For Vera Wang, fashion isn’t ‘fun and frivolous’, it’s like an ‘unrelenting’ sport
- Vera Wang’s father wanted her to be a lawyer and she had Olympic aspirations, but fashion steered her in another direction
- Discovering that finding the perfect wedding dress was harder than it should be, she opened a store and started designing gowns
Eastern express: I was born and raised in Manhattan. My parents were immigrants from Shanghai, so I grew up in a very Chinese household. There was a time when my father wanted to move us to England because it was the halfway point to Asia, but my mom wanted us to have an American education.
I was the village idiot compared to my brother, who went to Harvard. I was considered the artsy one and went to Sarah Lawrence College (in Yonkers, New York). Even then my father wanted me to go to law school.
On thin ice: I was a competitive ice skater until I was 20 years old. I was completely dedicated to it. I was devastated when I did not qualify for the Olympic team. I had a nervous breakdown and ended up doing a semester in Paris, where I realised I had a passion for fashion.
I did not know much about the industry despite being exposed to it from a young age. My mother was a real clothes horse and we would often fly to Paris where I would accompany her to Yves Saint Laurent’s showroom while my dad shopped at Hermès. At the time fashion was not an industry – Louis Vuitton didn’t have multiple stores and only busloads of Japanese tourists shopped there.
In Vogue: One summer while at college I interned at Yves Saint Laurent on Madison Avenue (in New York) to earn some money. I ended up selling something to a woman who happened to be an editor at American Vogue. She told me to give her a call when I graduated. My mother kept telling me she was just being polite but eventually I called her and got a job.
I worked as an assistant until (photographer) Richard Avedon suggested to then fashion editor Polly Mellen that I should get promoted. I was in my early 20s and became one of the youngest editors in the history of Condé Nast. I literally learned on the job.
Vogue gives you exposure to the best clothing, brands and photographers – it is like the Harvard Business School of fashion. It is like belonging to a private club where only your fellow members can understand how gruelling it is. Fashion is like a sport – it is demanding, unrelenting and the schedules are horrifying. People think of fashion as frivolous and fun, but it isn’t true.
While working at Ralph I got engaged and started to look for the perfect wedding dress, which was harder than I thought. My father noticed a gap in the market so I decided to open up my own store stocked with bridal gowns and evening wear from other designers like Michael Kors and Donna Karan.
At the time the culture in New York City was different. It was the 1990s and socialites like Ivana Trump were considered the equivalent of movie stars today. I started to sell my own creations, which became extremely popular. It was interesting to learn the craft of dressmaking under the radar – I was not doing shows or being reviewed. It was the best training.
American royalty: Ethel Kennedy was one of my first famous clients and since then I have had the privilege of dressing so many extraordinary women. Chelsea Clinton’s wedding was one of the most memorable. Hillary Clinton was secretary of state at the time and everything had to be planned around her schedule. I could not discuss the details with anyone, which was tough.
(Singer) Alicia Keys was getting married on the same day but in France, so I was working on both weddings simultaneously. I ended up attending Chelsea’s wedding, which was held in upstate New York.
I was helping Chelsea get ready when Bill Clinton walked in. I tend to dress comfortably while I am working and was wearing leggings and a T-shirt. He looked me up and down and asked if I was going to get changed for the reception.
Style star: My personal style is quite distinctive and is very much a reflection of my lifestyle. I was a dancer when I was younger, so I love being in comfortable clothes that allow movement.
During my Vogue days, my work required a lot of running around so I lived in T-shirts and sneakers. I remember when I used to pick up my daughters from school they would complain that I didn’t dress like the other mothers. To this day they still do not understand how I dress.
There is a tomboy part of me. I love combining high and low, so I gravitate towards designer athleisure by Rick Owens, Vetements and Off-White by Virgil Abloh.
Ageless icon: I turned 71 this year – although my housekeeper reminds me I’m actually 72, according to the Chinese calendar. I have always been athletic and worked out since I was young. I’m not great about skincare and can be sloppy in that department.
One thing I am fanatical about is sleep. Americans like to burn the midnight oil but I love to sleep eight to 10 hours a night. Sleep for me is a preservative.
Another thing I always have in the evening is a vodka on the rocks. Even the team at Upper House (in Hong Kong) know that about me. It relaxes me and slows everything down.
Behind the lens: Work keeps my brain occupied and when it’s occupied, I am simulated and aware of the bigger world around me. It keeps you relevant. I’m least successful in my own company and am privileged to have worked with other people.
I never thought of myself as a celebrity – I was always the girl behind the career, which makes me so much happier. My next dream is to make a movie. I love working with and bringing together young creative people.
