Fashion-conscious people all over the world cannot ignore the name Vera Wang. Yet the young Wang dreamed of a completely different career.
Vera Wang, born June 27, 1949 in New York City, is an American fashion designer of Chinese descent, best known for her exquisite wedding dresses. Her parents, who immigrated to the United States from China, placed great importance on a solid education for their daughter.
Wang first attended The Chapin School in Manhattan, a prestigious girls’ school, before continuing her academic career at Sarah Lawrence College. She also spent a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she deepened her knowledge of art history.
She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in art history. As a child, Wang developed a passion for figure skating and competed in the 1968 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Despite her dedication, she failed to qualify for the Olympic team, which led her to reorient her career. This turning point led her to the fashion industry, where she would build a significant career.
Wang began her professional career as the youngest editor at the age of 17 at the prestigious fashion magazine Vogue, where she worked for 16 years and rose to the position of Senior Fashion Editor. In 1985, she joined the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation and took on the role of Design Director.
After two years at Ralph Lauren, Wang decided to start her own brand. In 1990, she opened her own fashion studio in New York City. She was already 40 years old at the time. In an interview with the Harvard Business Review, she emphasized that this was exactly the right age because she was able to benefit from her life experience.
In addition to wedding gowns, Wang also designed costumes for figure skaters, including Olympians such as Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan, Evan Lysacek and Nathan Chen. Her wedding gowns quickly became famous and she designed clothes for celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham, Sharon Stone, Heidi Klum, Holly Hunter and Chelsea Clinton.
In 2001, she published her book “Vera Wang on Weddings” with Harper Collins in New York. Her outstanding work has received numerous awards: in June 2005, she received the title of Womenswear Designer of the Year from the Council of the Fashion Designers of America and in 2006, she received the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
In 2021, she ranked 61st in the Forbes list, category “Self made woman”. Forbes estimates her current net worth at $500 million.
In addition to her successful fashion line, Wang expanded her design repertoire to include nightwear, eyewear, perfume and shoes. Her style and designs also found their way onto television, where she made guest appearances on series such as “Gossip Girl” (season 5, episode 11) and “Ugly Betty” (2006).
Wang was married to American investor Arthur P. Becker from 1989 to 2012 and has two daughters. The divorce in 2012 was mutual and without any public drama.
Despite her personal and professional commitments, she remained an influential figure in the fashion world. In 2023, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts for 2021, an honor that recognized her significant contributions to American arts and culture.