Two years ago, whenCondé NastWhen it was announced that Zhang Ning would be the next editor-in-chief of Vogue China, much of the fashion media was taken aback.

First, at just 27, Zhang was the youngest editor-in-chief ever to take the top job at Vogue. Second, she had an unusually diverse resume, having worked as a photographer, consultant, filmmaker, model and social media influencer – but with almost no experience working for a magazine. There was also the fact that Zhang’s parents were Chinese immigrants from Sydney, and she was Australian and had never lived in mainland China.

Her appointment is a considerable gamble for Condé Nast, especially for Anna Wintour, global chief content officer.The cornerstone of the luxury fashion marketgenerating billions of dollars in sales. It is an economic superpower with a complex relationship with the West, and also aPress censorshipCommon places.

China is also one of the world’s most populous countries (about 1.4 billion people), and its nationalism is reshaping consumer culture and the retail landscape. Moves by some Western fashion brands involving Xinjiang cotton or Taiwan have angered the government and triggered a strong response.

The next editor-in-chief of Vogue China, whose founding editor-in-chief Zhang Yu held the post for 15 years, will need an ambitious vision, strong connections, and business and diplomatic acumen — challenges for someone twice or even three times Zhang’s age and experience, not to mention a foreigner.

What was it like taking on a job like this knowing that so many people weren’t optimistic about you?

Asked that question in Soho last month during London Fashion Week, Zhang Ning, 29, a petite woman with electric blue hair (a color she uses to define different periods of her life), paused.China lifts strict lockdownSince then, she has been able to travel freely and attend events.

“I don’t mind people underestimating me,” Zhang Ning said. “In fact, this is what I tell some people who want guidance from me on how to be taken seriously.”

“It’s actually better when people underestimate you,” she said with a laugh. “And then you can prove them wrong. It’s more satisfying that way.”

Edited by Zhang NingFirst issueThe September 2021 issue, called “A New Chapter,” was produced during quarantine by a team of women, including a little-known photographer named Ma Hailun. The cover features a 19-year-old dance student at Beijing Sports University. Since then, Zhang, who now lives in Beijing, has been planning her vision for Vogue and what it could represent in 21st-century China.

She’s atInstagram with 1.8 million followersShe did not call herself “editor-in-chief” on her profile; instead, she said “film director.” (She was writing a script.) Therefore, “Vogue FilmIt’s no surprise that it’s become one of her best-known projects: a platform to support women in the Chinese film industry. It has produced 11 short films to date.

After that”Hello New Face”, an annual model recruitment program that will be launched globally this year; and the “Retaining Craftsmanship” project, which aims to promote cooperation between international designers, local design talents and China’s traditional craft communities. Zhang Ning also spearheaded a mentorship program that pairs emerging Chinese designers with internationally renowned designers such as Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino.

Zhang Ning’s magazine covers and content are eye-catching, rooted in bold, saturated colors and a straightforward style, which is exactly what made her a well-known Internet celebrity in the first place.September 2022ofDigital Cover SeriesExplores the collision between fashion and the metaverse; photographed by Zhang NingDecember 2022 issueThe cover is colorful and the cover model is supermodel Liu Wen.

In China, male movie stars and internet celebrities — known locally as KOLs — are often more popular than their female counterparts.Yi Yang Qianxiwho gave a modern interpretation to traditional Peking Opera roles and incorporated elements of the season’s fashion, is the first male cover star to appear alone on the cover of Vogue China.

“We were all very surprised when Zhang Ning was hired,” said Emma Zhang, fashion director at Gusto Collective, which helps Western luxury brands expand in Asia. “But now it’s clearer that Gen Z is such a high priority among consumers, and they want someone with a younger perspective and visual style. Her approach is different from the past. Many people see it as a breath of fresh air.”

To many in the fashion world and elsewhere, this digitally native approach feels youthful and experimental, focusing on up-and-coming talent while maintaining a reverence for aspects of Chinese tradition at a time when many consumers are increasingly appreciating the country’s cultural past.

China is a huge countryZhang Ning, who manages a team of 50 people, said that the Chinese version of the magazine must have much more content than the versions of Vogue in other countries.Little Red Bookevery social media audience is important and has different needs.

She says the print magazine is more like a coffee table piece than a disposable compilation of catwalk trends or fashion events. But she is also eyeing international markets, including the Chinese diaspora around the world.

She said that in the past year and a half, Vogue has repositioned itself as a cultural bridge, helping China connect to the world and the world to China.

Recently, Condé NastReorganized international operationscontent integration becomes the top priority.figureExit, replaced by WintourPersonally selectAs expected, Wintour was full of praise for Zhang Ning.

“What makes Zhang Ning stand out is her mastery of the digital industry and her awareness of fashion trends. She can communicate with audiences anywhere and understand current trends,” Wintour wrote in an email.

“She has a global perspective and believes that Chinese pioneers, designers and stories can transcend borders. Most importantly, she knows how to communicate with young people who are obsessed with fashion, no matter where they are in the world, because she herself is one of them.”

“Why do I say that choosing Zhang Ning as the editor-in-chief of Vogue China is very dangerous?” Liao Meichun wrote. “Because she has been growing up and living in Australia and overseas, her understanding of China is too superficial and limited.”

Leaf Greener, a creative consultant who previously worked as a fashion editor at the Chinese version of ELLE, questioned whether Zhang Ning’s Chinese proficiency was good enough to edit a magazine, and said many in the Chinese fashion industry were still skeptical. She wondered if the current Chinese market really needed such a foreign perspective.

“Zhang Ning is trying to break the rules and bring out the new,” Ye Zi said in a telephone interview. “Some of her ideas are good and she supports young local designers, but sometimes she really lacks execution. In my opinion, if she wants to succeed, she needs to solve the big problem of covers and seek diversity rather than chaos. I don’t think it’s yet at the level of being a world-class fashion magazine.”

Zhang Ning is confident that her Chinese is good enough for the job. (She admits that her speaking style is formal and her knowledge of spoken language is limited, but also notes that her Mandarin has proven to be good enough to converse with grandmas at Shanghai’s vegetable market.) Her optimism doesn’t seem to be dampened by the naysayers, whom she says she has battled throughout her career.

“I’d be lying if I said this job or responsibility wasn’t daunting,” she says. “But I’m used to being the youngest person in the room. I’m also usually the most creative person in a business meeting, or the most business-savvy person in a creative meeting. Basically, I’m the oddball. But two years in, I feel like everything I’ve learned in my career, and all of my different skills, have come together wonderfully in this role.”

The growing challenges facing government censorship or China’s wealthy and powerful (often outside China)Zhang Ning, who has been at the center of Vogue’s coverage of the 2016 edition of the magazine, was more cautious. The Chinese government is still cracking down on celebrity culture, fearing it will poison the minds of young people—which may be one reason why she is focusing more on up-and-coming stars than the established.

But she also comes across as smart and curious, saying she’s like a “stage mom” and commenting excitedly on her debut cover star, Christine Fan, walking for Burberry and Chinese fashion designer Yannan Fang appearing at London Fashion Week.

Zhang Ning said that the job opportunity at Vogue “came unexpectedly and was not in my life plan, which meant I had to readjust my goals.”

“If I hadn’t taken the opportunity, I would have definitely always been curious about what the experience would have been like, so I went for it,” she added. “And, as I’m sure you can tell by now, I love a challenge.”