The American fashion designer Vera Wang known for her exquisite gowns is quite fond of hogging limelight, be it a mere chance, or a deliberate attempt. But the designer has a repertoire of stories, replete with surprises that she came up with at the recent edition of ‘Fashion Icons’ with Fern Mallis at the 92Y in New York.
Bringing her risible self to the fore, Vera came out loud and out about the different aspects of her life – right from the breakup of her marriage with Arthur Becker to designing bridal gowns for crème de la crème. So here is an excerpt from her interview with Fern Mallis. (Courtesy: WWD)
Working at Ralph Lauren before starting her own business.
“When I left Vogue, I realized I didn’t have much of a personal life. I really wanted to be a parent. To Ralph, I said the one thing I did not want to do was travel a lot. He said, ‘Oh don’t worry you won’t have to travel but I did.’ But it was an extraordinary experience to work for him. Anything you wanted — any fabric, yarn, technique, jewelry, leather or any component you needed — a designer, particularly as a design director, just magically appeared. That just never happened with my own company. It was like being in designer heaven. If Ralph believed in you, he really supported you. It was really very hard when I left. On a plane ride to London he said to me, ‘I don’t want you to become a fashion nun or a fashion widow.’ And I said, ‘Well, I have to be married before I’m a widow.’”
“When I left Vogue, I realized I didn’t have much of a personal life. I really wanted to be a parent. To Ralph, I said the one thing I did not want to do was travel a lot. He said, ‘Oh don’t worry you won’t have to travel but I did.’ But it was an extraordinary experience to work for him. Anything you wanted — any fabric, yarn, technique, jewelry, leather or any component you needed — a designer, particularly as a design director, just magically appeared. That just never happened with my own company. It was like being in designer heaven. If Ralph believed in you, he really supported you. It was really very hard when I left. On a plane ride to London he said to me, ‘I don’t want you to become a fashion nun or a fashion widow.’ And I said, ‘Well, I have to be married before I’m a widow.’”
The downside of bridal.
“You don’t really have a repeat customer because if they divorce in your dress, they never want to see you again. The dresses have to be fit for each body specifically. What happens if they become one-of-a-kind in construction? The other issue is the kind of weddings girls are having. There was one wedding where the bride almost blew away. She weighed about 80 pounds, the veil was really wide because she wanted it that way and this gust of wind in Hawaii came. It was just like Sally Field in ‘The Flying Nun.’”
“You don’t really have a repeat customer because if they divorce in your dress, they never want to see you again. The dresses have to be fit for each body specifically. What happens if they become one-of-a-kind in construction? The other issue is the kind of weddings girls are having. There was one wedding where the bride almost blew away. She weighed about 80 pounds, the veil was really wide because she wanted it that way and this gust of wind in Hawaii came. It was just like Sally Field in ‘The Flying Nun.’”
Winning the 2005 CFDA award for women’s wear.
“I felt like a movie star, like I won an Oscar or something. My speech was really embarrassing and I just grabbed a dress out of the closet. I never thought I would win. My daughters did not come because I did not want them to cry, if I did not win. Anna Wintour said, ‘Get your daughters here.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean? If I don’t win they’re going to cry like when Michelle Kwan didn’t win the Olympics.’ And then she [Anna] said, ‘Well, I don’t sit with losers.’”
“I felt like a movie star, like I won an Oscar or something. My speech was really embarrassing and I just grabbed a dress out of the closet. I never thought I would win. My daughters did not come because I did not want them to cry, if I did not win. Anna Wintour said, ‘Get your daughters here.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean? If I don’t win they’re going to cry like when Michelle Kwan didn’t win the Olympics.’ And then she [Anna] said, ‘Well, I don’t sit with losers.’”
Designing gowns for Alicia Keys and Chelsea Clinton, who wed on the same day.
“Alicia Keys got married five hours before Chelsea in Saint-Tropez. I was in Rhinebeck [for the Clinton wedding] thinking, OK, Alicia is getting ready to say her vows. On that day to have done such different weddings — one for the president’s daughter and one for a woman who is such an incredible artist and a friend of mine, it was kind of amazing.”
“Alicia Keys got married five hours before Chelsea in Saint-Tropez. I was in Rhinebeck [for the Clinton wedding] thinking, OK, Alicia is getting ready to say her vows. On that day to have done such different weddings — one for the president’s daughter and one for a woman who is such an incredible artist and a friend of mine, it was kind of amazing.”
Any truth to the Evan Lysacek rumors.
“Oh, c’mon, not personal stuff. I’m his mentor, his true mentor I hope for his ongoing life after sports.”Losing her father the morning of one of her runway shows.“Like in films, it’s so surreal — the heart is beating and then it just flat lines. My mother had died two years before that and I was so filled with despair that I didn’t want to leave her. When they took her away to the morgue, I wanted to jump on the gurney with her. I thought, She can’t be alone there. And they said, ‘You can’t come down there. First of all, it’s illegal. You can’t just show up at the morgue with your mother.’ With my father, they made me leave the hospital. The doctor said. ‘Go do your fashion show. That’s what he would have wanted.’ We quickly wrote something and put it on every seat. And I decided just this once I am going to walk the runway for him.”
“Oh, c’mon, not personal stuff. I’m his mentor, his true mentor I hope for his ongoing life after sports.”Losing her father the morning of one of her runway shows.“Like in films, it’s so surreal — the heart is beating and then it just flat lines. My mother had died two years before that and I was so filled with despair that I didn’t want to leave her. When they took her away to the morgue, I wanted to jump on the gurney with her. I thought, She can’t be alone there. And they said, ‘You can’t come down there. First of all, it’s illegal. You can’t just show up at the morgue with your mother.’ With my father, they made me leave the hospital. The doctor said. ‘Go do your fashion show. That’s what he would have wanted.’ We quickly wrote something and put it on every seat. And I decided just this once I am going to walk the runway for him.”
On having a mantra that keeps her balanced and focused.
“None, absolutely none. If someone has a good one, I’m really open. What I try to do, I try every day not to get hysterical. I tell myself, Ok, take a deep breath and prioritize. Everything is going to have to wait. We’re going to go from Point A to Point B instead of A, Z, F, G and not knowing where we are.”
“None, absolutely none. If someone has a good one, I’m really open. What I try to do, I try every day not to get hysterical. I tell myself, Ok, take a deep breath and prioritize. Everything is going to have to wait. We’re going to go from Point A to Point B instead of A, Z, F, G and not knowing where we are.”
