Vera Wang: "The wedding dress fairy" and the story of starting a business at the age of 40 starting from the day of the wedding

Vera Wang is considered by every bride to be a wedding dress fairy. However, few people know that, as a child, Vera Wang was not like other girls, dreaming of a gorgeous wedding dress. All the motivation for Vera Wang to become such an authority in the design world was her wedding day.

Vera Wang has designed dresses for many famous women, from the Kardashian sisters to former US first lady Michelle Obama. She is also the one who creates thousands of dollars worth of wedding dresses that every bride wishes to wear on the big day of her life.

To this day, Vera Wang has always marveled at her success - even her career as a fashion designer.

"If someone said that I won't get married until I'm 40 and will build my career in wedding dresses, I'll laugh out loud," she said happily.

In fact, this woman achieved the greatest success in her career and life when she was not too young.

Wang was born and raised in a family of Chinese immigrants in Manhattan, New York (USA). She once pursued a career in figure skating, but after failing with her dream of representing her country at the Olympic Games, she turned to another passion: fashion.

Vera Wang recounts that:

"My mother is the one who got me interested in fashion. She has a boundless love for clothes."

Vera Wang used to work for 17 years at fashion magazine Vogue, but then left when she lost her position as editor to Anna Wintour.

Just before her 40th birthday, Vera Wang decided to marry Arthur Becker (later divorced) and realized it was difficult to find a wedding dress that suits her taste and age.

Realizing this was a business opportunity, she herself was very hesitant.

"I thought it might be too late for me," she said. However, Vera Wang's father encouraged his daughter to pursue her opportunities, even lending her money to open her first store at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City in 1990.

"A million times I asked myself: 'What was I thinking then?' or "Why did I do that?'," Wang said. "But most of all, I always consider myself extremely lucky to be able to do something that I love, to learn new lessons every day. , not only as a designer but as a businessman".

Today, Vera Wang designer wedding dress shops have appeared in London, Tokyo and Sydney. Her brand also extends into ready-to-wear, jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, fragrances and home decor. She also collaborates with major brands such as Zales, Kohl's and David's Bridal to launch new products.

"I'm the sole owner of the brand," Wang replied when asked about his business.

At 71 years old, this fashion designer still has no intention of going backstage. "I think the day when I don't move forward anymore will be the day I really stop," Vera Wang asserts.

Along with the successes, Vera Wang also did not hesitate to share about failures, fears and even difficulties to find the right wedding dress at the age of 40 - the motivation for this petite woman. Create your own wedding dress brand.

On Success: "It's a Daily Struggle"

Vera Wang once shared, every day that passes for her is a struggle, because she does not have a comprehensive and balanced life.

"I think work is my whole life and it brings me fear, passion, anxiety and stress," says the designer. "But my career has helped me live a fulfilling life."

About how to handle work

With the queen of wedding dresses, running a company is similar to when you live in a family. The baby who cries the loudest is the one to comfort him first.

"This is actually quite logical, because if someone complains loudly, it means something is wrong," Vera Wang said. "That's how I work. It's not always okay to prioritize, because a lot of the time, you have to deal with 10 tasks of equal importance. The problem is how to do it. so that you can solve the most problems in the most positive way.

Motivation to move forward

When you realize you've failed, you just have to learn to let go of that failure. It's actually a lot harder than having that failure in your head.

"For me, fashion is the second passion after skating," shared Vera Wang. "I told my dad, I needed a reason to wake up every morning. I needed a reason to feel motivated, excited, hopeful or even scared. That's why I accepted the job at Vogue. But in my mind, I knew I didn't live up to my expectations. and use it as motivation to move forward."

The reason for coming to the profession of designing wedding dresses

I've always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and I thought, if I don't try it now, I'll never make it," said the 71-year-old designer.

When planning a wedding and starting to look for the dress for the big day. Today, it is very common for a 39-year-old woman to get married, but in 1989 it was not. Because of that, Vera Wang could not find the dress she liked.

Seeing what his daughter was going through, her father suggested that it could be a real business opportunity. He also encouraged his daughter to leave Ralph Lauren and start her own company.

Advice for young people: "Don't be afraid to start"

One piece of advice that the famous designer wants to give young people is to be consistent with your path.

"People often tell me do this, don't do that," Vera Wang said. "You shouldn't hesitate to do something just because everyone is against it. Regret is much worse than never trying and worse than failure."

About health: "The mind and spirit are what keep you young"

For Vera Wang, work and rest are always two very important things. In particular, she attaches great importance to sleep.

"The mind and spirit are what keep you young," she asserts. "I think it's more important than a new diet or the number of hours you ride an exercise bike."

Minh Tú bị nhà thiết kế bơ đẹp ở màn trình diễn thời trang, xử lý ra sao mà khiến netizen nể phục? Duyên Trần17:00:29 23/12/2021Trong đêm diễn thứ 2 của Tuần lễ Thời trang Quốc tế Việt Nam, siêu mẫu Minh Tú đã xuất hiện với vị trí vedette trong một bộ sưu tập của nhà thiết kế Nguyễn Tiến Truyển. Thế nhưng đến màn chào kết, Thúy Liễu lại bất ngờ bị chính nhà thiết kế...