She is Angelica Cheung, editor of VOGUE China!
[style]
[interview from herald tribune]
Angelica Cheung is editorial director of Vogue China, which was launched in September. Cheung, 38, was previously editorial director of Elle China. She grew up in Beijing and, after earning a degree in law and English language and literature, worked for a variety of newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong. Feted in Milan and courted in Paris, Cheung is considered a key tastemaker in the luxury industry's most promising market. She talked with Sarah Raper Larenaudie about the evolution of fashion among Chinese consumers for the International Herald Tribune.
You were previously the editor of Elle China, which was the first international fashion magazine to launch in mainland China in 1988. What was your strategy for Vogue?
- With Vogue, the problem is that its positioning is very high. The ultimate fashion bible. And then you have China, a market which is not that sophisticated. In Shanghai and Beijing, there are groups of people who are into a more stylish lifestyle. Then, there were people who were subscribing to overseas Vogue already. But that's not enough people to support a magazine.
So what convinced Condé Nast to go forward?
- China is becoming more and more sophisticated. The most important thing is that today in China you feel the will to be more fashionable, and the desire to live a better life is very strong. And with the new money, they have the means of doing it. But these people need guidance.
How many readers are you talking about?
- We're at 300,000 copies at the moment and most of our distribution is on newsstands. Our first issue in September sold out in five days. Then we had a second print run and it sold out in three days. We are distributed in the eight major cities.
How does that compare with the other fashion magazines?
- I think after 16 years Elle is selling 400,000 plus, likewise with Cosmopolitan. There are also many local fashion magazines. I have to stress that in China the numbers are not audited.
So how is China Vogue different than other Vogues?
- We add an educational element. Military looks are a big trend now and there is a story in the September issue. For Italian Vogue or American Vogue it would be enough to just run the fashion pictures because the women are sophisticated enough to get the idea. But the Chinese women are not there yet, so we have to tell them more about the inspirations. We did a page on military dressing in movies. And a page telling them how this trend has evolved over several years. There is a page on how to wear it, showing you can add a touch of military. And finally for the people who really can't get it still, we recommend two outfits.
So if you say these are the must-have items, thousands of Chinese are running to the stores to buy them?
- In our October issue, we did a supplement on shoes with a page for each brand showing the best shoes. A lot of the brands have told us that customers are coming to the store with the pages. I wasn't surprised. Chinese readers want to be told what to buy.
Companies trying to enter the Chinese market must be coming to you for advice too.
- I'm quite impressed by people's interest in China. For the Chinese it's a wonderful opportunity. But my advice to foreign companies is to go and see for themselves. You really can't assume. A lot of brands are trying to do things through agencies and that's risky and difficult.
And how do their perceptions change after such a visit?
- They get a feel for the cities; what's good and also what's not quite there. I can't tell you how many brands have told me how they want to do something like their shop in France. A charming street, a charming shop. They say, "I don't want shopping malls." Well it's all very romantic sounding, but I tell them: "You are not going to sell a thing because it's not what the Chinese do."
Are there stories in American Vogue or French Vogue that you cannot run because you are in a Communist country where censorship is practiced?
- Really, the only thing is nudity. There are rules, but then some pictures are O.K. and you see them in other magazines. Honestly, though, it's not my taste.
What other stories are you excited about?
- In November we will have a cover sporting a very soft, romantic, elegant Russian look. We grew up in China in the era where the Russians were our best friends - you know the two biggest Socialist countries - and we share a bit of history. And also when I was a kid, we watched so many Russian movies. Ahhhh, really great movies.
Do you feel a responsibility to promote local designers in China?
- Definitely. In the first issue we picked four young fashion designers that we think are the most promising. I like something modern with a Chinese touch but I don't want to see cheongsam, long robes or any of these clichés. The last thing Chinese want is to look like their grandmothers.
I heard that the concept of vintage and retro is difficult in China since young consumers can't say, "Oh it reminds me of what my mother wore," because all the mothers were in Mao suits.
- Explaining retro '70s, '30s, '40s or whatever gives me a chance to tell my readers a lot of the cultural history. Now the '60s is an influence so I have a chance to talk about Swinging London, the Beatles, Shrimpton and why the '60s were such an important era for creativity. Because in China this is the worst period in history with the Cultural Revolution, and creativity was really suppressed. It gives them a clearer idea of how the world evolved.
And it allows you to do that in a nonpolitical, nonthreatening way?
- Actually I didn't think that way. But it's never about politics. It's always about culture and art.
