Actress Dongyu Zhou takes the cover of Vogue China‘s July 2020 edition lensed by fashion photographer Elizaveta Porodina. In charge of styling was Yuhang Yao.
I found some useful additional details, including the editorial title “Chart a New Course,” the creative/art direction credits, and an especially interesting production detail: the shoot was photographed by Porodina in Munich while Zhou was in Shanghai, using a remote/Zoom setup during the 2020 pandemic. (Models)
Dongyu Zhou Covers Vogue China July 2020
Actress Dongyu Zhou takes the cover of Vogue China’s July 2020 edition, photographed by Elizaveta Porodina and styled by Yuhang Yao. Titled “Chart a New Course,” the accompanying fashion story places the acclaimed Chinese actress in an intensely painterly series of portraits that blur the boundary between fashion photography and fine art. Alex Slavycz served as creative director, with Li Zipeng credited for art direction. (Models)
The cover represents a particularly striking collaboration between Zhou and Porodina. Rather than relying on a conventional celebrity portrait, Porodina transforms the actress through dramatic lighting, saturated color and an almost dreamlike visual treatment. Zhou’s delicate features become the focal point of the images, while the styling and composition give the story an otherworldly, almost painted quality.
Interestingly, the production itself reflected the extraordinary circumstances of 2020. Porodina was based in Munich, while Zhou was in Shanghai, and the images were produced remotely via Zoom. Despite the physical distance between photographer and subject, the resulting series maintains the highly controlled and atmospheric aesthetic associated with Porodina’s work. Contemporary coverage specifically highlighted the unusual Munich–Shanghai setup behind the shoot. (Anne of Carversville)
The editorial’s full beauty credits include Xuemeng Liu on hair, Renzhi Zhang on makeup and Tin on manicure. Together with Yao’s styling, the beauty direction contributes to the surreal, highly polished character of the story. (the Fashion Spot)
For Vogue China, the cover arrived at a significant moment in Zhou’s career. Born in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Zhou had established herself as one of the most recognizable young actresses in Chinese cinema, gaining widespread attention following her breakout role in Zhang Yimou’s 2010 film Under the Hawthorn Tree. Her transition between critically acclaimed film work and major fashion appearances made her a natural choice for a cover story built around the intersection of cinema, beauty and visual art.
The July 2020 issue also positioned Zhou within a particularly strong lineup of fashion stories. Alongside “Chart a New Course,” the issue featured Liu Wen photographed by Yu Cong in “Art in Paris,” as well as additional editorials by photographers including Camilla Åkrans and Primol Xue. (the Fashion Spot)
Porodina’s contribution was nevertheless one of the issue’s visual highlights. Contemporary fashion audiences responded strongly to the cover, with theFashionSpot describing it as an exceptionally beautiful July offering and noting the unusual circumstances behind its creation. The site’s forum discussion similarly praised the images for their artistic quality and distinctive departure from more conventional celebrity covers. (theFashionSpot)
The collaboration also became part of Porodina’s growing body of work for Vogue China. Her distinctive approach—characterized by theatrical lighting, unusual color treatments and a strong fine-art sensibility—made her imagery particularly well suited to Zhou’s expressive face and the editorial’s conceptual direction. Porodina would return to Vogue China later that same year, photographing Zhang Ziyi for the September 2020 cover. (Wikipedia)
For Zhou, the July 2020 cover stands as an especially memorable fashion image from the period: a major Chinese actress photographed thousands of miles away from the person behind the camera, yet presented with the intimacy and precision of an elaborate studio portrait. “Chart a New Course” demonstrates how the limitations imposed by the pandemic could, in the hands of an inventive creative team, become part of the visual language itself.
Credits:
Talent: Dongyu Zhou
Photographer: Elizaveta Porodina
Creative Director: Alex Slavycz
Art Director: Li Zipeng
Fashion Editor/Stylist: Yuhang Yao
Hair: Xuemeng Liu
Makeup: Renzhi Zhang
Manicure: Tin
Magazine: Vogue China
Issue: July 2020
Editorial: “Chart a New Course” (Models)
Photography © Elizaveta Porodina for Vogue China.
This one has a particularly strong behind-the-scenes angle because the remote Munich–Shanghai production makes the editorial much more interesting than a standard cover announcement. (Anne of Carversville)
Photography © Elizaveta Porodina for Vogue China
