As the founding Editor in Chief of Vogue China, Angelica Cheung is one busy working mom: meetings, events, previews, fashion shows — and all around the world, too. And yet she still finds time for her family, especially daughter Hayley, whom she often brings with her to the runway circuit. Here, we chat with Cheung on how she balances it all and about the very enviable heirlooms she’ll be passing on.
My Mother’s Day traditions now…
Because of the nature of our business, which often involves a lot of events and parties, my husband Mark and I do not usually celebrate “special days”. But this changed with the arrival of our daughter Hayley. These days, it is Hayley who is the driving force behind such celebrations. In the past two years, she would make cards for me together with Mark and sometimes prepares a gift for me.
And when I was growing up…
When I was growing up, there was not such a concept as a Mother’s Day. My mother was working very hard supporting me and, like everybody else in China then, we never celebrated Mother’s Day.
Best Mother’s Day gift I’ve received…
Cards from Hayley. Hayley draws a lot and her drawings most often feature myself and her dad. From the drawings, you can see her love for us which always touches our heart. We are a very close family. Mark and I decided from the day she was born that we would always stay together as a family. So even when I went to fashion weeks, we went together. In the past 10 years, Mark and I have always planned our travels in a way that made sure that at least one of us is with her in the same city on any given day. This closeness as a family is reflected in her drawings. Once she wrote a beautiful line on one of the drawings: “Home is where laughter is stored and coziness always free.”
Family heirloom I’m passing on to my daughter…
Where to start? She will inherit a Vogue editor’s wardrobe, which means she will have an awful lot of clothes to choose from: dresses, jackets, coats, shoes and jewelry from all the famous brands. Oh, and handbags, too! But so far she has not shown much interest!
Best advice I received from my mother…
“When facing any problem, do not panic. Always aim for the best result but prepare for the worst.”
And one lesson I hope to pass on to my daughter…
Whatever problems and challenges you face, always believe that there is a solution — it is just a matter of finding it.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned from being a mom…
Nothing beats being a mom. It gives a wonderful feeling all the time.
A typical weekend with the family involves…
Taking Hayley to swimming class, going to her grandmother’s for lunch, biking and picnicking in a park on a clear day, seeing family friends for dinner and, very often, taking her to play dates and birthday parties. We very much enjoy watching films with her. Recently, we watched Sense and Sensibility as well as Red Shoes with her and she was very attentive and understood everything. We were very impressed.
My advice to working mothers…
It takes similar qualities to be a good mother and being good at your job: love, passion, care, efficiency and organizational skills.
I embrace ambition by…
Loving and enjoying what I do.
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