LIFE&STYLE
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FEATURE
December 2013 // www.thatsmags.com
THE YIN AND YANG OF VERA WANG BRIDAL WEAR DESIGNER TALKS TOUGH By Marianna Cerini
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he may be the most prominent bridal-wear designer in the world, but don’t ever call Vera Wang ‘girly.’
In Shanghai in October to close this year’s Fashion Week, the doyenne of wedding couture shows up to our meeting in the swanky Shanghai Science Hall JE decked head to toe in black – unexpected from the queen of white dresses – with leather leggings and towering ankle boots that give off a slightly Goth air. “I just put on whatever,” the 64year-old says as she flings off her tiny gray shrug and folds her pixie-like frame into a chair. “I love t-shirts and leggings. They’re my uniform.” The powerhouse entrepreneur seems convinced that her favored masculine, tomboy aesthetic and offbeat attitude has helped turn what began as a single bridal boutique in 1990 into a fashion and lifestyle empire with an overall retail value of more than US$1 billion. “I think it’s why I can do bridal and evening so well,” she says. “Because I am not bridal and evening myself. My private style is more abstract and conceptual than what you see in my bridal stores. Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons – these are the designers I wear and love the most.” Since starting her label, Wang’s designs have unmistakably stood out from the generally conservative genre, marking a new, revolutionary chapter for the wedding-wear industry. Wang has essentially redefined the limits of what a wedding dress can look like, making a name for herself with designs that are whimsical and feminine without feeling saccharine. “I try to bring edginess to a traditional business,” she says. And boy, does she push the enve-
turn to fashion,” she says. “And once I began designing, figure skating became a huge inspiration for me. In my bridal wear, I try replicating the lines, the theatricality, the movements you get in a skater’s outfit. I am still a huge fan of the sport and I’m so proud of China’s excellent team. I absolutely love watching Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo [China’s Olympic and worldchampion figure-skating couple]. I’d like to design their costumes one day.” Vera Wang's Shanghai flaghip
I grew up being exposed to the greatest designs, but also, as a Chinese-American, to a world of grace, subtlety and mystery that came from within my own roots lope: few other designers can make a black bridal gown look covetable, as Wang did in her fall 2012 collection. But it is clear Wang has other aspirations. Over the last decade, she has taken steps to expand her creative realm beyond a dress that is worn once in a lifetime, then preserved eternally in plastic.
have influenced me to always look forward and beyond,” she says. “It was him who first convinced me, aged 40, to start my own brand. He was my first and only investor at the time, and he certainly taught me a lot in terms of grasping as many opportunities as you can in life.”
Working to cover every aspect of a woman’s closet, she launched an urban, hip readyto-wear line in 2000 that’s a far cry from the matrimony march. She followed that up with a diffusion line called Simply Vera in 2007. She has also made forays into homeware with china, crystal and bedding, as well as launched jewelry, shoes and cosmetics lines — at price points that stretch from luxury to mass market.
However it was her mother, a translator for the United Nations and worldly clothes enthusiast who regularly shopped the couture shows in Paris, who introduced Wang to fashion. “I grew up exposed to the greatest designs, but also, as a ChineseAmerican, to a world of grace, subtlety and mystery that came from within my own roots,” she recounts. “That really educated me to develop a love for fashion with a capital ‘f.’ It’s not just about the clothes. It’s the beauty behind them, the meaning they carry.”
Born in New York City to wealthy immigrants from Shanghai, Wang attributes her business acumen to her father, a successful entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry. “I think my dad’s sense for business and capacity to grow his own fortune
A competitive figure skater in school – she tried but failed to make the 1968 US Olympic team – the designer also owes much of her aesthetic and career success to the icy discipline. “When I didn’t make it as a competitive skater, I decided to
After a stint at Yves Saint Laurent, she was scouted by American Vogue and rose to become one of the magazine’s youngest ever fashion editors at the age of 23. “I learned a great deal at Vogue,” she says. “I got to work with some of the greatest photographers that ever lived — it’s kind of insane really when I think back on it”. She stayed for 15 years, harboring the dream of becoming a designer in her own right and, in 1987, joined Ralph Lauren. Two years later, while planning her wedding to computer executive Arthur Becker (from whom she is now separated) and looking for a dress appropriate to a “late bride,” she noted a void in the bridal industry and decided to fill it. In 1990, a year after her own nuptials, she opened her own boutique. The rest is history. Endless celebrities started wearing Vera Wang for their big day, from Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey to Alicia Keys and Chelsea Clinton. Her red carpet
December 2013 // www.thatsmags.com
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LIFE&STYLE
Wang's spring 2014 ready-to-wear
A look from Wang's fall/witer 2013 ready-to-wear
I have a love for fashion with a capital ‘f.’ It’s not just about the clothes. It’s the beauty behind them, the meaning they carry Queen Vera making an entry at her Shanghai show
Backstage images from Wang's Shanghai Fashion Week show
Vips and celebs from all over China came to Shanghai to show the designer some love
FEATURE wear, launched in 1993, has proved equally successful.
has since abolished the fee. Wealthy brides-to-be, on their part, seem to have remained loyal to the bridal sovereign regardless: the sales team at the Shanghai store assures us that the shop is as busy as it could be and plans for further growth within China are, allegedly, afoot.
