Margaret Zhang: Breaking Boundaries
On February 25th, Condé Nast announced that Vogue China selected a new editor in chief: Margaret Zhang. The Australian native and career multi-hyphenate is a global force to be reckoned with at the mere age of 27. She’s a law student cum fashion star with an affinity for wearing multiple hats within the industry and going to the beat of her own digital drum. Having amassed an Instagram following just over 1 million, Zhang has pushed the boundaries of her field in her refusal to remain confined to one path, challenging style and beauty standards along the way.
To understand her career and style evolution over the years, we must first acknowledge the creative freedom of Zhang’s childhood. Dance and music proved to be a pivotal part of her life for 16 years, to which she told ELLE Australia, “I was really lucky in that my parents wanted me to try everything and then pick what I liked, so my brother and I grew up doing ballet and piano—music was a huge part of our upbringing.” When the Insta-starlet eventually enrolled at the University of Sydney Law School after paving a path for herself on the Internet, it was quite apparent that gone were the days of heavy stage makeup. Opting for a fresh face, natural hair, and a minimalist aesthetic, Zhang perfected the “I woke up like this” look all the while maintaining her interest in the arts. Flash forward to 2016, and it was this fresh face that graced Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 list in Media & Marketing.
Keeping up with Zhang’s accolades may be tough, but one thing remains certain: she fails to disappoint. Deeply embedded in the fashion industry, Zhang has branched out into different facets of fashion that make her as well-rounded as they come. Apart from the more legal and business focused side of the industry, she is no stranger to the world of modeling. In 2017, Margaret landed the coveted cover of ELLE Australia and, subsequently, became the first Asian model to grace newsstands for this publication. Donning Cartier and Chloé, photographer Georges Antoni shot Margaret entirely on an iPhone to illustrate her tech savvy nature and strength in bringing forward fresh, creative ideas. Left brain meets right brain.
With this shift into modeling, we saw a change in her beauty routine. For one campaign in particular, Margaret’s hair transformed from her usual glossy black bob to a bleach blonde blowout. This opened the floodgates of experimentation as other stylists transformed her tresses into peachy pink, fire engine red, turquoise, and manic pink hues. Most recently, Andy Baker Studio illustrated her with bold blue locks for Pandora Jewelry’s short holiday film One Lovely Day. Gone is the era of the minimalist law school student breaking into .com stardom.
From minimalist to maximalist, it’s her latter approach to the everyday that becomes apparent when you tap on her Instagram profile. Tiny, curated squares showcasing fierce ‘fits and brightly covered books filled with diverse narratives occupy her feed. Surely this is a manifestation of what’s to come for Vogue. Here you’ll also discover that for social media purposes she self-identifies as a film director. With film productions for Moncler (How Do You Like Your Eggs?, you guys) and Marimekko as well as her Tokyo-based project I’ve Been Thinking About What You Look Like, Zhang seamlessly weaves her knowledge of fashion and beauty into each film – an ode to her early oeuvre.
Despite her lack of experience in editorial, Zhang brings an advantage to the table: she has worked with international brands seeking to break into the Chinese market. Google, YouTube, Airbnb, and Mulberry are just a few of the household names she has guided in getting to the forefront of this lucrative market. Mixed with her drive, connections in editorial, and an intuitive eye for the next big thing in fashion and beauty, it’s exciting to think what a fresh face can offer. After all, the publication is set to experience a real revamp as Angelica Cheung–the founding editor in chief who led the publication for a whopping 16 years–passes the torch to a millennial Margaret.
“I was really lucky in that my parents wanted me to try everything and then pick what I liked, so my brother and I grew up doing ballet and piano—music was a huge part of our upbringing”
With China standing strong as a global technology leader, I predict Zhang will pay homage to this facet of China’s economy and embed it into Vogue China’s glossy pages once reserved for haute couture. Maybe we’ll see 3D printed designs and wearable tech styled into these upcoming shoots. In the boom of cryptocurrency, I can definitely see the publication paving the path for well-rounded conversation on how NFTs have potential to drive profit and power fits in the future. And, in the build up to Singles’ Day 2021 partnered with an ambitious vaccine strategy in China, I can see her highlighting up-and-coming Chinese designers all the while promoting a circular economy. Quality over quantity, everyone!
Just as she has pushed barriers in her own style and beauty transformation over the years, I think she will hold on strong to that mentality and push back when it comes to featuring models who garner a huge, predominantly non-Chinese following. Instead of going the route of Western popularity, I am a firm believer that she will opt for cover stars who will inspire an air of relatability and positive affirmation in the women reading the publication. And in breaking these boundaries set in place by older generations, that’s how I see Zhang succeeding. Anyone else planning to purchase her first issue?
Photos courtesy of Instagram
