Vera Wang, the queen of red-carpet dressing, didn’t go into the fashion business with stars in her eyes . She knew about its unglamorous side, the hard work and, especially, the risks. And there were plenty of doubts along the way.
But every time one person—and, she says, it really just takes one—understands what she’s trying to express with a certain design, she’s reminded of the reason why she became involved in fashion, and why she’s still in it: there’s an indefinable payoff that comes when she’s helped a woman look and feel her best.
Wang, 63, was honored for lifetime achievement by the Council of Fashion Designers of America on June, 2013 at its prestigious awards show, which is often called “the Oscars of fashion.”
“To all the women and men I have dressed, thank you for your trust,” she said after accepting the award from her mentor and former employer Ralph Lauren.
There’s rarely a Hollywood event or an A-list wedding where Wang’s name doesn’t come up. Her hit designs include the lavender skirt actress Sharon Stone paired with a Gap shirt at the Oscars in 1998 and Chelsea Clinton’s crystal-waistband wedding gown in 2010.
Wang also has two lower-priced lines . She’s developed a fragrance business and home-goods collection. And she has a branded flower bouquet business.
Wang wasn’t always sure this would be her path. She studied art history at Sarah Lawrence College and was a competitive figure skater in contention for a spot on the 1968 U.S. Olympic team. Her family wasn’t initially supportive of fashion as a career path, and although they had some financial means, they didn’t back her at first. So she went to work as an editor at Vogue, and then at Ralph Lauren, before launching her company in 1990 as a bridal brand. She earned fame and respect through hard work.
Her mentor described Wang as “a unique young woman filled with a rare passion for fashion.” “In all the years since, I have watched her drive, dedication and talent shape an entire world inspired by her own life—first as a bride, then as a wife and mother, but always as a strong and beautiful woman,” Lauren said.
王薇薇是“婚紗女王”，但她并不是盲目地一頭鉆進(jìn)時(shí)尚界的。她知道其乏味和辛勞的一面，尤其是所冒的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。這條路上有著太多的疑問和不確定。
然而，她說，每當(dāng)有一個(gè)人——真的只需一個(gè)人——能懂得她的設(shè)計(jì)所要表達(dá)的內(nèi)涵時(shí)，她就能想起為什么自己會(huì)涉足并且仍然堅(jiān)守在時(shí)尚界：當(dāng)她讓一位女性看起來并感受到自身的美麗時(shí)，她能得到一種莫名的回報(bào)和滿足。
2013年6月，在著名的美國時(shí)裝設(shè)計(jì)師協(xié)會(huì)頒獎(jiǎng)晚會(huì)上，63歲的王薇薇被授予終身成就獎(jiǎng)，這個(gè)頒獎(jiǎng)晚會(huì)被譽(yù)為是“時(shí)尚界的奧斯卡”。
“所有穿過我設(shè)計(jì)的服裝的女士們和先生們，感謝你們的信任”，王薇薇從她的導(dǎo)師、以前的老板拉夫?勞倫那里接過獎(jiǎng)杯后說道。
很少有好萊塢盛會(huì)或名人婚禮上沒有王薇薇的名字。她著名的設(shè)計(jì)包括1998年女演員莎朗?斯通在奧斯卡頒獎(jiǎng)典禮上穿的Gap襯衫搭配的淡紫色裙子，2010年切爾西?克林頓搭配水晶腰帶的婚紗禮服。
王薇薇也擁有兩個(gè)相對(duì)價(jià)格低廉的產(chǎn)業(yè)。她還開發(fā)了香水及家居系列。此外，她還有一個(gè)品牌花店生意。
王薇薇并非一開始就對(duì)自己的這條路確信無疑。她曾在莎拉勞倫斯學(xué)院學(xué)習(xí)藝術(shù)史，并且曾是1968年美國奧運(yùn)代表隊(duì)中一個(gè)頗有競爭力的花樣滑冰運(yùn)動(dòng)員。她的家人起初并不支持她把時(shí)尚作為自己的職業(yè)，雖然他們有一些資金，但他們起初并沒有支持她的事業(yè)。于是，她去時(shí)尚雜志《Vogue》做了一名編輯，后來去拉爾夫?勞倫那里工作。1990年，她以婚紗品牌創(chuàng)立了自己的公司，并通過努力苦干最終贏得了名譽(yù)和尊重。
她的導(dǎo)師這樣描述王薇薇，她是“一個(gè)獨(dú)特的、對(duì)時(shí)尚充滿罕見激情的年輕女子。”勞倫說：“這些年來，我看著她的干勁、奉獻(xiàn)和才能改變了全世界，這些靈感都來自于她自己的生活，起初是作為新娘，然后是作為妻子、母親，她始終是一位堅(jiān)強(qiáng)美麗的女性。”
