Vera Wang was a competitive figure skater growing up. Wang was an editor at Vogue for 17 years and then became the design director for Ralph Lauren.
In 1990, she opened her first boutique. Two years later, she began her line of bridal dresses. In 1994, she began designing costumes for figure skating champion Nancy Kerrigan, and garnered international fame when her designs were worn during the Winter Olympics.
Wang is the preeminent bridal designer, and her book Vera Wang on Weddings is widely sold. Wang was named Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA in 2005.