Vera Wang is an American fashion designer who is based in New York City. She has attended The school of American Ballet, as well as professional Children's School, The Chapin School, and many more. She is known for her traditional elegance, and one of the most prominent designers of bridal wear in America. Wang was a formal figure skater, and a fashion director for Ralph Lauren. A cool fact about Vera Wang, is that she designed her own wedding dress! and she also has her own signature collection. Vera Wang was born in the city in 1949, she was a daughter of affluent Chinese immigrants and she grew up in Manhattan's Upper East Side. When Wang was a sophomore, she went to study abroad at Sorbonne in Paris, and went back to the U.S. and completed her degree in art history. Wang was a competitive figure skater and she had competed throughout 1968 and 1969 in the U.S. National championships with her partner James Stuart, and they were placed fifth in the Junior pairs competition, she had graduated from college in 1971. At the age of 23, Vera Wang was promoted to a senior fashion editor, she held that title for the next 15 years, then in 1987, she had left the job and worked as a design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren. In 1989, Wang opened her first bridal boutique and it was located in the Upscale Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue in New York City, in the very beginning the Vera Wang Bridal House used to offer gowns by the famous designers known as Guy Laroche, Arnold Scaasi, Carolina Herrera, and Christian Dior, and then when the years passed, she added new skills and launched herself a collection of bridal wear. In 1994, she gained attention when she made a hand-beaded ensemble for a figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. her designs were also available at the Manhattan Boutique. Her dresses are also worn in film premieres and award ceremonies by actresses, and to list some of the actors that had worn her dressed were, Halle Berry, Goldie Hawn, Charlize Theron, Anjelica Huston, and Med Ryan. In 2001, her first fragrance was introduced and her wedding guide. Her business grew and now has more products such as lingerie, jewelry, and products for the home. She also had a deal with Kohl's and creates ready to wear clothing which are called Simply Vera.