied by a 20-page spread in the magazine that featured additional portraits by Hawkesworth of nurses, shopkeepers, fashion designers making PPE, a postwoman and care home workers, among other types of essential workers. Online, a video by the director Tom Gilfillan further highlighted the cover stars’ stories.  

The covers were revealed online in June, in the midst of international protests for Black Lives Matter and other equality movements. Online, many people were having conversations about how the world could elevate more non-white voices. Suddenly, the issue of the magazine, which featured two women of color in positions of almost unthinkable prominence, seemed more relevant than ever. “In a very natural way, we were already doing what was important,” Hawkesworth notes. “And the message is just so strong and positive.” 

Marks notes that it’s rare for a British Vogue cover to get the sort of attention those for July 2020 has from the media. Outlets ranging from the BBC to this one have run stories on it. “We underestimated the power of seeing someone like yourself on the cover of a magazine,” she says.  

The feedback has been wonderful, she adds, and it really puts into perspective the sorts of stories the magazine wants to tell in the future. “When your friend’s mom tells you she bought a copy of British Vogue for the first time, you know you’re giving people recognition who really deserve it,” Marks says.