Fashion designer Vera Wang was born on June 27, 1949, in New York. She began figure skating at a young age and competed in the U.S. Championships. She later decided to pursue a career in the fashion industry and studied art history at Sarah Lawrence College. She then joined the American edition of Vogue and, at the age of 23, became the magazine's youngest fashion editor and stylist. She left the company in 1985 to become design director for fashion brand Ralph Lauren. That same year, Anna Wintour became editor-in-chief of Vogue. In 1990, she opened her own brand, Vera Wang, inside the Carlyle Hotel in New York. Her first ready-to-wear collection, released in 2000, received high praise. Her wedding dresses have particularly attracted attention, and have been worn by celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, and Victoria Beckham. Last summer, the brand opened its first flagship store in Japan in Ginza.

In 2005, she was awarded the Women's Wear Designer of the Year award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). At this year's CFDA awards, which were held recently, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her many years of achievement in the American fashion industry. This is Vera's fourth CFDA award.

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