The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

bite fashion Queen of Bridal Couture Couture Designer Profile Jada Brookes admires the dynamic Vera Wang who went from a competitive figure skater, to being a senior fashion editor at Vogue, to one of the most respective and pioneer designers in bridal and ready-to-wear. A former competitive figure skater, fashion designer Vera Wang revolutionised the bridal industry in 1990. It was while planning her own wedding to longtime boyfriend Arthur Becker that she became frustrated with the lack of bridal gowns for older, mature women. Deciding to sketch her own design, she commissioned a dressmaker to make the elaborate gown. The following year, the New York native took a leap of faith and opened her own bridal boutique in the upscale Carlyle Hotel on Madison Ave- nue in New York City. The move would cement her as one of the most celebrated designers in the industry. Although she didn’t get to study fashion as she had wished, Vera gained experience of the industry through working at Vogue as a senior fash- ion editor for just over 15 years and then at Ralph Lauren as a de- sign director. Having started out by offering couture gowns by famed designers such as Guy Laroche, Arnold Scaasi, Carolina Herrera and Christian Dior, Vera went on to hone her skills as a fashion designer and then launched a signature collection of streamlined and sophisti- cated bridal wear two years later. Today she is known for her balanced modern designs with traditional elegance. Thanks to her ready-to-wear collections resonating with her signature layering, intricate draping and exquisite attention to detail, the design- er was honoured with the title of ‘Womenswear Designer of the Year’