The current digital revolution has changed people's reading habits and the way fashion brands connect with users.

Those who read magazines may no longer like to read magazines; those who pick up latest fashion trends from traditional media may find an easier way communicate with fashion brands; those who work at China's traditional fashion media may be confused about the future of the industry.

Cheng Gong, brand development director of Marie Claire China, sat down with China Daily for an exclusive interview in which he shared his views on these issues.

"Needless to say, fashion magazines are no longer the necessity for the modern people," said Cheng. "How to help traditional magazines digitally transform in the new era is an uphill battle."

Digital transformation

Against the backdrop of global technological wave, the traditional publication industry has been adversely affected, and China's fashion magazines are no exception.

It is not new to hear that some well-received fashion magazines have stopped publication, or shifted their focus to new media.

A graduate of the Central Academy of Drama in 2009, the 32-year-old has worked for fashion groups including Esquire, Figaro, China's Travel Channel, and Marie Claire in the past decade.

Cheng said he has both experienced the best and worst days of the industry. In the current declining stage, he, together with other professionals, seeks the way to break the ice, and digital transformation is a sliver lining.

According to him, digitization is not the byword for form changing, that is the evolution from paper words to online writing, from pictures to videos. Instead, it is a revolution in thinking.

"The personalized, interactive, and socialized reading model is an important part of this new change," said Cheng. "In the past, people were passive receiver who read what magazines offered them. But now they have become active chooser to read what they like to read and share contents with kindred spirits."

"Content and channel are still the top priorities for traditional magazines in this era. To put it simple, a good content will help us stabilize reader base while the effective promotion channel is absolutely the cure to sell goods and attract advertisers."

Appeal to younger generation

For those traditional fashion media that rely largely on advertising revenue to make a living, some pioneers have explored another new way to regain the trust of advertisers – launching the supplement series or the online version to stimulate consumption and boost demand from young people.

According to Cheng, Vogue's behavior is the classic example. With more than 100 years of history, Vogue is one of the most significant magazine brands in the world, and is regarded as the Bible in the fashion world.

The Vogue China was born in 2005 and has taken the central position in China's fashion circle since then. However, in the face of a decline in subscribers and increasing loss of advertisers, the magazine launched Vogue Me in 2016.

"Generally speaking, young idols are not the preferential candidates to cover top fashion magazine like Vogue, as they are not that 'experienced'. But the appearance of Vogue Me solves the dilemma," Cheng said.

"Vogue Me invites pop idols to cover the fashion magazine. Those stars boast high popularity among the younger generation, the main force of fashion consumption in China. Also, they also act as the spokesmen for many brands, and their fans' buying power cannot be underestimated," added Cheng.

"When these celebrities are on the cover of top magazines, their fans will give publicity to the news on social media. And it is obvious to see it as a multiple-win strategy for stars, fans, magazine producers and advertisers."

Cultural confidence

In recent years, an army of younger Chinese fashion designers are now not only gaining prominence in the domestic mainland market but also internationally.

The "big four" fashion weeks —London, Milan, Paris, New York— have witnessed more and more Chinese designers to show off their fashion brands.

In Cheng's perspective, it is positive to see more Chinese fashion brands shine on the world stage, but Chinese fashion industry is yet to fully develop a taste for its own talents, as some designers still have a preference to appeal to Western aesthetic standards first and take pride in showing the brands in the foreign fashion weeks.

"China boasts broad and splendid culture in its long course of history, and Chinese-style is a great source for some luxury brands to upgrade their products," Cheng said.

"Cultural confidence is being promoted by the leadership of this country, and these fast-rising Chinese fashion designers should be confident about our culture, and strive to show Chinese fashion ideas to more and more foreign people."

Chinese designers aren't short on talent or skill, and many of them have trained at the world's most prestigious design schools. However, the biggest problem they face is that only a few Chinese are interested in Chinese brands.

With regard to the issue, Cheng said that Chinese designers should have a long-term plan and the global version to build their brands.

"Rome was not built in a day. Likewise, the success of a fashion brand cannot be achieved instantly. Instead, it takes patience, persistence and creativity," he said, adding that "When the days comes that Chinese designers are taken to their showing on our own fashion week, then China's fashion industry is really a top player across the globe."

"I believe that fashion is a universal language," Cheng said. "The golden days for Chinese fashion magazines may have already gone, but as China becomes more closely integrated into the global community over the past years, there is now a more enabling environment than ever for the fashion industry."