Angelica Cheung Leaves Vogue China *Update February 2021* Margaret Zhang Becomes EIC

[MDNA]

ifeng.com

 

[kasper!]

I really like Team Angelica/Nicoletta Santoro, they made some amazing issues together. Wish her the best!

 

[chanelh]

can't find this letter on ifeng.com, would u mind share the original link? who wrote the letter?

 

[MDNA]

can't find this letter on ifeng.com, would u mind share the original link? who wrote the letter?

Don't know who wrote it, and here's the link.

 

[MDNA]

Angelica Cheung To Leave Vogue China

LONDON–Angelica Cheung, the founding editor of Vogue China, is leaving after 16 years at the helm of the title, according to an internal memo seen by WWD. Her last day will be Dec. 8.

No successor has yet been named and Cheung’s next move is not yet clear. Condé Nast China could not be reached for comment at press time.

Her departure marks another round of big changes at Condé Nast China. In October, the fashion publisher brought in Li Li to replace Sophia Liao, who was unceremoniously let go on Sept. 9, as its new China head.

“After 16 successful years of helping build our business in China, Angelica Cheung, the founding editor on Vogue China has decided to step down from her position after releasing the celebratory 15th-anniversary issue. A decision like this is never easy, but on behalf of our Condé Nast leadership team, we are all very supportive of Angelica’s desire to start the next chapter of her remarkable career,” Li said in the memo.

Arguably the most powerful woman in the Chinese fashion industry, she has been at Vogue China since the magazine’s launch in 2005.Before that, she was the editorial director of Elle China and editor-in-chief of Marie Claire in Hong Kong.

It signals the close of an era for Chinese fashion publications. Other influential peers such as Su Mang, Xiao Xue, and Shaway Yeh–formerly editorial directors at the Chinese editions of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Modern Weekly, respectively–have all left the fashion publishing industry.

“Saying goodbye is never easy, but it was also never my plan to stay this long,” Cheung told WWD. “Originally I was going to launch the magazine and then pursue a legal career. It didn’t happen that way. Then came the five-year mark, the 10-year mark and, now, the 15-year mark, and I feel it is the perfect milestone to sign off on. I am particularly proud of introducing top international creative talents to Vogue China, working with countless international brands with their China expansion, launching the careers of many Chinese models, and supporting a generation of Chinese designers. Through the process, I formed fabulous partnerships and friendships, not just in China but also internationally that I will treasure forever.”

“My last day with the company, December 8, is precisely 16 years to the day I started at Vogue. On that day in 2004, in a small boutique hotel in Shanghai Xintiandi, I presented to Conde Nast executives a 130-page deck of A4 sheets, with cut-out pictures, hand-drawn illustrations, a slew of handwritten margin notes, put together in the bedroom of my apartment. And that was the first blueprint for Vogue China. It energized everybody, all were instantly convinced that Vogue China would be a success. The first edition was a sell-out and the rest is history.”

“I could not have done it without my diligent and dedicated team. They have been a big part of my life and I will forever treasure our bond and friendship. Huge thanks to everyone who has helped and supported me over the years. It’s been the most thrilling professional journey any one could ever ask for. I wish Vogue continued success,” Cheung wrote.

Born in 1966 in Beijing and growing up during the Cultural Revolution, Cheung is the daughter of a Chinese diplomat. She obtained her degrees in law and English at Peking University, and started her career in media as a journalist at the Eastern Express, an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong. She later launched Hong Kong iMail in 1999 as executive editor, and became associate publisher of English-language fashion magazine B International, and editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Hong Kong in 2001.

She moved back to Shanghai in 2003 to take on the role of editorial director of Elle China, and later moved to Conde Nast China to work on the launch of Vogue China in 2005.

Over the last 16 years, Cheung created what is considered one of the most commercially successful editions of Vogue. She has also launched spin-off titles Vogue Me and Vogue Film to tap into China’s younger generation, and the entertainment industry, to great success.

She has also been instrumental in the nurturing a generation of Chinese supermodels, helping to pair Chinese models with major fashion photographers for cover shoots–propelling Du Juan, Liu Wen, Shu Pei, Ming Xi, He Cong, and many more to international markets.

She told WWD earlier: “The reason why Vogue China has been successful from day one is that we mix the Chinese and international side really, really well. I think that’s what China is about today…So this is the magazine that represents today’s mood of the Chinese — which is when China meets the world. “

Cheung may have been preparing for life after beyond Condé Nast for some time. Earlier this year, she started a personal account on Xiaohongshu to share her personal life and work routine. She lives in Beijing with her husband Mark Graham, and her daughter Hayley.

WWD

 

[MON]

Why does it feel like she was let go?...

Anyway, the first post found time to praise Anna. Lol

 

[Benn98]

Yikes, definitely a loss for Vogue China. They'd have to play it really safe with her replacement. Angelica managed high reader count, high advertising volume, and political diplomacy with a steady hand while still championing local talent and opening new platforms. I mean, Vogue China is basically the most important Vogue in Asia, and the 3rd most profitable in the world. It can't have been easy to maintain that for years, and it made sense that creativity often got sidelined.

This is the one disadvantage for businesses who employ power women like Angelica, Anna and Edwina. They've had this concentration of power and micromanage so many angles that by the time they leave everything is in shambles.

I wonder if she'll move to the UK.

