London (AFP) - Edward Enninful took over as editor of British Vogue on Tuesday, launching a new Snapchat edition as he seeks to reinvigorate the fashion magazine that one fired employee warned was losing its relevance.

The 45-year-old former model and stylist is the 101-year-old magazine's first male, first black and first gay editor, and is known for his political activism, provocative shoots and A-list friends.

He has lost no time in bringing in a new team, including his close friend, model Naomi Campbell, award-winning film-maker Steve McQueen and American Vogue creative director Grace Coddington, and is also launching a new Snapchat edition.

"British Vogue is a great magazine with a legacy of creativity and innovation," he said. "I look forward to continuing to produce an exciting beautiful magazine for its readers."

On his first official day on the job, the magazine made its debut on Snapchat's Discover platform, promising editions on the application three times a week as it seeks to reach out to new audiences.

Many more changes are expected from the new boss, who cuts a sharply different figure from his predecessor, Alexandra Shulman, who edited Vogue for 25 years.

While she is a down-to-earth figure who largely avoided the spotlight, Enninful regularly posts updates on social media on his celebrity lifestyle.

His dog Ru, a Boston terrier named after drag artist RuPaul, has more than 11,000 followers on Instagram.

Several senior staff members have left Vogue since Enninful's appointment was announced in April.

One newspaper dubbed it a "Posh Girl exodus" that looks set to change the white, middle-class and female face of the magazine.

But one of those who was fired, fashion director Lucinda Chambers, has acknowledged the need for change - admitting she had not read the magazine for years.

Enninful became the youngest fashion director in the industry when he joined i-D, a British youth culture magazine, at the age of 18.

He has long pushed for greater diversity in fashion, creating a ground-breaking "All Black" issue for Vogue Italia in 2008.

He has styled next year's Pirelli calendar featuring an all-black celebrity cast including actress Lupita Nyong'o, rapper Sean Combs and Campbell.

Enninful also helped orchestrate a short film in protest against United States President Donald Trump's travel ban, entitled I Am An immigrant and starring 81 fashion figures.