Kelly Fung made a name for herself as the former editor-in-chief of Elle South Africa, and former fashion and beauty director of Marie Claire South Africa. She spoke to MatieMedia’s Takudzwa Pongweni about her contributions to the local fashion industry, and establishing herself in a different field.
Kelly Fung never had plans to end up in journalism. In fact, she had no plans at all after completing her education.
“I think it was at that point, it was like just under 21, and I think I did not really know what I wanted to do. I mean, who really does when you’re that age?”
A third-generation South African, Fung was born and raised in Johannesburg. She matriculated from St Andrews School for Girls and graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Finding her feet
As a graduate, she was clueless about what her next steps should be. She applied for an internship at Student Life (SL) magazine, which Fung describes as a niche and somewhat underground magazine with a cult-like status that served as a voice for South African youth in the 1990s and 2000s.
“What I loved about it was this kind of meshing of great journalism that focused on youth but also focused on underground and subcultures […]; it was very much about bands and underground music,” she says.
Kelly Fung is a content and creative director. According to Mikael Hanan, former colleague and co-founder of Superbalist.com, Fung can be described as “kind, considerate, creative and strategic”. PHOTO: Supplied/Kelly Fung
While her time at the magazine offered no financial reward, Fung found it rewarding as it helped her get her foot into the journalism industry. Following her internship, SL offered her a job, and Fung jumped at the opportunity, signing on permanently as fashion and editorial assistant.
As an independent magazine, SL struggled to stay afloat, explains Fung. The magazine was closed in 2009, marking the end of Fung’s chapter there and the beginning of a new one at Heat Magazine.
From 2010 to 2011, she worked at the Heat, which she describes as a “very salacious, very frivolous” magazine.
While the jump from what she considered fascinating journalism to frivolous journalism was hard to wrap her head around at times, Fung ultimately enjoyed her time at the publication. “It was a lot of fun in the sense that I learned what a commercially-lead publication looked like and how it ran,” she says.
The magazine also allowed her to work with a large publishing house and a large editorial team, something she does not believe is still applicable to journalism in the era of social media.
Women empowerment through storytelling
From Heat, Fung moved on to Marie Claire magazine, a publication she enjoyed due to its exceptional journalism and the culture of women empowerment. Fung, who spent six years at the publication and served as fashion and beauty director, fondly recounts her time there as the best years of her life.
“I think of all the titles I’ve worked on, [Marie Claire] was probably the one that was and remains, to me, the most special and the most relevant,” she says. “I really enjoyed learning how to empower myself, how women can empower others through storytelling.”
Fung aimed to shine a light on local fashion stories and local fashion designers, which she believes at the time was unheard of in South African magazines. “My biggest contribution to Marie Claire at the time was bringing in more of an emphasis on local design,” she says.
Fung, who enjoys challenging herself and trying new things, felt that it was an appropriate time to move on and try something new after six years.
While journalism was never the end goal for Kelly Fung, she found her voice and passion working at various publications, including Marie Claire. “I think of all the titles I’ve worked on, [Marie Claire] was probably the one that was and remains, to me, the most special and the most relevant,” she says. PHOTO: Supplied/Kelly Fung
Taking the reins at Elle
Fung speaks about her time as editor-in-chief of Elle South Africa – from 2018 to 2019 – openly, explaining that she was not ready for the task at hand.
“I respect very ambitious women, but I think there is a reason why the best editors in the world are in their late 40s and 50s,” she says. The role required a significant learning curve for Fung, who does not regret the incredible opportunity and feels she learned a lot during her stint. “There were a lot of humbling moments and a lot of things that I had to take on the chin,” she explains.
Her first cover as editor of Elle is still saved on her phone, and she considers it a highlight of her time at the publication.
“The first cover I did was such a risk. It was something that had not been done before – I’ll put it that way,” she says. The March 2018 cover featured Rharha Nembhard, Manthe Ribane and Nonku Phiri as stars paving the way in art, design and technology. The cover was well-received online and went viral, with even American singer Solange Knowles reposting it.
“From a cultural zeitgeist point of view, it was, I think, a very important cover for South Africa,” says Fung.
None of the women on the cover were that well-known at the time, a choice she notes as a considerable risk and “maybe a mistake on my part”.
While the social media reception of the cover was enormous, it did not sell well, according to Fung. “It was not a big seller. People appreciated it online, but it was not a well-bought magazine,” she says. “That was a huge humbling moment for me […] Social media, as important and as big and powerful as it is, does not always resemble what happens in real life.” Despite this, it is a cover she remains proud of orchestrating. “I saw the appreciation of being able to show a regular South African woman on the cover of an Elle magazine,” she says.
Kelly Fung served as editor-in-chief of Elle South Africa from 2018 to 2019, a role she says she was probably unprepared for. Pictured is Fung’s first cover as editor. The March 2018 cover featured Rharha Nembhard, Manthe Ribane and Nonku Phiri. PHOTO: Supplied/Kelly Fung
The butterfly effects
Fung’s first stint at Superbalist.com was in 2017, before she worked at Elle. In 2017, she was appointed fashion director at Superbalist.com, the largest e-commerce fashion retailer in Africa. In 2019, she returned as head of editorial.
“It was a new venture for me going into e-commerce, but I thought it was really important that I go into [e-commerce], diversify and really pivot into the digital space,” she explains.
Fung thrived at the retailer due to her creative and strategic talents, says Mikael Hanan, co-founder of Superbalist.com. Jessica Macrobert, Fung’s assistant, echoes similar sentiments. “Kelly has unbelievable creative vision and foresight of fashion and beauty trends,” says Macrobert.
However, Fung left Superbalist after the company initially stated in 2020 that they had no particular stance on Black Lives Matter.
“I just ethically could not stand by it. So I had to leave,” she says. In typical Fung fashion, she did not have a plan after resigning but was soon called to join the ARC team. Founded in 2020, the beauty store includes local and international brands of luxury products across all your self-care needs, including skincare, makeup, fragrance, body, men’s grooming, and accessories, says Fung.
“It was a chance to work on a project that had never really been done in South Africa, […] and I think that is what really pulled me towards it,” she says.
The beauty-focused hub ARC opened its doors in South Africa in 2020. Kelly Fung serves as the head of marketing and creative and believes “ARC is truly a first of its kind in South Africa”. PHOTO: Takudzwa Pongweni
What’s next for Fung
Fung has intentions of working for herself. “I do not really know what that is yet, but I can imagine it would have something to do with people and fashion.” Fung also wishes for the revival of print media. “Maybe magazines will make a comeback and we can make beautiful books,” she states.
“It is definitely more powerful to be known for what you do. I think that will last much longer. It is longevity that you want in your career,” says Kelly Fung when asked how she would like to be remembered. PHOTO: Supplied/Kelly Fung