Vera Ellen Wang (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 Vogue and Ralph Lauren before launching her own bridal gown boutique in 1990.
Wang has gained international recognition for her wedding gowns, which have been worn by numerous celebrities.[3][4][5] She expanded her namesake brand to include ready-to-wear fashion, accessories, fragrances, and home goods. In 2024, Wang sold the brand to WHP Global.
Early life
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1948,[6] in New York City to Chinese parents who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu Chifang), worked as a translator for the United Nations, while her father, Cheng Ching Wang (Wang Chengqing), a graduate of Yanjing University and MIT, 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 (now U.S. Summit Company), Chairman of the Vera Wang Group 1990-1998.[7] Wang has one brother, Kenneth, who is a life member of MIT Corporation, a board of trustees that governs the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[8][9]
Wang began figure skating at the age of eight, training under Peter Dunfield and Sonya Klopfer in Denver during the summers and with the Skating Club of New York during the rest of the year.[10][11] While in high school, she trained with pairs partner James Stuart, and competed at the 1968 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She was featured in Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd in the January 9, 1968 issue.[12] When she failed to make the U.S. Olympics team, she said, "I was devastated when I did not qualify for the Olympic team."[13] Then she entered the fashion industry.[14] Wang continues to enjoy skating, saying it is “multidimensional.”[10]
Wang attended Friends Seminary,[15] graduated from Chapin School in 1967, attended the University of Paris, and earned a degree in art history from Sarah Lawrence College.[16] In 2013, she was the keynote speaker at Sarah Lawrence’s 85th commencement ceremony.[17][18]
In 1968, Wang was presented as a debutante to high society at the International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf Astoria New York.[19]
Career
Wang was hired to be an editor at Vogue upon graduation from Sarah Lawrence College, making her the youngest editor at that magazine. She stayed at Vogue for 17 years, leaving in 1987 to join Ralph Lauren, for whom she worked for two years. At 40, she resigned and became an independent bridal wear designer.[20]
Wang has made wedding gowns for public figures such as Hayley Williams,[21] Vanessa Hudgens,[22] Chelsea Clinton,[23] Karenna Gore,[24] Ivanka Trump
Retail
In 1990, Wang opened her first design salon in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City that features her trademark bridal gowns.[51] She has since opened bridal boutiques in New York, London, Tokyo, and Sydney and has also expanded her brand through her fragrance,[52] jewelry, eyewear, shoes, and homeware collections.
"White by Vera Wang" launched on February 11, 2011, at David's Bridal. Prices of the bridal gowns range from $600 to $1,400.[53] In 2002, Wang began to enter the home fashion industry and launched The Vera Wang China and Crystal Collection,[54] followed by the 2007 release of her diffusion line called Simply Vera, which are sold exclusively by Kohl's.[51]
Personal life
In June 1989, Wang married investor Arthur P. Becker in an interfaith Baptist and Jewish ceremony.[1] They have two daughters, both of whom were adopted.[58] In July 2012, the couple announced their separation.[59]
In popular culture
Several movies and television shows have featured Wang's works, including The West Wing, The Newsroom, Gossip Girl, Sex and the City,[60] Revenge,[61] The Simpsons, and the film Sex and the City.[62]
Wang appeared in a cameo in season 5 episode 11 of the TV series Gossip Girl and as herself in the second season of Ugly Betty in episode 2.07.
Filmography
Movies
- First Daughter (2004) as herself.
- The September Issue (2009) as herself.
Television
- Gossip Girl (2012) as herself.
- Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2011) as herself.
- Chelsea Lately (2011) as herself.
- The Celebrity Apprentice (2008) as herself.
- Ugly Betty (2007) as herself.
Books
- Vera Wang, Vera Wang on Weddings, HarperCollins, October 2001 (ISBN 9780688162566).
Recognition
She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2021.[63]
In 2023, she received the Board of Directors' Tribute at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards for her Bridal impact.[64]
See also
- List of fashion designers
External links
References
- Vera Wang Wed To Arthur Becker The New York Times, June 23, 1989^
- Vanessa Friedman. https://cn.nytimes.com/fashion/20140915/t15verawang/zh-hant/ The New York Times, September 15, 2014, retrieved June 24, 2018^
- Shelby Wax. The Best Vera Wang Wedding Dresses Worn by Vogue Brides