The Guardian-Vogue Chinas Margaret Zhang youngest person appointed as an editor at magazine group to step down
February 27, 2024 2 min 382 words
这则报道揭示了Vogue China编辑总监张宓宁辞职的消息，她曾因年轻、澳大利亚背景和数字媒体经验而在2021年的任命引起争议。张宓宁在职期间频遭指责过于西化，但她在Instagram发文中表示对于在Vogue China展示中国创意走向全球感到自豪。虽然离任，但她获得了媒体人士的支持，这也引起了对Vogue和Conde Nast的更广泛变革的关注。此时，Vogue和Conde Nast在英国和美国都经历着编辑变动和员工抗议的局面。这一系列变革突显了时尚界的动荡与变迁，让人思考媒体行业对于创新、多元和本土文化的处理方式。这是一个令人关注的时刻，也是对时尚界未来走向的启示。
Three years after becoming the youngest person to hold an editor title at Vogue, Margaret Zhang is leaving her position as editorial director of Vogue China.
The Australian-Chinese creative director announced her exit on Instagram today, writing: “As we kick off a transformative Year of the Dragon, I’m excited to announce that I have decided to wrap up with Vogue and jump into the next chapter of my career.”
Zhang rose to prominence as a teenage fashion blogger in Sydney. By her early 20s, she had amassed over 1m followers on Instagram, and was working in New York as a creative director and brand consultant.
Her 2021 appointment as editorial director of Vogue China was controversial at the time, due to her age, Australian upbringing and digital media background.
These issues resurfaced throughout her tenure at Vogue, with two Chinese media executives publicly accusing her of being too Western, in 2022 and 2023.
But, in an exit letter posted to Instagram and X, Zhang listed an international eye as one of her proudest achievements at Vogue China. “Never before have we seen so much Chinese creativity showcased across the global network of Vogue editions,” she wrote.
On Instagram, Zhang received support from prominent media figures. Former US Instyle editor in chief, Laura Brown, also Australian, wrote: “Onwards!” followed by a fist and heart emoji. On X, users expressed sadness at her departure and praised the creativity of magazine covers under her tenure.
Guardian Australia contacted Zhang for comment.
In a statement to staff, reported by WWD, Conde Nast chief content officer Anna Wintour said it was her “top priority to find a visionary new leader without delay”.
The editorial director’s exit comes amidst broader reshuffles at Vogue and publisher Conde Nast. In the UK, Edward Enniful’s final issue as British Vogue’s editor in chief was released earlier this month. His successor Chioma Nnadi, is working under the title head of editorial content, rather than editor in chief.
In the US, the publisher announced the closure of music title Pitchfork in January. Later that month more than 400 unionised Conde Nast staff undertook a 24-hour walk out strike, protesting management’s handling of labour negotiations.