Vera Wang is arguably the most prominent bridal wear designer. Vera was born on June 27, 1949 in New York City to affluent Chinese immigrants. Vera attended The Chapin School and University of Paris, in addition to Sarah Lawrence College. Vera began to figure skate at age eight, and went on to be in the 1968 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She was even featured in the 1968 issue of Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd. After not making the US Olympics team, she decided to enter fashion.

In 1970, Vera became senior fashion editor for Vogue. She eventually left and joined Ralph Lauren as a design director after being denied the editor in chief position, which is currently held by Anna Wintour. In 1989, Wang married her boyfriend Arthur Becker. She was upset by the slim options in bridal wear, so she decided to sketch and create her own gown. The next year, with financial help from her father, Wang opened a bridal salon in the Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue in New York City.

Vera initially sold couture gowns by designers like Carolina Herrera and Christian Dior to socialites and celebrities. However, in the following years, she developed her own signature line of bridal wear. In addition, Wang has also created a line of evening wear, jewelry, and perfume. Today, both her evening apparel and her bridal wear are sold at more than 55 retailers including Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Vera has also made a deal with Kohl’s for a less expensive line called Simply Vera.

Vera has acquired a large following, especially in Hollywood. Her designs have been worn to many film premiers and red carpet events by actresses like Charlize Theron and Halle Berry. Vera has been honored with many awards including the 1993 Chinese American Planning Council’s Honoree of the Year Award and the 1994 Girl Scout Council’s Woman of Distinction Award. She was elected as a member to the CFDA later that year. In 2005, the CFDA selected her as the Womenswear Designer of the Year.