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Margaret Zhang, the Australian-born Chinese fashion multi-hyphenate, is the new editor-in-chief of Vogue China. At 27, she’s the youngest EIC at Vogue.
Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief and global editorial director, Vogue, and global chief content officer, Condé Nast, says: “I am so delighted that Margaret is our new editor-in-chief of Vogue China. Her international experience, exceptional multi-platform digital expertise and wide-ranging interests are the perfect combination to lead Vogue China into the future.”
Li Li, managing director of Condé Nast China, adds: “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. 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 is an unmistakable presence on the front row of fashion shows and a favorite of street-style photographers, with brightly dyed hair (it’s currently a vivid shade of blue), a minimal yet eclectic sense of style, and a massive 1.1 million audience on Instagram. Her bio lists her as a film director—she’s written a screenplay titled Number 65 about Chinese mother/daughter dynamics that she’s working on making—but she’s also logged time as a creative director, photographer, stylist, writer and sometime model.
In 2016, she produced two digital covers for the launch issue of Vogue ME China, appearing on both of them. Additionally, Zhang is the co-founder of Background, a global consultancy company that has worked with companies from Airbnb to YouTube and fashion labels Moncler and Mulberry, where she specialises in bridging western and Chinese cultures.
She replaces Angelica Cheung, the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue China, whose 16-year tenure at the magazine coincided with the rise of luxury fashion in the country. Zhang’s appointment marks a generational change and a strategic one. Having launched her blog at 16 in 2009, she’s a digital native, not unlike the young people she’ll be charged with turning into Vogue followers.
“Vogue has such a legacy, with over 125 years—in the States, at least—of significant cultural gravity,” says Zhang. “This new role is an incredible opportunity to combine my background, my skills and my interests.”
