袁莉
尽
管中国传媒界的数位女性都有“中国的奥普拉”之称，但洪晃可能是其中最名副其实的一个。洪晃是中国互动媒体集团首席执行长，办着一本时尚杂志，主持过数档电视脱口秀节目，演过一部电影，写过三本书，她的个人博客已有约1.12亿点击量，微博有约83.2万粉丝。
ImagineChina
中国互动媒体集团CEO洪晃
她认定中国消费者不断增长的财富和提升的品位将帮助培养中国自己的卡地亚(Cartier)或路易威登(Louis Vuitton)，于是她自掏腰包投资，并利用自己的名人影响力宣传本土品牌。
8月15日，洪晃展示、销售中国设计师作品的概念店“薄荷糯米葱”（Brand New China，简称BNC），在北京时髦的三里屯地区的一个购物中心试营业。该店楼上的邻居有阿玛尼(Armani)和范思哲(Versace)等大牌高档时装店。这间面积540平方米的时装店，将代销100多位中国设计师的作品，从服装，饰品到家具，不一而足。其中很多设计师在她主办的杂志《iLook世界都市》中都有过介绍。对于洪晃来说，有朝一日这些设计师做大做强时，他们有可能会在她的杂志上做广告，让她的公司赚钱。
目前，本土品牌带来的广告收入不到iLook总收入的5%。该杂志发行量为五万份，每期定价为人民币50元（合7.46美元）。
曾留学英国的设计师Simon Wang(王庆峰)说，其他时尚杂志只是出版物而已，是旁观者的姿态，洪晃则不同，她积极参与其中。Simon Wang的女装系列在BNC有售。在上海尝试开店失败后，他就一直在中国寻找零售机会。BNC的投资人是中国互动媒体集团，洪晃和她的几位朋友，包括麻省理工学院建筑系主任张永和。洪晃的店就是由他设计的，他的男装系列也在BNC试营业之日首次亮相。
关于“来来往往”
“来来往往”专栏尝试用西方人熟悉的语言与语境写中国商业文化。专栏每两周在《华尔街日报》报纸及网络版以中英文双语同步发表。专栏作者袁莉2004年在纽约加入《华尔街日报》，先后担任记者和专栏作者。她2008年回到北京担任《华尔街日报》中文网主编。袁莉毕业于哥伦比亚大学和乔治・华盛顿大学，并曾在新华社担任编辑以及驻泰国和阿富汗记者。欢迎读者发送邮件至li.yuan@wsj.com或在评论栏中发表评论和建议，也可以在新浪微博上追踪她。
这一商业战略能否成功还是个未知数。兴趣广泛而多变的洪晃涉足过商业与传媒的多个领域，她经手的项目也并非每一个都成功。在互联网泡沫破裂时期，她曾裁掉了名下一家互联网公司的大部分员工。由于不赚钱，她不得不停办青少年时尚杂志Seventeen的中文版《Seventeen青春一族》。 “来来往往”专栏尝试用西方人熟悉的语言与语境写中国商业文化。专栏每两周在《华尔街日报》报纸及网络版以中英文双语同步发表。专栏作者袁莉2004年在纽约加入《华尔街日报》，先后担任记者和专栏作者。她2008年回到北京担任《华尔街日报》中文网主编。袁莉毕业于哥伦比亚大学和乔治・华盛顿大学，并曾在新华社担任编辑以及驻泰国和阿富汗记者。欢迎读者发送邮件至li.yuan@wsj.com或在评论栏中发表评论和建议，也可以在新浪微博上追踪她。不过，对很多中国公众来说，洪晃的个人经历、家庭背景以及幽默调侃的写作风格很有吸引力。从她的博客中，读者得以一窥中国特权阶层的生活。
现年49岁的洪晃在中国一直是位前卫人物。她已故的母亲是毛泽东的英文翻译和老师，她已故的继父在上世纪70年代时任中国的外交部长。文革期间，12岁的洪晃参加了政府一个培养未来外交官的项目，她被送到纽约市实行进步教育法的Little Red School House学校学习。
1984年，她获得了瓦萨学院( Vassar College)政治学学位后在美国咨询公司甘维珍公司(Kamsky Associates, Inc.)供职。1986年，她25岁时成为德国企业集团Metallgesellschaft AG中国首席代表，年薪7.5万美元，而当时大部分中国人的收入都只有这个数的九牛一毛。
自称既喜欢大号T恤也喜欢高级女装的洪晃曾结过三次婚，第一任丈夫是名美国律师，第二任是位中国导演，第三任是个法国外交官。她现在与做室内设计师的男友和一个养女住在北京郊区。
1996年，洪晃加入北京的一家投资咨询公司──标准国际投资管理有限公司，现仍为公司合伙人。该公司是中国互动媒体集团的数个后台之一。中国互动媒体集团是iLook的发行方。
