OLIVIA: Hello, Little Fox readers! Welcome back to People in the News. Today we're going to meet Vera Wang, a famous fashion designer and very successful businesswoman. You've probably even seen celebrities wearing her stunning designs!
BEN: That's right, Olivia. Vera is famous for her dress designs, especially her wedding dresses. She also created her own company and built it into a successful business. But she did not become a fashion designer and entrepreneur until a bit late in life—after she turned forty.
Vera was born on June 27, 1949, in New York City. Both her parents came from important families in China, and her father was a very successful businessman in the United States.
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
Growing up in Manhattan, Vera and her family lived an affluent lifestyle. She attended an exclusive private school and traveled frequently with her mother to Paris, where they went to famous fashion designers' shows and bought custom-made clothing. These trips helped Vera to develop a love for fashion at an early age—and develop a sharp eye for good design.
When Vera was eight years old, she began taking figure-skating lessons. She became very serious about competing and even designed her own skating dresses. At first her dream was to skate in the Olympics. But when it came time to try out for the team, she placed only fifth, narrowly missing her chance to go to the Olympics.
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
OLIVIA: She must have been really disappointed. What did she do next?
BEN: Well, she chose to give up figure skating and move to Paris to study art. There, Vera was reminded of her childhood love for clothing, and she decided to pursue a career in fashion design. But when she told her parents about her plans, her father wanted her to do something more practical and refused to pay for design school. So Vera found a different way to do what she loved. After her graduation from college, she took a job at Vogue, a leading fashion magazine.
Vera started as an assistant at Vogue and had to work long, hard hours—sometimes even spending the night at the office.
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
However, her hard work paid off, and at the age of 23, Vera became the youngest fashion editor in Vogue history.
Vera loved working at Vogue and stayed there for about 15 years as a senior editor. Next she worked for the fashion designer Ralph Lauren. She became the head designer for accessories, which included bags and jewelry. She loved designing and jumped up and down with excitement whenever she spotted someone with something that she'd designed.
Vera was around forty years old when she and her longtime boyfriend decided to get married. As an older bride, she grew frustrated by the lack of options for fashionable wedding dresses. She finally gave up shopping for a dress and designed her own!
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
Later, when Vera quit her job to start a family, her father offered to help her start her own business and suggested that she focus on bridal fashion. Vera wanted to design other types of clothing, but she took her father's suggestion and opened a bridal boutique in 1990. At first Vera sold dresses made by other famous designers, but soon she was designing her own wedding gowns.
Vera had no formal education in design, but her years of working in the fashion industry had taught her a lot. She was very creative and put her own modern twist on everything. She also made sure that her designs would reflect the woman's personality and sense of style. Soon her wedding dresses grew very popular among brides.
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
Vera also provided excellent service and helped brides with wedding planning. Many people believe that Vera transformed the bridal industry by making it more fashionable and influencing other designers to expand into wedding dresses.
OLIVIA: Didn't she also become famous for designing figure-skating dresses?
BEN: That's right, Olivia. When Nancy Kerrigan was competing in the 1992 and 1994 Olympics, she asked Vera to design her dresses. One dress, covered with thousands of crystals, sparkled as Nancy skated and caught everyone's attention. Even though Vera had never made it to the Olympics, her dresses had, making her very proud!
After that Vera branched out into evening gowns, with many famous women such as actresses and first ladies wearing Vera Wang dresses to important events.
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
Still Vera didn't want to be known just for her wedding dresses and gowns. She was determined to design other types of clothing. In 2004 Vera launched a collection of clothes that would be sold in stores instead of custom-made for individual buyers. Her collection received great reviews, and in 2005 the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded her with the Womenswear Designer of the Year, the most prestigious fashion award in the industry. At the age of 55, Vera had finally achieved her dream of becoming a well-established fashion designer.
Today Vera's designs continue to use a variety of silhouettes, colors, and materials, which stand out for their boldness and creativity. In 2012 she surprised everyone by creating a collection of red wedding dresses.
해석 데이터를 입력해주세요.
Although most of Vera's products are very expensive, she has started lower-priced lines so that more people can wear her designs. She's also expanded her company to include menswear, jewelry, perfume, and china. Vera achieved her dream a bit late in life. But once she got started, it took her only about twenty years to build a multimillion dollar retail empire and become recognized as one of the world's leading designers.
OLIVIA: Wow, that’s impressive. Thanks for telling us about Vera's success in the fashion industry, Ben. Maybe someday we'll get to see you wearing a Vera Wang tuxedo or suit!
Thanks for tuning in to another edition of People in the News, Little Fox readers.