Margaret Zhang Is Out

Style On The Dot

February 26

The Vogue China editorial director has made an inauspicious announcement—that she shall be stepping down—almost immediately after the Lunar New Year celebrations

Margaret Zhang at a Vogue event in 2022. Photo: margaretzhang/Instagram

Another Vogue editor leaves the Condé Nast nest. Margaret Zhang (章凝 or Zhang Ning), the Australian- Chinese, has announced on her Instagram page earlier today that she has "decided to wrap up with Vogue and jump into the next chapter of [her] career". Ms Zhang has served her role for about three years following the controversial appointment in 2021, when she was just 27, making her the youngest individual to hold the top editorial job at one of the global editions of Vogue. And, the first social media influencer and one with no editorial experience to secure the coveted post. The news came eight months after British Vogue's Edward Enninful said he would be stepping down—after six years at the job—as the the title's editor-in-chief, but would still remain at the publishing house as their "global creative and cultural advisor", according to media reports at the time. His replacement, Chioma Nnadi, stepped into his position as the uncommon "head of editorial content".

As with Mr Enninful's giving up of his editorial tenure, Ms Zhang has not provided the real reason for leaving. On her Instagram page, she shared, in one post, six images/pages of what appeared to be a hand-written memo in English and Mandarin. How far out or progressive, she did not say. But she did laud her own accomplishments, stating that she was "immensely proud of the radical evolution" achieved. She elaborated that she had broaden the title's "impact from its print beginnings to becoming a multimedia bridge for creative culture—China to the world, the world to China". According to online chatter, Condé Nast's chief content officer, the indomitable Anna Wintour, had sent Vogue China staffers an email last Friday—just before 元宵节 (yuanxiao festival or the last day of the Lunar New Year celebrations)—to inform them that Ms Zhang will part ways with Vogue China come end of March, when her contract expires.

Vogue China's latest issue, featuring Sun Feifei, who was lensed by Zoey Grossman. Photo: Vogue/Condé Nast

It is not known why Ms Zhang's contract would not be renewed or if it was worth extending at all. Was there professional discord as the rumour mill suggested there was between Ms Wintour and Mr Enninful? Rumours of Ms Zhang's impending departure were already circulating last November when WWD reported that there would be a "reshuffle" at Vogue China. Despite Ms Zhang's claim that she has effected "the highest engagement events in the history of Vogue China", the magazine—服饰与美容 Vogue (fushi yi meirong, as it is unglamorously referred to in China)—itself, whether print or online has not really scored with Chinese readers. When the news of her leaving Vogue China was announced, Weibo (微博) was abuzz with reactions—not necessarily in support of her "next chapter" or her self-proclaimed achievements. One Netizen commented, "写给国外人看的吧哈哈哈哈哈哈，国内谁不知道你的'成就' (write for foreigners, hahaha. On the Mainland, who does not know of your 'success'?)". Another wrote: "下次我的简历我也这么吹 (next time, on my resume, I will brag in the same manner)".

It is obvious that among the people that the title targets, she is not adored, unlike her predecessor Angelica Cheung (张宇), a chum of Singaporean designer Andrew Gn (鄞昌涛). It is not clear how well accepted Margaret Zhang really is in China or among the fashion folks there, but it appears that her obvious foreignness is not appreciated. Born in Sydney to Chinese immigrant parents, she has never lived in China prior to her appointment, let alone held a job there. Even if she was—as the media enjoys terming her—a "multi-hyphenate", she had been one mostly in the southern hemisphere, specifically Australia. She has a Chinese face, but she is not quite Chinese in attitude and outlook, some who have met her have observed. She even speaks with a discernible Aussie accent. And that she has hair colour in blue/green/not-black that even Leah Dou (窦靖童), Faye Wong's (王菲) indie-musician daughter, would not adopt, probably did not endear her well to her readers. One Netizen commented on Weibo, "她的长相和妆容也太亚裔刻板印象了 (her look and makeup adheres too closely to Asian stereotypes)".

