Coronavirus: London key workers to star on cover of British Vogue

Three front-line workers from London will star on the cover of British Vogue next month.

A London Overground train driver, an east London midwife and a King's Cross supermarket worker will all feature on July's front page.

Photographer Jamie Hawkesworth captured the trio of women for a 20-page portfolio for the fashion magazine.

"They represent the millions of people in the UK who, at the height of the pandemic, put on their uniforms and went to help," Vogue's editor-in-chief Edward Enninful said.

"This moment in history required something extra special, a moment of thanks to the new front line."

Rachel Millar, 24, has worked as a community midwife at Homerton Hospital, in east London, for almost three years.

She was on shift on one of the delivery suites at the hospital when a team from Vogue came in to take portraits of numerous staff for what she believed was to be a feature on NHS staff.

Talking to the BBC, Rachel, who lives in Leyton, described being on the cover of British Vogue as "surreal".

"I'm a bit overwhelmed - but in a good way. I had no idea it would be what I now know it is," she said.

"I've had so many lovely comments about it and I think people have enjoyed seeing someone from the NHS on the cover.

"I feel it has given the NHS a lot of recognition and a lot of love to jobs that were perhaps previously overlooked."

Narguis Horsford, who has worked for Transport for London for 10 years and driven London Overground trains for the past five, said her manager called her to ask if she would like to do an interview for the magazine.

"At first I thought he was winding me up," she said. "But it later turned out to be very real."

Narguis, who lives Bounds Green, north London, said: "I feel amazing to be representing the female front-line key workers.

"It's very important to highlight the hard work and contributions that we do to keep London moving and to provide services that everyone needs.

"NHS workers are obviously very important, but it's also good to highlight other workers in other sectors."

Nargius said she initially felt anxious going to work during the coronavirus outbreak but has since gone on to feel an immense sense of pride.

"I am proud to be a key worker and proud to be a train driver, taking those important workers to work."

Also featuring on the cover is Anisa Omar, who works as supermarket assistant at the London King's Cross branch of Waitrose.

The 21-year-old, who lives in Islington with her parents, said the pandemic has given her a new sense of pride in her work.

"My job was not something that was that big of a deal before," she said.

"But now it's like we're important. We have to be here, regardless of what's happening in the world. It's more than just a job now."

The full feature will be available in the July issue of British Vogue.