From Blogger To Editor-In-Chief…
Does Margaret Zhang’s appointment at Vogue China signal a changing of the guard?
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Earlier this week Margaret Zhang, the Chinese Australian creative who’s been gracing the fashion industry with her presence for a little under (or over) a decade now, was named editor-in-chief of Vogue China. At the tender age of 27, she will be the youngest editor-in-chief globally of any Vogue title. Zhang will replace Angelica Cheung whose 16-year tenure as the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue China raised luxury fashions profile in the Asian market. Make no mistake, these won’t be easy shoes to fill. Margaret Zhang will oversee all of the editorial direction and content for Vogue China despite having never previously edited a magazine. Did Condé Nast make the right call?
Margaret Zhang has had a distinctive presence on the fashion circuit for many years now. With her bold bright blue hair and minimalistic yet recognisable style, as well as her immense Instagram following that surpasses a million, she is a fan favourite regularly gracing the front row with street style photographers flocking to take her picture. How does a blogger scale to such fashionable heights in such a short amount of time? How does one progress from the early days of the 2010’s blogging era, to running an international edition of one of the most recognisable magazine titles in the world? It turns out, in not such a short amount of time after all. Zhang has been putting in the work for years now, with a calling card most of the fashion elite would be envious of, and a book of contacts to go with.
When it comes to Margaret Zhang, there’s more to this woman than meets the eye. Her serene photography, striking creative direction, and remarkable styling has been featured in the glossy pages of many of our favourite titles. Think Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, and L’Officiel but to name a few. In 2014 she was a guest buyer for Matchesfashion during New York Fashion Week; the following year she won Elle’s Digital Influencer of the Year Award, and the year after that she made it to Forbes’s 30 under 30 Asia list as well as producing two covers for Vogue Me China - appearing on both of them. Zhang also cofounded a global consultancy agency, Background, who aim to bridge the gap between Chinese cultures and the West for a range of companies and luxury fashion labels. But does all of this earn her a seat at the table, a Vogue table at that?
It seems as if the appointment of Margaret Zhang to Vogue China signals the end of an era and a changing of the guard. A shift in the fashion media landscape is well and truly underway. Zhang is a digital native, she launched her blog Shine by Three in 2009 when she was only 16, no doubt she’ll want to entice those of her generation to become loyal Vogue China readers. Is it fair to promote her above those who’ve worked in the industry all their lives and would kill for this position? Is it fair to promote her above those who went to university and studied for years for the exact role she’s just landed? Some say yes, some say no - I’ll leave that for you to decide. What is noteworthy is the changes she plans on making at Vogue China once she arrives.
“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 says. “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 recognisable brand and so trusted.”
In my opinion, Margaret Zhang has well and truly earned her stripes. Her knowledge of the fashion and media landscape comes from working in a variety of positions in recent times, and it’s these things combined that have made her deserving of her newly coveted title. Blogging isn’t what it once was, it can pave the way for careers that extend way beyond the parameters of the influencer landscape. It also gives micro-bloggers like myself a renewed sense of purpose (hence why this newsletter may seem a little biased). Zhang has a big job ahead of her and a ton of work to put in, I for one can’t wait to see her vision of Vogue China come to life.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see more of what I’m up to, and I’ll see you same time same place next week!
Catch you soon,
J’Nae
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
- Homage To My Hips by Lucille Clifton is a beautiful poem reminding us to love our bodies a little bit more. I'm not too into poetry and I'd like to explore it more, so please let me know your recommendations if you have any.
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING:
- Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art is one of those Netflix documentaries I didn’t think I’d be into until an hour and a half later when I was sad it was ending, desperate to know more. It tells the story of one of the largest art fraud scandals in American history, and some of the unexpected conmen and con women behind it.
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:
- I’ve been trying out the Down Dog Meditation app for a while now, I like it but I'm not totally convinced. That could just be because I have a hard time meditating recently, and switching off in general.
WHAT’S CAUGHT MY EYE:
- This marble staircase, I love everything about it. That is all.
ON MY BLOG:
- My latest blog post Waste No More: How To Upcycle Your Beauty Products delves into how we can be more environmentally friendly and sustainable when it comes to our beauty consumption.
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