And that she has hair colour in blue/green/not black that even Leah Dou, Faye Wong's indie-musician daughter, would not adopt, probably did not endear her well to her readers

Not only has she been derided by readers and Netizens, Ms Zhang was criticised by industry leaders too. In 2022 and 2023, two separate Chinese media executives publicly commented that Ms Zhang was "too Western" to run media titles in China. At first, Condé Nast China's ex-president Sophia Liao (廖梅淳), whose departure from the publishing house was described by WWD as "ousted", suggested through a series of rebukes on her ex-employer that Ms Zhang saw China through Western eyes, and that "her understanding of China is too superficial and limited." A year later, Feng Chuxuan (冯楚轩), founder of the Mainland publishing group Huasheng Media (栩栩华生 or Xuxu Huasheng), who edits the Chinese edition of T Magazine, also criticised that Ms Zhang was not Chinese enough to run the title she was put in charge of. Through Weibo, he opined, without naming his target: "A foreign influencer girl who does not understand public media, an Australian national with the official title of 'editorial director', who, a few years ago, when we interviewed this KOL [key opinion leader], pretended not to speak Chinese. No experience or international identity. Does that qualify as the leader of an industry in China?"

On the surface, Anna Wintour seemed to like Ms Zhang. When the Australian was hired to go to China, Ms Wintour commented via a statement: "Her international experience, exceptional multi-platform digital experience, and wide-ranging interests are the perfection combination to lead Vogue China into the future." She did not say why she thought that someone who was essentially an influencer was able to "lead". We do not know if there was admirable leadership at all in the ensuing years. But it seemed that there was no disappointment or dismay towards her Asian hire. Ms Zhang was amenable to sharing images of her boss on her Instagram page, as well as those of her and the top gun running the global show in New York. In one post from June 2021, barely a year after she was hired, Ms Zhang shared two shots of both of them, writing in the comments: "Good chat incoming: see you on July 7 for cross-continental real talk with AW and @edward_enninful", That she seemed to have suggested that she was in chummy terms with two of the most powerful people in the world of Vogue did indicate that things, perhaps, went swimmingly for her.

Margaret Zhang (centre) with Michelle Yeo and husband Jean Todt at the 2023 Academy Awards. Photo: margaretzhang/X

Industry banter, however, suggested that the Vogue that Ms Zhang delivered was "underwhelming". The voice she was able to use as an influencer did not translate into the 中国好声音 (Sing! China) resonance that Vogue in that country needed. Anna Wintour, as the title's "global chief content officer" had wanted to achieve "one voice" across all editions of Vogue. Ms Zhang, armed with a commerce/law degree at Sydney University (but chose to blog, make films, model, even photograph; never edit, let alone in Chinese), may have understood Ms Wintour's brief, but she was not able put out together content that is engaging enough to Chinese readers aspiring to fashionable life. Her covers alone are, at best, inconsistent. She could go from edgy to downright dull. On the latest cover, Sun Feifei (孙菲菲) appears, with inexplicably massive hair and eye makeup that Ms Zhang personally prefers. It could have been conceived by a college magazine editor attempting 时尚 (fashionable) for the first time. According to WWD, many of these covers have gone "unsponsored" during her tenure, meaning Vogue China had potentially lost ¥3 million (or about S$560,209) per cover, which led industry watchers to say that Ms Zhang's business sense was questionable.

In the email to staffers announcing Ms Zhang's departure, Ms Wintour also assured the recipients that the "top priority [is] to find a visionary new leader without delay". But can you really rush such appointments? No names have been offered. Media watchers speculated that Chen Bo (陈博), senior editor of Esquire China, is the top choice (a move, if true, would echo Vogue SG's hiring of its first EIC when the title made a comeback in 2020) to replace Ms Zhang. On Weibo, bets were also on other potential candidates, including even the controversial best-selling writer and divisive influencer Edward Guo (郭敬明 or Guo Jingming). If any of these men is picked, the appointment would place Asia with the highest number of male Vogue editors. Media gossip in China suggested that Margaret Zhang has already signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in Los Angeles (the agency has an office in Beijing), the talent bureau that represents Asian creatives such as film directors Lee Ang (李安) and Zhang Yimou (张艺谋) and actor Jackie Chan (成龙). Ms Zhang could be hoping to keep better company than those she has had to deal with in Condé Nast.