Courtesy Victor Boyko/Getty Images
His name may not be instantly familiar but Jenke Ahmed Tailly has been quietly working behind the fashion industry's most high stakes shoots. He is stylist to Beyoncé, Kanye West and more recently Kim Kardashian.
Pictured - Princess Deena al Juhani Abdulaziz and Jenke Ahmed Tailly attend Venyx new collection cocktail launch as part of Paris Fashion Week.
Courtesy Mark Pillai
When asked to creative direct Parisian fashion title L'Officiel's 90th anniversary edition, Taille insisted the magazine put a woman of color on the cover and enlisted Beyoncé for the shoot.
Courtesy Jenke Ahmed Tailly
Celebrating African queens, the images proved controversial, but successful.
Courtesy Mark Pillai
"They were not really sure the idea of African queens for a Parisian magazine would really work," he says. "But I was so determined with the idea."
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / L'Officiel
Today - he's at the helm of the fashion magazine's September issue entirely dedicated to the African continent.
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
Featuring the likes of Iman and Ajak Deng, the issue pays homage to "the great continent of possibilities" writes its editors, "an inventive continent, connected, modern, human, inspired by stylistic diversity and cultural expansion."
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
A former model, originally from the Ivory Coast, Tailly splits his time between New York and Paris.
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
"When I have the power to book people, I really love to [book girls of color]" says Tailly, "diversity is a really huge part of my work."
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
"When I started my career," recalls Tailly, "there weren't a large group of diverse women. It was so bionic, it was so one dimensional."
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
"Fashion" says Tailly "is such a good barometer of the era you live in." It's important for him to conduct research when creating looks he told CNN. "I want to understand what was the political point of view of that era," he says, "what was the intellectual thinking?"
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
Preferring to remain low-key - Tailly's Instagram account is private - a rarity for a stylist working today.
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
"I think it's changing" Tailly comments on the fashion industry's efforts to embrace diversity." It has tremendously evolved," he says.
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
On diversity in fashion, "is it enough?" he asks, "To my taste, absolutely not, but you know, we're getting there."
Courtesy Mark Pillai
Editorial photographs for L'Officiel magazine.
Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / Jenke Ahmed Tailly
"A girl from Sudan like Ajak [model Ajak Deng] could be like absolutely striking with really amazing features" says Tailly. "I mean the beauty in Africa is so diverse it kind of shows also the beauty of the world."
CNN  — 

When Jenke Ahmed Tailly styled Beyoncé for the cover of France’s most prestigious fashion publication L’Officiel - it was unprecedented.

Tailly, a creative director, and stylist, told the magazine he would only accept the shoot if he could put a woman of color on the cover.

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“It was in their 90th anniversary,” Tailly told CNN. “In 90 years, there were only two or three black women who have graced their cover.”

While on board with the idea, the magazine was keen to have someone who could sell advertising and was well known in France. They suggested Halle Berry, he wanted Beyoncé.

The concept he delivered proved controversial. The stylist who is originally from West Africa wanted to pay homage to his heritage and more importantly - African women.

Courtesy Jenke Ahmed Tailly

“They were not really sure the idea of African queens for a Parisian magazine would really work,” he says. “But I was so determined with the idea.”

One of the shots, in which Beyoncé’s face appears to be darkened sparked debates about “blackface”. “It wasn’t blackface,” explains Tailly. “It was paying homage to African queens.” Overall the cover was a resounding success. “It’s about color”, beams Tailly, “because I feel like African women have this elegance of mixing colors like no one else can.”

Gangs of Africa?

Courtesy Ellen Von Unwerth / L'Officiel
L'Officiel's "Gang of Africa" issue featuring Iman, Ajak Deng, Ciara, and Solange.

Fast forward some five years and the stylist is once again creative director for the title. This time overseeing an entire September issue dedicated to Africa as guest editor in chief. Dubbed “Gang of Africa” by the fashion title and featuring the likes of Iman, singer Ciara, as well as model Ajak Deng. Its theme is ‘black beauty matters.’

Tailly has also served as Beyoncé’s creative director during which he’s bagged himself A-list clients such as Kanye West and more recently, Kim Kardashian. Born to a Senegalese mother and Cote d’Ivoire father, the stylist grew up in the Ivory Coast. He started his career as a model (shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz) before various stints as fashion editor and consultant. He now splits his time between Paris and New York.

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Diversity, he says is still important to him, especially when it comes to mixing cultural influences and traditions. “I’m just fascinated by my culture and I feel so privileged to be able to share it,” he says.

He acknowledges that the industry is slowly moving in the right direction. In 2015, for example, Rihanna became Dior’s first black spokeswoman and face of its Secret Garden campaign in which the star runs through the Palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors in a viral video.”Is it enough?” he asks, “absolutely not, but we’re getting there.”

“When I started my career, there weren’t a large group of diverse women,” he reflects. “It was so bionic, it was so one dimensional.”

Being able to put African girls in his shoots has helped a little in that journey. “Diversity is a really huge part of my work…I don’t know if I could do my work without it.”