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The Unbridled Entrepreneur: The Early Years of Vera Wang

Fashion legend Vera Wang was born into an affluent family, but that did not prevent her from knowing failure. Her dreams of becoming an Olympic figure skater never managed to materialize. And, when she was rejected for a position as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue magazine, Wang thought she was all out of options. It was then that she decided to turn a personal dilemma into a business venture. Today, Wang is the Chairman, CEO, and owner of one of the most successful fashion houses in history.

A Passion for Fashion: Wang Gets Down to Business

Wang’s work schedule as a design director for Ralph Lauren was far less hectic than it had been at Vogue, allowing her more time and freedom to engage in other pursuits. One of those pursuits just happened to be falling in love.

Lesson #1: Create a Brand that Can Be Loved, Honoured, and Obeyed

When Wang first opened up shop on Madison Avenue in New York, she was not just selling wedding dresses; what Wang was selling was service. Her goal was to help the women “that are running around looking for special dresses, looking to have everything taken care of because they have busy lives.” To that end, Wang’s shop also helped brides with their jewelry, shoes, hairdos, and more. “I’m creating an image, a brand and a name,” she says.

Lesson #2: Desire to Make More of Yourself

“Although in skating you compete with other people, anyone who achieves a certain level of success is first and foremost competing against themselves,” says Wang. “And for me the idea that I could always do better, learn more, learn faster, is something that came from skating. But I carried that with me for the rest of my life.”

Lesson #3: Stick With the Dress that Fits You Best

Wang was intimately familiar with the sport of ice skating. After her father bought her her first pair of skates and took her to Central Park in New York to try them out, she was immediately hooked. She started taking private lessons at Madison Square Garden and was soon participating in competitions. “Ice skating was the first love of [my] life,” she says.

Lesson #4: For Better or For Worse, There is Always Something to be Learned

It may be Wang’s name and Wang’s name alone that adorns everything from the bed sheets to the wedding gowns of her multi-million dollar business, but Wang’s road to success was not paved single-handedly. Growing up in a privileged family gave Wang many advantages that would come to help her in her later life, the most important of which might have been her early exposure to some of the greatest fashion designers in the world.

Lesson #5: Nothing Replaces Hard Work

“I would have done anything,” says Wang. “I swept the floors at Scavullo’s studio when I was assisting Polly Mellen, and I would run out for yogurt for the models whenever they asked.”

‘Til Death Do Us Part: How Wang Created a Following of Loyal Customers

“I never thought I'd be successful,” says Wang. “It seems in my own mind that in everything I've undertaken I've never quite made the mark. But I've always been able to put disappointments aside. Success isn't about the end result; it's about what you learn along the way.”

Vera Wang Quotes

Vera Wang Quotes

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