______________________
[style]
[interview from herald tribune]
Angelica Cheung is editorial director of Vogue China, which was launched in September. Cheung, 38, was previously editorial director of Elle China. She grew up in Beijing and, after earning a degree in law and English language and literature, worked for a variety of newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong. Feted in Milan and courted in Paris, Cheung is considered a key tastemaker in the luxury industry's most promising market. She talked with Sarah Raper Larenaudie about the evolution of fashion among Chinese consumers for the International Herald Tribune.
You were previously the editor of Elle China, which was the first international fashion magazine to launch in mainland China in 1988. What was your strategy for Vogue?
- With Vogue, the problem is that its positioning is very high. The ultimate fashion bible. And then you have China, a market which is not that sophisticated. In Shanghai and Beijing, there are groups of people who are into a more stylish lifestyle. Then, there were people who were subscribing to overseas Vogue already. But that's not enough people to support a magazine.
So what convinced Condé Nast to go forward?
- China is becoming more and more sophisticated. The most important thing is that today in China you feel the will to be more fashionable, and the desire to live a better life is very strong. And with the new money, they have the means of doing it. But these people need guidance.
How many readers are you talking about?
- We're at 300,000 copies at the moment and most of our distribution is on newsstands. Our first issue in September sold out in five days. Then we had a second print run and it sold out in three days. We are distributed in the eight major cities.
How does that compare with the other fashion magazines?
- I think after 16 years Elle is selling 400,000 plus, likewise with Cosmopolitan. There are also many local fashion magazines. I have to stress that in China the numbers are not audited.
So how is China Vogue different than other Vogues?
- We add an educational element. Military looks are a big trend now and there is a story in the September issue. For Italian Vogue or American Vogue it would be enough to just run the fashion pictures because the women are sophisticated enough to get the idea. But the Chinese women are not there yet, so we have to tell them more about the inspirations. We did a page on military dressing in movies. And a page telling them how this trend has evolved over several years. There is a page on how to wear it, showing you can add a touch of military. And finally for the people who really can't get it still, we recommend two outfits.
So if you say these are the must-have items, thousands of Chinese are running to the stores to buy them?
- In our October issue, we did a supplement on shoes with a page for each brand showing the best shoes. A lot of the brands have told us that customers are coming to the store with the pages. I wasn't surprised. Chinese readers want to be told what to buy.
Companies trying to enter the Chinese market must be coming to you for advice too.
- I'm quite impressed by people's interest in China. For the Chinese it's a wonderful opportunity. But my advice to foreign companies is to go and see for themselves. You really can't assume. A lot of brands are trying to do things through agencies and that's risky and difficult.
And how do their perceptions change after such a visit?
- They get a feel for the cities; what's good and also what's not quite there. I can't tell you how many brands have told me how they want to do something like their shop in France. A charming street, a charming shop. They say, "I don't want shopping malls." Well it's all very romantic sounding, but I tell them: "You are not going to sell a thing because it's not what the Chinese do."
Are there stories in American Vogue or French Vogue that you cannot run because you are in a Communist country where censorship is practiced?
- Really, the only thing is nudity. There are rules, but then some pictures are O.K. and you see them in other magazines. Honestly, though, it's not my taste.
What other stories are you excited about?
- In November we will have a cover sporting a very soft, romantic, elegant Russian look. We grew up in China in the era where the Russians were our best friends - you know the two biggest Socialist countries - and we share a bit of history. And also when I was a kid, we watched so many Russian movies. Ahhhh, really great movies.
Do you feel a responsibility to promote local designers in China?
- Definitely. In the first issue we picked four young fashion designers that we think are the most promising. I like something modern with a Chinese touch but I don't want to see cheongsam, long robes or any of these clichés. The last thing Chinese want is to look like their grandmothers.
I heard that the concept of vintage and retro is difficult in China since young consumers can't say, "Oh it reminds me of what my mother wore," because all the mothers were in Mao suits.
- Explaining retro '70s, '30s, '40s or whatever gives me a chance to tell my readers a lot of the cultural history. Now the '60s is an influence so I have a chance to talk about Swinging London, the Beatles, Shrimpton and why the '60s were such an important era for creativity. Because in China this is the worst period in history with the Cultural Revolution, and creativity was really suppressed. It gives them a clearer idea of how the world evolved.
And it allows you to do that in a nonpolitical, nonthreatening way?
- Actually I didn't think that way. But it's never about politics. It's always about culture and art.
______________________
Last edited by a moderator:
longer on the right side?
Or can tell me her chinese name?
I like the clothes she wears and the models she uses (don't know if she chooses it or not).
especially cos I own 2 of them (trentini by demarchelier + kate moss top shop article from UK vogue). They also reprinted the Meisel editorial with aggy, sasha, coco, chanel, hilary, raquel from USA vogue 
