Vogue China got a 27-year-old influencer as editor — three years later she was out

In 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, Anna Wintour chose Margaret Zhang — a 27-year-old Australian who had started her fashion blog Shine By Three at 16 and built a career as stylist, photographer and brand consultant — to run Vogue China as editorial director, the youngest in Vogue's history. She replaced Angelica Cheung, who had built the title from its 2005 launch. By Chinese publishing law the editor-in-chief title stays with the local partner; Zhang's mandate was to modernise the magazine for a new generation.

The tenure was, in BoF's words, an appointment that 'never became less divisive.' Peers called it controversial and underwhelming against Cheung's benchmark; WWD counted multiple unsponsored covers in a market where covers typically fetch at least 3 million renminbi — about $428,000. A non-compete dispute involving model Du Juan drew public criticism on Weibo from Huasheng Media founder Chuxuan Feng, who accused the magazine of being 'disrespectful to the Chinese market.' Zhang's account was different: record video growth and 'the highest engagement events in the history of Vogue China.'

The end came by contract, not announcement: Wintour told Vogue China staff in a Friday-evening message that Zhang had decided 'to transition to a new chapter in her career after many contributions,' and that her 'top priority' was finding 'a visionary new leader without delay.' Zhang left at the end of March 2024 with no successor named — the magazine had already been seeking a deputy editor since November 2023 — and signed with talent agency CAA as a filmmaker. The seat stayed empty for about four months, until Rocco Liu, head of GQ China, was named editorial director on July 12, 2024.