Vera Wang
Vera Wang was born on June 27, 1949, in New York City, a city that shaped her early ambitions across two distinct disciplines. A United States citizen, she received her education at the Chapin School, Friends Seminary, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Paris — a transatlantic formation that corresponds to her working use of English, French, and Mandarin.
Before establishing herself as a fashion designer and businessperson, Wang pursued a career as a figure skater, a discipline demanding precision and close attention to physical form. That earlier life in competitive sport preceded her turn toward design. Among the works associated with her name is the dark plum dress she created for actress Keira Knightley, a garment that drew public notice and remains connected to her reputation as a designer.
Wang received the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor that reflects the span of her career in American fashion. She was also named to BBC 100 Women, placing her among the figures the BBC has identified as notable. Both recognitions anchor her standing as a designer and businessperson whose work has drawn sustained institutional acknowledgment.
Quotes by Vera Wang
Although in skating you compete with other people, anyone who achieves a certain level of success is first and foremost competing against themselves. And for me, the idea that I could always do better, learn more, learn faster, is something that came from skating.
Design is about point of view, and there should be some sort of woman or lifestyle or attitude in one's head as a designer. So my being able to reach the masses was something that meant a great deal to me - especially for women who could never wear Vera Wang.
People get very trapped where they are. When they hear ‘fashion’ they get intimidated, particularly at the upper end because it’s so elitist.
When I decided to get married at 40, I couldn’t find a dress with the modernity or sophistication I wanted. That’s when I saw the opportunity for a wedding gown business.
I was struggling to find a way to make evening clothes more deconstructed. I like to think that I translated the Latin concept in a more modern way. I don’t think that I was that literal.
Just because you’re from a city ten miles outside of St. Paul. It doesn’t mean you don’t read magazines, or the incredible Internet, and what’s going on in the world. I never, ever take a client, or women, for granted.
Let’s be realistic, how many people are buying a $2,000 skirt? I love to design things that people can actually buy. I’m staggered by what a boot costs today.
I work with structure, but I go outside the box and give it my own spin. I adore the challenge of creating truly modern clothes – where a woman’s personality and sense of style are realized.