Every little girl dreams of growing up to do something amazing. She might dream of being a famous person who has so much talent in whatever line of work she does that everyone knows her name. She might dream of being a scientist who changes lives by saving them. She might dream of educating those who are growing up after her. Whatever it is, every little girl as a dream of being something wonderfully made and beautifully created, and every little girl can achieve that dream if she really puts her mind to it. We don’t know what Vanessa Kingori wanted to be when she grew up. Maybe a doctor or a lawyer, a teacher, or a princess who lives in a castle (because, honestly, we all did at some point), or a vet. Did she dream she’d one day be the Publishing Director at British Vogue? Maybe she did, and maybe she didn’t, but we can say she’s living one of our dreams in doing this. Let’s find out more about this insanely talented woman.
1. She’s From Africa
Vanessa Kingori is a woman born in Africa, but she was not raised there. She was born in Kenya, but her family moved to the Caribbean when she was growing up. She lived and began her education on the beautiful island of St. Kitts, which is one of the most stunning islands in the Caribbean. However, it wouldn’t be long before her family more permanently made the move to London where she’d spend much of her life. We love that her family didn’t just buy a new house in a new neighborhood or move a state over. We love that they were literally like, “Let’s leave Africa for the Caribbean and then head to London,” in a manner that took them quite honestly around the world. That is so cool to us.
2. She’s Educated
Of course, she’s educated. However, we thought we’d go into some detail for you. She decided to head to the University of London to attend the Royal Holloway College. She was a good student who excelled in her studies. She graduated with her degree, and she immediately went on to start forming a name for herself in the publishing industry.
3. She’s Had All the Best Jobs
Honestly, all of them. She’s been able to work for Esquire and British Vogue and GQ and so many other publications. She’s done well at each one, but we’d love to sit her down and pick her brain about what it is she’s taken from each one. What did she learn here that she was able to apply there and so forth?
4. She’s Made History
She’s a woman who is going down in history books, and that is probably the coolest thing ever. In the entire century-long history at British Vogue, she’s the first woman who has been appointed publisher. That is not a title to take lightly, either. She is supremely talented, and we cannot believe she didn’t do some sort of embarrassing happy dance in the privacy of her own home when she found out. We would have.
5. She’s Influential and Recognized
Not only is she so exceptionally talented and cool and history-making and all of that, she’s influential. She’s a woman who sits on boards, makes a difference, and speaks publicly about the things that matter the most to her and the world. She’s also got a lot of awards with her name on them, and we hope that she has a trophy room for them at home. She deserves one, after all.
6. She’s Not Miranda Priestly
We all know her, and we all love her, and we all think that “The Devil Wears Prada,” is one of the most fun movies and books of all time – and I think we can all agree that Meryl Streep was genius in her role as Miranda Priestly. However, Vanessa Kingori wants us all to know that her offices are not like those offices, and it’s not a cold and unwelcoming place. We love that, but we still love the character.
7. She Never Thought She’d End Up at Conde Nast
To answer the question we asked before, she did not think that she’d grow up working here and doing this. She had a very firm opinion about the kind of women who did work for the publication, and that was not a flattering opinion. They were, in her mind, “post totty, well-bred, very British,” women, and she was not feeling that for herself. She was wrong, she’s happy to admit that, and she’s killing it doing the role she didn’t think she’d take on.
8. She Feels Her Childhood was Beneficial to Her
Moving across the world more than one time before you reach the age of 7 cannot be easy on a child, but she feels that it’s now one of the greatest assets in her life. She was exposed to very different lifestyles and cultures, diversity, and so many things she might not be otherwise, and that has helped her pave the way for her own success.
9. She’s a Mother
Vanessa Kingori is a mom, and it’s a job she takes very seriously. If you take a look through her Instagram feed, she finds a way to show off her babe every single chance she gets, and it’s darling. It’s clear that she loves being a mother and being a mother looks oh-so good on her.
10. She’s Very Private
We see hints of a man on her social media platforms that might be her love, but we don’t know because she says next to nothing about her personal life outside of the fact that many rumors suggest she is engaged to be married. Either way, we respect that she likes to keep a few things to herself. We aren’t going to fault anyone for wanting to keep some part of their life private when they live such a public existence.
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