 

[Bertrando3]

Wow indeed it will be a big loss for Vogue China, Angelica was brilliant, smart and a great business woman. I can't imagine Condé Nast people very happy about her departure lol. I agree with Benn.

On another note or the same actually: I feel that when Franca died, now Angelica moving on, the replacement of Carine by Emmanuelle at Vogue Paris and all the other changes that we have seen and experienced for those of us who love, live, breathe through fashion magazines ahaha that we truly lived through the golden age of Top Fashion editors and great photographers and photography. Nowadays it's normcore, basic editorials and covers with weird photos, photos made by and for the ''influencer'' group, very few great photographers. It's a sad legacy for Fashion as an industry that these last 10 years have given us. I would say that in the last 30 years, these last 10 have truly been a let down:
- look at the runways, it's not as diverse or focused on making real clothes
- look at magazines: very few buy them and many (ok because of Covid) closed
- look at editors like Angelica who are an institution and who just move on to do something else.

 

[vogue28]

Always sad to see an editor exit a magazine after a lengthy tenure, and it does indeed feel like a huge loss for Vogue China.

I must admit that I only have the one issue (with Gisele on the cover photographed by Mario Testino) and I was never a true diehard follower of the magazine, but there has admittedly been a whole plethora of memorable Chinese Vogue moments with Angelica Cheung at the helm.

 

[MDNA]

 

[violetcai0802]

Oh my this definitely makes me sad! Although I think VC gradually lost its charm over the years, it was one of the first introductions I had to fashion, as a 90s kid growing up in China. I remember I used to buy every issue when I was 13 or 14. Even when I spent my summer holiday in countryside, I would literally walk a long distance to town center just to get a copy of the magazine, in the only newsstand where I could find it. It was a thrill to flip through the pages again and again. They produced some really quality articles too. It’s hard to forget that kind of excitement that one experienced in such a young age.

I am not too optimistic about the magazine market in China at the moment. It is unfortunately dominated by boring local celebrities, which is understandable and common around the world. Magazine is essentially a commercial product, but as readers we do want it to be consisted of arts.

I don’t live in the country anymore, which makes the memories more melancholic, I guess.

 

[Starry]

I am surprised by this news but at the same time thinking it's understandable. As printing magazine industry is dying, it's wise for her to move on. I won't be surprised if she goes to internet industry to obtain an executive position (such as Tik Tok, Red or some other short-video or social platform) in the future. Or maybe she will start to build herself as a brand. Anyway, I wish her all the best. And thank you Angelica, for introducing Vogue to a lot of young Chinese readers (me as one of them) 15 years ago, and seeding an ultimate fashion fantasy within their hearts.

 

[SLFC]

I am surprised by this news but at the same time thinking it's understandable. As printing magazine industry is dying, it's wise for her to move on. I won't be surprised if she goes to internet industry to obtain an executive position (such as Tik Tok, Red or some other short-video or social platform) in the future. Or maybe she will start to build herself as a brand. Anyway, I wish her all the best. And thank you Angelica, for introducing Vogue to a lot of young Chinese readers (me as one of them) 15 years ago, and seeding an ultimate fashion fantasy within their hearts.

The printing magazine industry may be dying in general, but in Asia its actually thriving. So I dont think this is a case of her jumping ship in a dying industry.

In any case, I feel like this is a big loss. There has been some great issues under her watch, even if there isn't a great issue, it was still usually good enough, which nowadays is sometimes too much to ask for. Its going to be sad to see this possibly go away with a new editor.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Whoa, it all reads like she was fired, and is saving face. But either way, she did a great job, very bad last few years, but overall i repsect her legacy, and many great issues she turned out. She really put VC on the global stage, and sometimes even made it better than the bigger editions!

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Odd if she was indeed terminated...

Going by the last few years of VC, it truly felt like she was already gone and had left her role. Deservedly, nostalgia will remember her role in the once creative— even daringly creative vision that, in all fairness would not be an exaggeration to say, launched a thousand ships in Asia in the publishing industry, and had the Western fashion industry clued in that China/Asia is a power player to be catered to. Was it Angela who said that all the Western brands/creatives initially looked down and refused to work with VC…? Amazing how prejudice/racism/discrimination quickly turned into adoration once VC became so lucrative LOL Greed and money: Stomping out prejudice/racism/discrimination LOOOL

 

[Nomar]

I'm surprised and also very sad to hear this news. I have so much respect for Angelica and all the work she put into the magazine. She was so influential for the luxury scene in the Asian market. I'm really wishing her all the best for her future endeavours.

I'm interested to see who replaces her because they'll have big shoes to fill.

 

[Lola701]

Bravo to her for her tenure and for the tough task it was to run a magazine like Vogue China. I think that VC, is next after US Vogue for the most challenging Vogue to run.
Her magazine was really a guide that made Chinese consumers more savvy but it also had a tremendous influence on the relations between the East and the western world.

I really wonder what she’ll do next. I can see her being a consultant for a big conglomerate in the Asian Market. She can be a head of a division covering the whole market with collaborators from different countries.

 

[Benn98]

She certainly played a large role in cementing a lot of the luxury brands in China, and she's probably the reason why we are still seeing Chinese models on the runway and in campaigns. Imagine if she never put down her foot when it came to casting. Vogue China would've ended up like Vogue Japan. For Japanese, but through a Western lens.

 

[chanelh]

rumors that she may launch her own brand or join LVMH group

 

[MDNA]