If you follow the fashion industry, then you know Vera Wang’s collections are worth thousands of dollars. She’s dressed A-list celebrities, Former First Lady Michelle Obama, and the countless brides around the world who wear her wedding gowns.
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However, in an interview with CNBC Make It, Wang admits that her career as a fashion designer still comes as a surprise. “If anyone had said, [I’d be] the girl who didn’t get married until she was 40 [and] would build a business based on wedding gowns, I would have laughed,” she said.
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From a young age, Wang started figure skating and excelled. She attempted to make the Olympics, but after many failed attempts she decided to pursue a career in fashion.
Wang spent 17 years at Vogue magazine, eventually losing out to Anna Wintour for the position of editor-in-chief. It was after her time at Vogue that she married computer executive Arthur Becker. When looking for a wedding dress, Wang said she struggled to find something she liked; her dad saw this as a business opportunity.
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At first, she was hesitant. “I thought maybe it’s just too late for me,” she said. “There have been a million days where I said to myself, ‘What was I thinking?’ or ‘Why did I do this?’”
However, she says she does feel extremely lucky to be doing something she loves so much and learning new lessons every day.
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According to Forbes, Wang’s 2020 net worth was around $270 million. From her Vera Wang bridal boutique, she’s now expanded to ready-to-wear jewelry, eyewear, shoes, fragrance, and homeware.
“I think the day that I don’t want to grow will really be the day that I stop,” she said. In the meantime Wang, who is now 71, continues to have an out-sized influence on the fashion world.
For those who are just getting started in the industry, Wang hopes that they don’t get derailed. She says, “Just because everyone’s against it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. And regret is far worse than never having tried and worse than failure.”