“But it’s my ready-to-wear that really expresses my creative vision,” she’s keen to point out. “Bridal and red carpet are all about the girl, about making the client feel herself whatever the circumstances. My ‘commercial’ collections, on the other hand, are purely about me.” At the finale of Shanghai Fashion Week, Wang showed both aspects of her fashion range. Not one, but three collections — fall 2013 ready-to-wear, spring 2014 ready-to-wear and fall 2014 bridal — were presented to hundreds of celebrities and fashion insiders during the ultra-exclusive event held in Xintiandi’s Taiping Park. The Chinese media, as always, gave rave reviews – and not just because of her genuinely captivating designs. Wang’s Chinese roots have made her an instant fan favorite in Mainland China, where she resonates with the general public like few other designers do. When she traveled to
The all-black interior of Wang's Shanghai boutique sets the tone for her edgy bridal couture
Shanghai in 2006 to receive the China Fashion Award (CFA) as International Fashion Designer of the Year, she became the first Chinese-American designer to be globally recognized. Her work soon turned into a symbol of fashion pride for a country that hadn’t experienced much cred in the industry and also triggered an outpouring of admiration towards the designer for making it in America. This is Wang’s first time back since the accolade. In the meantime she has made Asia – with China in particular – the main focus of her expanding empire. In 2012, she presented her first Asian show in Shanghai dur-
ing Shanghai Fashion Week, although she could not be there in person to see the tremendous impact her pieces had. Last March, she opened her largest flagship store worldwide in Xintiandi, a news that sparked some controversy – and rightfully hurt quite a few of her local followers’ pride – when the boutique announced a RMB3,000 try-on fee. According to a company statement, the policy aimed at “protecting the copyright of the designer” in a country famed for knockoffs. To many though, the surcharge – only applied in China – appeared highly prejudiced. Realizing the PR faux pas, Wang
“It’s has been a very good time for us to come to China,” says Wang. “And of course, being Chinese-American, I am thrilled to be here. Wo hen gaoxing,” she continues in broken Chinese. “I have learned so much from the culture, from the work ethic. And I love the cities: Beijing reminds me of Washington, Shanghai of New York. Shenzhen is this impressive sourcing hub everyone in the industry goes to for work. It’s a vibrant country and I wish I could know it better,” she pauses. “I think if I could live here for just six months, so much would come back to me.” And, as she starts conversing in Chinese with her local publicists, we can see that too.
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original branch in Mongkok – the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world – is more famous, this IFC outpost has shorter queues (usually about 20 minutes deep, as opposed to two hours) and bakes the best pineapple barbecued pork buns that will ever cross your reverent lips: a crackly crust enfolding the perfect balance of sweet and savory filling. Their zongzi, a mix of glutinous rice and stewed chicken steamed in aromatic, vegetal lotus leaves, are also some of the best in town. Add your extra weight to a ferry and head to Kowloon. After joining tourists for a walk along the boardwalk – make sure to say hey to Bruce Lee’s statue – pop into The Peninsula for a taste of the colonial period, by way of cucumber sandwiches. As the oldest hotel in Hong Kong, this gorgeous property has been serving dainty afternoon teas since 1928. No reservations are taken, so you should either arrive early or plan on waiting in the dramatic gilded lobby. The scones are truly great, buttery and light, with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Head home across the water at sunset for a romantic view of the skyline. If you’re staying on the island, take a detour from the pinch of Central and head west towards Sheung Wan to take in an altogether quieter side of the island. Made up of a mix of young, artsy types and locals going about their daily business, it’s a nice peek into both conventional life and a little-seen alternative spirit. Rest the hamstrings at Common Grounds. This hidden gem, tucked up a steep flight of stone steps, is a joint project by Twin’s Kitchen (run by identical brothers Joshua and Caleb Ng, an
up and coming local celebrity chef duo) and fashion studio Protest Design. The unpretentious, light-hearted collaboration oers great coees, snacks and fashion just above Man Mo temple. Continue exploring Tai Ping Shan Street and the winding alleys behind it to discover local bakeries, bars, original art studios and even a leather workshop where you can tan your own cow hides. For dinner, join the cool crowd and head to Bridges Street to score a spot at Yardbird, where all the waiters are gorgeous, wear tight pants and speak at least two languages. Representing a high-octane movement of young chefs gussying up down home options, owners Matt Abergel and Lindsay Jang focus on hip Japanese yakitori and homestyle cooking, reinvented for a new generation and sold at reasonable prices.
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When you get a seat (again, no reservations), make sure you order deep-fried cauliflower covered in a spicy homemade Korean gochujiang sauce. It is the most glamorous this beige vegetable has ever been: spicy, smoky, sweet and utterly perfect with a glass of shiso-infused soju. There is also juicy, gamey grilled quail, melting skewers of chicken skin and fingers of sticky rice cake, caramelized in sugar and rolled in nori seaweed for a sticky, sweet, savory snack. It’s a dinner that blurs the lines of East and West, incorporating an intercontinental rowdiness that brings together some of the best elements this island has to oer. // For addresses and more to do in Hong Kong, see the travel section at online.thatsmags.com
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