Vera Wang | |
|---|---|
 Wang in 2009 | |
| Born | Vera Ellen Wang (1948-06-27)June 27, 1948 (age 77) New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Sarah Lawrence College (BA) |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Wu Peifu (great-grandfather)[1] |
Vera Ellen Wang (Chinese:王薇薇;pinyin:Wáng Wēiwēi; born June 27, 1948)[2] is an American fashion designer. Wang initially pursued a career in figure skating before transitioning to fashion. She got her start working for Walmart then worked forVogue and Ralph Lauren before launching her own bridal gown boutique in 1990.
Wang gained international recognition for her wedding dress designs. Her gowns have been worn by numerous celebrities. She expanded her brand to include ready-to-wear fashion, accessories, fragrances, and home goods. In 2024, Wang sold her namesake brand after 35 years in business to WHP Global.
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1948,[3] in New York City toChinese parents who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu Chifang), worked as a translator for theUnited Nations, while her father, Cheng Ching Wang (Wang Chengqing), a graduate ofYanjing University andMIT, owned a medicine company, and held the following positions: Director, Singapore Petroleum Company Pte. Ltd., Chairman & President, Oceanic Petroleum Corporation, Chairman & President, Oceanic Petroleum (Asia) Corporation, Chairman & President of Summit Group of Companies (nowU.S. Summit Company), Chairman of the Vera Wang Group 1990-1998.[4] Wang has one brother, Kenneth, who is a life member of MIT Corporation, a board of trustees that governs theMassachusetts Institute of Technology.[5][6]
Wang beganfigure skating at the age of eight, training underPeter Dunfield andSonya Klopfer in Denver during the summers and with theSkating Club of New York during the rest of the year.[7][8] While in high school, she trained withpairs partner James Stuart, and competed at the 1968U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She was featured inSports Illustrated'sFaces in the Crowd in the January 9, 1968 issue.[9] When she failed to make theU.S. Olympics team, she said, "I was devastated when I did not qualify for the Olympic team."[10] Then she entered the fashion industry.[11] Wang continues to enjoy skating, saying, "Skating is multidimensional".[7]
Wang attendedFriends Seminary,[12] graduated fromChapin School in 1967, attended theUniversity of Paris, and earned a degree inart history fromSarah Lawrence College.
In 1968, Wang was presented as adebutante tohigh society at theInternational Debutante Ball at theWaldorf Astoria New York.[13]
Wang was hired to be an editor atVogue immediately upon graduation fromSarah Lawrence College, making her the youngest editor at that magazine. She stayed atVogue for 17 years, leaving in 1987 to joinRalph Lauren, for whom she worked for two years. At 40, she resigned and became an independent bridal wear designer.[14]
Wang has made wedding gowns for public figures such asHayley Williams,[15]Vanessa Hudgens,[16]Chelsea Clinton,[17]Karenna Gore,[18]Ivanka Trump,[17]Campbell Brown,[19]Alicia Keys,[17]Mariah Carey,[17]Victoria Beckham,[17]Sarah Michelle Gellar,[20]Avril Lavigne,[17]Hilary Duff,[17]Khloe Kardashian,[21] andKim Kardashian.[22] Wang started off as being best known for her elegant wedding dresses. Wang's evening wear has also been worn byMichelle Obama.[23][24]
Figure skaters who have worncostumes designed by Wang at theWinter Olympic Games includeNancy Kerrigan (1992 and1994),Michelle Kwan (1998 and2002),Evan Lysacek (2010), andNathan Chen (2018 and2022).[25][26] Wang was inducted into theU.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2009 for her contribution to the sport as a costume designer.[27] She designed the uniforms worn by thePhiladelphia Eagles Cheerleaders.[28]
On October 23, 2001, her bookVera Wang on Weddings was released. In June 2005, she won theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Womenswear Designer of the Year. On May 27, 2006, Wang was awarded theAndré Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award from theSavannah College of Art and Design.
Wang's evening wear has been worn by stars at many red carpet events, includingViola Davis at the 2012 Academy Awards,[29] andSofia Vergara at the 65th Emmy Awards.[30]
She was awarded theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.[31][32]
In 2006, Wang reached a deal withKohl's, a chain of department stores, to produce a less expensive line of ready-to-wear clothing exclusively for them called Simply Vera.[33]
Forbes placed her the 34th in the list America's Richest Self-Made Women 2018, her revenues rising to $630 million in that year.
On September 10, 2019, after a sabbatical of two years during which she had presented her collections only via films,[34] Vera Wang returned to theNew York Fashion Week runway for her Spring/Summer 2020 fashion show, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of her brand.[35] The show received very positive reviews, with Godfrey Deeny describing it as a "notable collection by one of the few New York designers with a truly distinctive fashion DNA",[36] while Bridget Foley presented Wang's creations as "Beautiful, seriously designed clothes, presented with gutsy panache".[37] However, the show was marred by several major footwear malfunctions,[38][39] especially during the finale when four models fell down,[40] includingFei Fei Sun, who fell twice in a row,[41] leading chief fashion criticVanessa Friedman to state that "In 2019, no woman should be tortured by what she wears".[38]
In December 2024, WHP Global, a brand management firm based in New York, announced an agreement to acquire the IP of the Vera Wang fashion brand. As part of the transaction, Wang herself will continue the role as Founder & Chief Creative Officer and will join WHP Global as a shareholder.
In 1990, Wang opened her first design salon in theCarlyle Hotel in New York City that features her trademark bridal gowns.[42] She has since opened bridal boutiques in New York, London, Tokyo, and Sydney and has also expanded her brand through her fragrance,[43] jewelry, eyewear, shoes, and homeware collections.
"White by Vera Wang" launched on February 11, 2011, atDavid's Bridal. Prices of the bridal gowns range from $600 to $1,400.[44] In 2002, Wang began to enter the home fashion industry and launched The Vera Wang China and Crystal Collection,[45] followed by the 2007 release of herdiffusion line called Simply Vera, which are sold exclusively byKohl's.[42]
In spring 2012, Wang teamed up withMen's Wearhouse to offer twotuxedo styles available in both the retail and rental areas of their inventory.[46]In June 2012, she expanded in Australia with the opening of "Vera Wang Bride Sydney" and her first Asian flagship store "Vera Wang Bridal Korea", helmed by President Jung Mi-ri, in upmarket neighborhoodCheongdam-dong inGangnam-gu,Seoul.[47]
In a 2013 interview with CBS, Wang described her transition from journalist to businesswoman as "painful, and not only that, I have no choice. So I think when you start there's a certain innocence because of that freedom, and as you evolve you begin to see the parameters of what you can and can't do. So I make decisions that are very tiny that will affect an hour of work, I make decisions that will impact the lives of the people that work for me. It's in fashion as well, micro work, a centimeter of proportion and then it's macro to see what a vision is on the red carpet."[48]
In June 1989, Wang married investorArthur P. Becker in aninterfaithBaptist andJewish ceremony.[1] They have two daughters, both of whom wereadopted.[49] In July 2012, the couple announced their separation.[50]
Several movies and television shows have featured Wang's works, includingThe West Wing,The Newsroom,Gossip Girl,Sex and the City,[51]Revenge,[52]The Simpsons, and the filmSex and the City.[53]
Wang appeared in a cameo in season 5 episode 11 of the TV seriesGossip Girl and as herself in the second season ofUgly Betty in episode 2.07.
She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2021.[54]
In 2023, she received the Board of Directors' Tribute at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards for her Bridal impact.[55]
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