Designer Vera Wang Appears to Have Drunk From the Fountain of Youth at 70

Wang, 70, whose full name is Vera Ellen Wang, was born on June 27, 1949 in New York City to Chinese immigrant parents and grew up in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, according to Biography.

Wang attended the elite Chapin School and the School of American Ballet and later enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College. As a sophomore, she briefly studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before returning to the U.S. to finish her art history degree.

Before becoming an icon in the fashion industry, Wang was a talented figure skater who competed in the 1968 and 1969 U.S. National Championships. She placed fifth in the junior pairs competition along with her partner, James Stuart.

 

After graduating from Sarah Lawrence in 1971, Wang hung her ice skates and began a career in fashion, working for Vogue magazine. She was then promoted to senior fashion editor at the age of 23 and became the youngest editor at the company, Fashion Model Directory reported.

Wang left Vogue after 16 years to work for Ralph Lauren. At 40, she decided to leave her job as the design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren to start her own career as a bridal gown designer.

She had a discussion with Calvin Klein about opening up a bridal wear salon, but the giant fashion house allegedly thought the idea was absurd. Wang decided to continue with her plan and opened up her own namesake salon in 1990 on Madison Avenue, New York. She then started her own label in 1994.

Wang received international attention when she designed a hand-beaded ensemble for figure skater Nancy Kerrigan during the 1994 Olympics.

Wang has two adopted daughters Cecilia, 29, and Josephine, 26, with her ex-husband businessman Arthur Becker. The two tied the knot in 1989 and ended their 23-year marriage in July 2012, 8Days reported.

Most of the gowns she designed were worn by socialites and celebrities, including Uma Thurman, Sharon Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron, Mariah Carey, Cate Blanchett, Posh Spice, Alicia Silverstone, Elisabeth Shue, Goldie Hawn, and many more.

Feature Image via @VeraWang