Neon-lit newsstands, groaning under the weight of hundreds of glossy women’s magazines, are everywhere in Shanghai and Beijing. And this month China’s growing importance to the fashion world was officially recognised — it got its own Vogue.
”Good taste continues its world tour with China the latest country to get the Vogue makeover,” trumpeted Vogue.com.
The first issue had a print run of 300 000 copies, selling out within a matter of days. An extra print run also sold out almost immediately. Judging by the weight of it, Vogue China has been popular with the advertisers too. It’s more than 400 pages thick and boasts adverts from all the big international names: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Clinique.
China’s tough media regulation has been eased in the past few years, but getting permission to publish still took Vogue three years, though there has been something of an international magazine bonanza — Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmopolitan are all now available in China.
But Vogue is different. It’s been three years in the inception and has an all-star editorial team. Editorial director Angelica Cheung came from Chinese Elle magazine and other staff have been lured from British and Australian Vogue, but 85% of the staff are Chinese.
”Vogue China is different to the other Chinese fashion and lifestyle magazines,” says James Woolhouse, president of Condé Nast Asia Pacific. ”Most of our competitors lift material or syndicate it from sister magazines. Vogue China is written in China for the Chinese market.”
Condé Nast is aiming its latest baby at a new China — a generation of professional women in their 20s and 30s who now have spending power and luxury brand aspirations.
The world of Chinese fashion has been in the news recently due to the ”bra wars” — the influx of cheap clothing imports into Europe. But China itself is proving a goldmine for Western designers.
Dolce & Gabbana is expanding into China soon. Italian label Louis Vuitton makes 50% of its sales there; it has a huge shop in Shanghai and two flagship stores in Beijing. Louis Vuitton boss Yves Carcelle has said he plans to open ”three or four more shops in China” next year, while Giorgio Armani is aiming for between 20 and 30 stores on the mainland before 2008. — Guardian Unlimited Â