Say the name Vera Wang and you might need earplugs from the shrieks of the blushing brides around you. So much so that her name has become synonymous with the words “wedding dress.” But all that’s changed with her latest couture collections. Wang has tossed the bouquet and moved out of the wedding dress ghetto.
Finally, Wang is consummating a 34-year love affair with clothes. “I was a total fashion insider who became an outsider when I did bridal,” Wang says. “I’ve had to crawl out of a hole, and it was a huge hole. But I’ve finally done it. I never got to be me. Finally, I’m making clothes that are about me.”
“Not since Donna Karan has there been such an open, clear personality behind a brand in women’s ready-to-wear,” says Anna Wintour. Affirmation has come in several forms: prominent placement on Bergdorf Goodman’s third floor, right near Chloé, Marni, and Balenciaga; and the CFDA’s womenswear designer of the year award last June.
Of course, wedding dresses are still Wang’s bread and butter, but it’s nice to see an artist finally getting the respect she deserves. And anyone who’s dealt with J. Lo on one of her many wedding days should be nominated for sainthood. Vera, call us when you start doing menswear.
Vera Wang’s Second Honeymoon [NY Magazine]
