Margaret Zhang is Leaving 'Vogue' China After 3 Years [UPDATED]

After three years at the helm of Vogue China, Margaret Zhang is stepping down from her title as Editorial Director (interchangeable to editor-in-chief) according to WWD. Per the report, Zhang's contract with Condé Nast expires in spring 2024 and will not be renewed.

Appointed in 2021, the then-27-year-old Chinese-Australian fashion influencer became the youngest person to hold the editor position across any of Vogue's international editions.

Anna Wintour, Condé Nast global chief content officer and Vogue editor-in-chief, reportedly sent a message to Vogue China staff stating it is her "top priority to find a visionary new leader without delay" and that she's "extremely proud of the work and efforts of the entire Vogue China team, especially with the launch of so many new initiatives that celebrate China's exciting role in fashion."

In covering the publication's editorial shakeup for WWD, Tianwei Zhang wrote that, "despite her effort to understand the complexity of the market and what today’s Chinese fashion consumers want, what [she] delivered was seen as underwhelming by industry peers and online spectators."

The editor also faced backlash in the middle of her tenure, publicly branded "disrespectful" by Huasheng Media founder Chuxuan Feng due to model Du Juan not abiding by a non-compete rule Zhang initiated in February 2021. While Zhang's successor has not been named, Chen Bo, a seasoned editor at Esquire China, is rumored to be in the running.

Zhang's departure comes amid greater reshuffling happening across Condé Nast, including recent mass layoffs (that sparked a protest last month) and Chioma Nnadi stepping in for Edward Enninful as the head of editorial content at British Vogue.

Neither Zhang nor Condé Nast have released a public statement.

Update, Mon. Feb. 26, 10:06 a.m.: Margaret Zhang has released a statement to X (formerly known as Twitter) on her exit.

"As we kick off a transformative year of the Dragon, I'm excited to wrap up at Vogue and jump into the next chapter of my career," wrote Zhang. "I am immensely proud of the radical evolution that we have driven at Vogue China over the past three years, expanding its impact from its print beginnings to becoming a multimedia bridge for creative culture — China to the world, the world to China."

Zhang concluded her statement saying, "Beyond my final June issue, I'm very much looking forward to working with you all in my new ventures."

Homepage photo: David M. Benett/Getty Images

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