Margaret Zhang's Vogue China Debut: Fan Jinghan by Ma Hallun Honors China's Women

Vogue China editor-in-chief Margaret Zhang debuts her first cover — September 2021 ‘New Beginnings’ — and fashion story starring 19 year-old dancer Fan Jinghan. Led primarily by female creatives, Zhang enlisted young Chinese photographer from Xinjiang Ma Hailun [IG] to shoot Fan Jinghan wearing Johannes Warnke at a particular sunrise moment in a mountain desert of western China.

The cover appears on Vogue China Instagram — stripped of its past — as Zhang now takes the helm of creative leadership, with newly-named fashion director Audrey Hu. / Makeup by Valentina Li; hair by Zhou Xueming

Zhangye Danxia National Park’s sandstone formations in Gansu is a far cry from Shanghai or Hong Kong.

“It was Margaret’s idea she wanted to shoot it at sunrise and very particularly timed because she thinks sunrise means new beginnings, hope, all the positive vibes,” Ma said. “She also wanted to have something very different but very China–that still has cultural heritage.”

“Inside the issue features an array of new faces: Ruoyi Yi, Shermmaine Telan, and Sano Turdiev lead a feature introducing China’s new wave of new designers and Su Xiaocan and Zhang Mengjie appear in a shoot shot by Zhang Chao wearing upcoming Chinese knitwear designer, NUME,” said Conde Nast.

Throughout the issue, there was a strong emphasis on using new faces and non-traditional models including Akane Wang: a London-based financial analyst; Kuku: a Shanghai-based design assistant at a fashion brand; Winnie (Fei Fei Zhong): a Shanghai-based Chinese-Congolese rapper and singer; Luoyi: who is just beginning her career as a model in Chengdu and Huiying Zhu: an aspiring actor.

The Power of Chinese Women

China is a land of great contrast in its heritages and modern life. Having done business with Chinese women much of my life, there’s a strong argument to be made that the most successful women entrepreneurs on the planet live in China.

In May 2021, the Human Research Institute [Chinese] released it’s 11th Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2021, confirming that China leads the way in creating an empowering business climate for women.

Being a billionaire is hardly the top qualification for female excellence. But China happens to have two-thirds of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs at 85, compared to the US at 25 and the UK with 6. Only one of the top ten women is not from China.

While AOC hasn’t validated the Hurun index, we’ve written about this topic multiple times over the years. We have no rational basis for challenging the truth of wealth creation by self-made Chinese women.

The drive of luxury brands into China isn’t only governed by a desire to entice rich Chinese men to buy gifts for girlfriends and wives. Not at all. Chinese women are prospering generally at rates above Western women and have a confidence, imo, not instilled in the minds of American women by our very patriarchal culture.