洪晃称她的公司和中国设计师之间的关系是“弱弱联盟”。与中文版的Vogue，Elle和Cosmopolitan不同的是，iLook没有全球授权使用的内容或与奢侈品牌合作的悠久渊源。与此相似，设计师们都是些有创造力的年轻人，但缺乏建立业务和品牌的资金与经验。她说：他们（西方时尚杂志）吃肉，我们喝汤。
不过，汤里的肉可能也不少。咨询公司贝恩公司(Bain & Company)的一份报告预计，2010年中国的奢侈品市场将增长15%，领先全球市场。香奈儿(Chanel)等时尚大品牌开始在时装展中更多地启用中国模特。中国模特刘雯今年早些时候成为代言雅诗兰黛(Estee Lauder)的第一张亚洲面孔。很多人认为中国拥有自己的三宅一生(Issey Miyake)和川久保玲(Rei Kawakubo)的时机已经成熟。
大约在五年前，在看到王一扬的时装设计后，洪晃开始对中国设计师着迷。王一扬的时装品牌“茶缸”采用了简单的70年代元素，比如有蓝色细边的白色搪瓷缸，以及印有“上海”或“北京”等字样的手提袋。
洪晃在今年3月《iLook》中国设计师特刊的编者按中回忆道：“居然有设计师能够把我们小时候的服装感觉带入21世纪，我好感动。”
她决定把iLook改为一本主要关注中国设计的杂志。在感觉到杂志除宣传之外难以做更多事情后，她决定自己开店帮助设计师销售他们的作品。“茶缸”系列的设计师王一扬将在BNC旁开一家店，主打他的另外一个品牌素然（ZucZug）。据他的商业合作伙伴说，这是洪晃鼓励和引荐的。还有几位中国设计师也将在同一购物中心开店。
与奥普拉不同的是，洪晃说她没想借办杂志或开店成为一个大生意人。她说，很有可能第一轮投资是她做的，可最后摘果子的人不是她。这不是没有可能。而且如果资金更雄厚的大公司发现这种模式有利可图的话，它们可以轻易地跟风设店。将来即便这些设计师有了更多的广告预算，他们也有可能会选择在比iLook更有名的西方杂志上做广告。
洪晃对此并不担心。她做这些事既是为了赚钱，也是为了好玩。正如她的一本书的书名，这只是她“无目的美好生活”的又一阶段。
自称既喜欢大号T恤也喜欢高级女装的洪晃曾结过三次婚，第一任丈夫是名美国律师，第二任是位中国导演，第三任是个法国外交官。她现在与做室内设计师的男友和一个养女住在北京郊区。
1996年，洪晃加入北京的一家投资咨询公司──标准国际投资管理有限公司，现仍为公司合伙人。该公司是中国互动媒体集团的数个后台之一。中国互动媒体集团是iLook的发行方。
洪晃称她的公司和中国设计师之间的关系是“弱弱联盟”。与中文版的Vogue，Elle和Cosmopolitan不同的是，iLook没有全球授权使用的内容或与奢侈品牌合作的悠久渊源。与此相似，设计师们都是些有创造力的年轻人，但缺乏建立业务和品牌的资金与经验。她说：他们（西方时尚杂志）吃肉，我们喝汤。
不过，汤里的肉可能也不少。咨询公司贝恩公司(Bain & Company)的一份报告预计，2010年中国的奢侈品市场将增长15%，领先全球市场。香奈儿(Chanel)等时尚大品牌开始在时装展中更多地启用中国模特。中国模特刘雯今年早些时候成为代言雅诗兰黛(Estee Lauder)的第一张亚洲面孔。很多人认为中国拥有自己的三宅一生(Issey Miyake)和川久保玲(Rei Kawakubo)的时机已经成熟。
大约在五年前，在看到王一扬的时装设计后，洪晃开始对中国设计师着迷。王一扬的时装品牌“茶缸”采用了简单的70年代元素，比如有蓝色细边的白色搪瓷缸，以及印有“上海”或“北京”等字样的手提袋。
洪晃在今年3月《iLook》中国设计师特刊的编者按中回忆道：“居然有设计师能够把我们小时候的服装感觉带入21世纪，我好感动。”
她决定把iLook改为一本主要关注中国设计的杂志。在感觉到杂志除宣传之外难以做更多事情后，她决定自己开店帮助设计师销售他们的作品。“茶缸”系列的设计师王一扬将在BNC旁开一家店，主打他的另外一个品牌素然（ZucZug）。据他的商业合作伙伴说，这是洪晃鼓励和引荐的。还有几位中国设计师也将在同一购物中心开店。
与奥普拉不同的是，洪晃说她没想借办杂志或开店成为一个大生意人。她说，很有可能第一轮投资是她做的，可最后摘果子的人不是她。这不是没有可能。而且如果资金更雄厚的大公司发现这种模式有利可图的话，它们可以轻易地跟风设店。将来即便这些设计师有了更多的广告预算，他们也有可能会选择在比iLook更有名的西方杂志上做广告。
