Wang, Vera (1949-…), a Chinese American fashion designer, became famous for her classic and modern designs using luxurious fabrics. After decades of work in fashion, Wang became a celebrity as a designer. She is particularly known for revolutionizing the field of bridal fashion. Wang has carried her timeless style and attention to detail from clothing into cosmetics and home furnishings. 
Vera Ellen Wang was born on June 27, 1949, in New York City. Her parents had moved to the United States from Shanghai, China, after World War II (1939-1945). Wang competed in figure skating at a national level before pursuing fashion.
She started her career in fashion at Vogue magazine, becoming its youngest fashion editor at the age of 23. In 1987, Wang left Vogue to work as a design director at the fashion company Ralph Lauren. In 1989, she married the technology executive Arthur Becker. As an older bride, Wang became frustrated with the limited options for wedding gowns and designed her own. She left Ralph Lauren to start her own bridal fashion business in 1990. Wang’s bridal looks often feature intricate draping and sophisticated silhouettes (overall shapes). Celebrities began wearing Wang’s dresses at their weddings in the late 1990’s.
Her first endeavor outside of bridal fashion was in figure skating outfits. Wang famously designed the American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan’s outfits for the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1994. In the late 1990’s, Wang began designing evening wear. Expanding her business, she licensed the sale of cosmetics, fragrances, home goods, and jewelry under her name during the 2000’s and 2010’s. She also produced a line of everyday clothing in collaboration with the Kohl’s department store chain.
Wang has won major awards in the fashion industry. In 2005, she won the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). And in 2013, the CFDA honored Wang with its Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. Wang also received a 2021 National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government.
