Angelica Cheung

From its inception, Vogue China’s combination of original creative content and global vision set a new benchmark for Chinese fashion publications. Whilst working closely with the world’s leading photographers, stylists, models and designers, Vogue China has also dedicated itself to supporting local Chinese talent and sustained efforts to bring the Chinese fashion industry to international prominence.

Over the past eleven years, featured models like Du Juan and Liu Wen have become top international supermodels, whilst many young, talented Chinese designers, through Vogue China’s promotion, have received recognition from international media. Led by Angelica, Vogue China has risen with unprecedented speed to become one of the biggest and most influential Vogue editions.

Aside from bringing out 12 monthly issues, Angelica also oversees all the digital platforms including the website, iPad edition, social media channels, and the trend-setting mobile app Vogue Mini, which launched last year.

In a breakthrough move, a new publication Vogue Me was added to the Vogue China family this year, targeted at the young, digitally active generation.

Furthermore, this year also saw an increased focus on creating exceptional video content, with exciting projects to come for Vogue Film.

Before becoming Editor-in-Chief of Vogue China, Angelica was previously the Editorial Director of Elle China, Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire Hong Kong, Associate Publisher of Hong Kong English-language fashion magazine B International, and the launch Executive Editor of English-language daily newspaper Hong Kong iMail.

Angelica is the first to acknowledge that she took a rather unexpected path to her position as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue China.

With degrees in Law and English Language and Literature from Beijing (Peking) University, she then completed an MBA at the University of South Australia before starting on a business career as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs.

When a friend suggested journalism was a good way to travel, she applied for and won a job at the Eastern Express, an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong.

It was a particularly interesting time to be reporting on life in the British colony as it prepared for the handover to Chinese rule in 1997.

Four years later Angelica made her move into fashion but there was still this feeling, as she hit her mid-30s, that she would gravitate back to law once the travel thing was over.

Then came the offer from Condé Nast to launch Vogue in China – an offer at once daunting but too good to refuse.

From day one she was determined not just to promote international fashion in China, but to promote Chinese fashion, designers and models to the world.

She challenged anyone who tried to get away with old Asian stereotypes, championed the view of modern China, and expanded the magazine’s mandate beyond fashion to encourage modern Chinese women to be strong, have their own minds and value their lives.

Angelica has always done things differently. “I didn’t study fashion,” she said in a recent interview. “You don’t have to be a fashion expert to work for a fashion magazine. You need to have an eye for beauty and to see it in the most chaotic stressed out situation. If you have that ability, then you can work for Vogue because this is what we do.”