洪晃对此并不担心。她做这些事既是为了赚钱，也是为了好玩。正如她的一本书的书名，这只是她“无目的美好生活”的又一阶段。
The term China's Oprah has been used for several female media personalities, but Hung Huang may be the one that comes the closest.
Ms. Hung, chief executive of China Interactive Media Group, runs a fashion magazine, has hosted several TV talk shows, starred in a movie, published three books and writes a personal blog that's attracted roughly 112 million hits and a microblog that's followed by some 832,000 fans.
Now she wants to sell clothes too.
Betting that the growing wealth and sophistication of Chinese consumers will help cultivate China's own Cartier or Louis Vuitton, she's investing her own money and using her celebrity status to promote local brands.
On Sunday, she opened a new store to showcase and sell Chinese designs, called Brand New China (BNC), in a mall in Beijing's hip Sanlitun area, where Armani and Versace are upstairs neighbors. Products of more than 100 designers, from clothes, accessories to furniture, will be sold on consignment in the 540-square-meter store. Many of the same designers are featured in iLook, Ms. Hung's magazine, and there's a potential pay-off for the magazine if local designers grow and have bigger advertising budgets.
Advertisements of the local brands now contribute less than 5% of the revenue of iLook, which has a circulation of 50,000 with a cover price of 50 yuan ($7.46).
'The other fashion magazines are just publications. They're bystanders. Huang is different. She gets very involved,' says Simon Wang, the U.K.-educated designer whose women's wear collection is sold at BNC.
Investors in BNC are China Interactive Media Group, Ms. Hung and a couple of her friends, including Yung Ho Chang, the head of the architecture department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Yung also designed the store and debuted his men's wear collection there on Sunday.
