Bloodbath at Tatler as posh girls’ heads roll

When edward enninful was announced as British Vogue’s new editor in April, succeeding Alexandra Shulman, it is said he told friends that his priority was to ‘get rid of the posh girls’.

his arrival at the magazine prompted a mass exodus of staff, including baronet’s daughter and deputy editor emily Sheffield, who is Samantha Cameron’s sister.

now, aftershocks are being felt at Vogue’s sister publication, Tatler, the oldest magazine in the world (founded in 1709), which has just laid off around a third of its staff.

‘It’s a bloodbath, ten people are going,’ says an insider, who adds: ‘Many think they’re having to save money because of edward enninful’s salary. They believe he gets a figure of about £1 million a year.’

This figure is denied by Vogue’s publisher Conde nast, but it declines to specify exactly what it is.

Among those getting the chop from Tatler, best known for its coverage of society parties, is social editor Tibbs Jenkins and features director Sophia Money-Coutts, granddaughter of former Telegraph editor Bill Deedes.

Tibbs Jenkins is the daughter of David Jenkins — Alexandra Shulman’s boyfriend.

‘Instagram is killing advertising revenue for glossy magazines,’ says the source. ‘It’s cheaper to give someone like Cara Delevingne a handbag and reach millions of targeted followers than to buy a double-page spread.’

edited by self-styled ‘honking great Sloane’ Kate Reardon, Tatler was the subject of a BBC documentary series, Posh People, in 2014.

however, it seems the arrival of enninful, 45, has ushered in a revolutionary ‘post-posh’ era at Conde nast.

Before he joined Vogue, Ghanaianborn enninful had a lucrative sideline business as a commercial fashion stylist, with two of his companies amassing shareholder funds totalling nearly £2 million at the latest count.

With his sister, Akua, he owns Maxim Fashion Agents, which they set up in 2005 to style shoots for top labels such as Gucci and Dior, and which aims to ‘nurture the next generation of creative artists in the industry’.

On taking up his Vogue post, enninful had agreed to ‘stop all his freelance stylist activity’ to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

It is thought his Vogue salary was enhanced to compensate for his potential loss of income from outside businesses.

A spokesman for Conde nast says: ‘I can confirm there are redundancies ongoing as part of wider efficiencies. A consultation period is now under way.’