Chinese Australian-born fashion influencer Margaret Zhang will be Vogue China’s new editor-in-chief, ending the 16-year tenure of founding editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung, Vogue reports. At 27, Zhang is Vogue’s youngest editor-in-chief.
Born in Sydney, Zhang represents a generational change as Vogue adapts to a digital fashion landscape. “I am so delighted that Margaret is our new editor in chief of Vogue China,” Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue, said. “Her international experience, exceptional multiplatform digital expertise, and wide-ranging interests are the perfect combination to lead Vogue China into the future.”
“Margaret understands the emerging trends of a new generation of Chinese and possesses the business acumen needed to leverage our data and insights across new digital platforms,” Li Li, managing director of Condé Nast China, Vogue’s publisher, added. “We welcome her creativity and innovation in defining new media approaches and look forward to her bringing global fashion to China while taking Chinese culture to the rest of the world.”
Zhang’s appointment is unique in that Zhang has never edited a magazine before, according to The Guardian. However, she has a rich reservoir experience in the fashion world, and has gained a massive following from her various projects: At the age of 16, she launched her fashion blog Shine by Three, which has since turned into a site where she posts both personal and professional pursuits. On Instagram, she boasts 1.2 million followers.
Some have seen Zhang’s appointment as a method of soft diplomacy, The Guardian reports. Tim Court, an economist of international business at the University of New South Wales noted that Zhang’s choice to edit Vogue China remotely in Sydney before moving to Beijing once it is safe to do so could help present a positive representation of Australian culture within China as the relationship between the two countries sours.
“When something positive comes out of Australia, or from an Australian, there’s the ability to humanise and generate interest in our culture and lifestyle,” Harcourt said to The Guardian.
As Zhang moves forward in her position as Vogue China’s new editor-in-chief, she said she hopes to bring Chinese culture under the global spotlight. “There’s a lot of context about China that is lost; often it’s looked at as this one monolithic entity, as opposed to a country of individuals and innovations,” she said to Vogue. “I think Vogue China has an immense platform to communicate about those individuals not only to the world but to its own citizens. There’s a huge opportunity to champion local talent—in film, music, and the fine arts, in addition to fashion—and bring it to a global stage because it’s such a recognizable brand and so trusted.”
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story.