It's not yet clear if the business strategy will work. Ms. Hung has had a mercurial career across various fields in both business and media and not all her projects have panned out. She had to lay off most of the staff at an Internet venture after the dotcom bubble burst and shut down the Chinese version of teen magazine Seventeen because it wasn't performing financially.
Meanwhile, the Chinese public is fascinated by Ms. Hung's personal brand, her family background, and her tongue-in-cheek commentary that offers a glimpse into the world of China's privileged class.
At 49, Ms. Hung has lived her life as an avant-garde figure in China. Her late mother was Mao Zedong's English translator and teacher, and her late stepfather was China's foreign minister in the 1970s. At 12, in the middle of the Cultural Revolution, Ms. Hung was sent to the Little Red School House, a progressive school in New York City's Greenwich Village, on a government program to train future diplomats. She got a political science degree at Vassar College, worked for the U.S. consulting firm Kamsky Associates Inc. and became the chief representative of German conglomerate Metallgesellschaft AG in China at the age of 25, earning $75,000 a year when most Chinese were making a fraction of that.
She has been married three times, to an American lawyer, a Chinese director and a French diplomat. She now lives with her long-time interior designer boyfriend and an adopted daughter in the suburbs of Beijing.
In 1996, Ms. Hung, who claims to like oversize T-shirts and haute couture equally, joined a Beijing investment and consulting company, Standard International Management Corp., and remains a partner. It is one of several backers of China Interactive Media Group, which publishes iLook.
She calls the relationship between her company and Chinese designers a weak-weak alliance. Unlike the Chinese editions of Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan, iLook doesn't have access to globally franchised content or long-established ties with luxury brands. The designers are young, creative talents who lack the funding and experience to build businesses and brands. '[The Western fashion magazines] eat the meat, and we get the soup,' she says.
But the soup might turn out to be pretty meaty. China's luxury-goods market is expected to grow by 15% in 2010, leading the global market, according to a report by consulting firm Bain & Co. Big fashion brands like Chanel are using more Chinese models at their runway shows, and Liu Wen, a Chinese model, became the first Asian face of Estee Lauder earlier this year. Many believe the timing is ripe for China to have its own Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo, the Japanese designers.
Ms. Hung became fascinated by Chinese designers about five years ago when she saw fashion designs by Wang Yiyang. Branded as 'Chagang,' or Tea Mug, Mr. Wang's designs use elements from the much simpler era of the 1970s, such as a white enamel mug with thin blue rims and tote bags with large print characters such as 'Shanghai' or 'Beijing.'
'This designer managed to bring the fashion sense of my childhood to the 21st century. I was deeply touched,' she writes in the Editor's Note in the March issue of this year, which was dedicated to Chinese designers.
Unlike Oprah, Ms. Hung says she's not expecting to become a top businesswoman with her magazine or the design store. It's possible that her new business venture will be the guinea pig that gets into the game too early and bigger companies with stronger financial muscle can easily launch copycat stores if they find it lucrative, she says. In the future, even if the designers have more advertising money to spend, they might opt to spend on the bigger name Western magazines than iLook.
Ms. Hung isn't worried. She's in it for the money, but also for fun, another step in her 'Sweet, Aimless Life,' the title of one of her books.
Li Yuan
Ms. Hung, chief executive of China Interactive Media Group, runs a fashion magazine, has hosted several TV talk shows, starred in a movie, published three books and writes a personal blog that's attracted roughly 112 million hits and a microblog that's followed by some 832,000 fans.
Now she wants to sell clothes too.
Betting that the growing wealth and sophistication of Chinese consumers will help cultivate China's own Cartier or Louis Vuitton, she's investing her own money and using her celebrity status to promote local brands.
On Sunday, she opened a new store to showcase and sell Chinese designs, called Brand New China (BNC), in a mall in Beijing's hip Sanlitun area, where Armani and Versace are upstairs neighbors. Products of more than 100 designers, from clothes, accessories to furniture, will be sold on consignment in the 540-square-meter store. Many of the same designers are featured in iLook, Ms. Hung's magazine, and there's a potential pay-off for the magazine if local designers grow and have bigger advertising budgets.
Advertisements of the local brands now contribute less than 5% of the revenue of iLook, which has a circulation of 50,000 with a cover price of 50 yuan ($7.46).
'The other fashion magazines are just publications. They're bystanders. Huang is different. She gets very involved,' says Simon Wang, the U.K.-educated designer whose women's wear collection is sold at BNC.
Investors in BNC are China Interactive Media Group, Ms. Hung and a couple of her friends, including Yung Ho Chang, the head of the architecture department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Yung also designed the store and debuted his men's wear collection there on Sunday.
It's not yet clear if the business strategy will work. Ms. Hung has had a mercurial career across various fields in both business and media and not all her projects have panned out. She had to lay off most of the staff at an Internet venture after the dotcom bubble burst and shut down the Chinese version of teen magazine Seventeen because it wasn't performing financially.
Meanwhile, the Chinese public is fascinated by Ms. Hung's personal brand, her family background, and her tongue-in-cheek commentary that offers a glimpse into the world of China's privileged class.
At 49, Ms. Hung has lived her life as an avant-garde figure in China. Her late mother was Mao Zedong's English translator and teacher, and her late stepfather was China's foreign minister in the 1970s. At 12, in the middle of the Cultural Revolution, Ms. Hung was sent to the Little Red School House, a progressive school in New York City's Greenwich Village, on a government program to train future diplomats. She got a political science degree at Vassar College, worked for the U.S. consulting firm Kamsky Associates Inc. and became the chief representative of German conglomerate Metallgesellschaft AG in China at the age of 25, earning $75,000 a year when most Chinese were making a fraction of that.
She has been married three times, to an American lawyer, a Chinese director and a French diplomat. She now lives with her long-time interior designer boyfriend and an adopted daughter in the suburbs of Beijing.
In 1996, Ms. Hung, who claims to like oversize T-shirts and haute couture equally, joined a Beijing investment and consulting company, Standard International Management Corp., and remains a partner. It is one of several backers of China Interactive Media Group, which publishes iLook.
She calls the relationship between her company and Chinese designers a weak-weak alliance. Unlike the Chinese editions of Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan, iLook doesn't have access to globally franchised content or long-established ties with luxury brands. The designers are young, creative talents who lack the funding and experience to build businesses and brands. '[The Western fashion magazines] eat the meat, and we get the soup,' she says.
But the soup might turn out to be pretty meaty. China's luxury-goods market is expected to grow by 15% in 2010, leading the global market, according to a report by consulting firm Bain & Co. Big fashion brands like Chanel are using more Chinese models at their runway shows, and Liu Wen, a Chinese model, became the first Asian face of Estee Lauder earlier this year. Many believe the timing is ripe for China to have its own Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo, the Japanese designers.
Ms. Hung became fascinated by Chinese designers about five years ago when she saw fashion designs by Wang Yiyang. Branded as 'Chagang,' or Tea Mug, Mr. Wang's designs use elements from the much simpler era of the 1970s, such as a white enamel mug with thin blue rims and tote bags with large print characters such as 'Shanghai' or 'Beijing.'
'This designer managed to bring the fashion sense of my childhood to the 21st century. I was deeply touched,' she writes in the Editor's Note in the March issue of this year, which was dedicated to Chinese designers.
Unlike Oprah, Ms. Hung says she's not expecting to become a top businesswoman with her magazine or the design store. It's possible that her new business venture will be the guinea pig that gets into the game too early and bigger companies with stronger financial muscle can easily launch copycat stores if they find it lucrative, she says. In the future, even if the designers have more advertising money to spend, they might opt to spend on the bigger name Western magazines than iLook.
Ms. Hung isn't worried. She's in it for the money, but also for fun, another step in her 'Sweet, Aimless Life,' the title of one of her books.
Li Yuan
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