Simple, Classic, Sexy: The Wedding Gowns of Vera Wang

Did You Know.... The Art Institutes offer fashion design and fashion marketing programs in dozens of cities across the US.

 Learn more about the Art Institute campus near you.

Vera Wang has done more for bridesmaids than any other fashion designer in history. Her modern, sophisticated bridal collections removed much of the stigma associated with being a bridesmaid -- no one has to worry about wearing a puce-colored pouf skirt when Vera Wang is in your corner. Wang's sophisticated and streamlined bridal collections are what made her a household name, but there is much more to this talented designer.

Vera Wang got her start as the Senior Fashion Editor at Vogue. In her sixteen years there, she rubbed elbows with some of the most famous fashion designers in history and learned to anticipate trends and understand design principles. Ironically, it was a failure in her early life that led to her most famous early creation -- throughout her childhood, Vera Wang was a talented and dedicated ice-skating champion, with dreams of going to the Olympics. When that dream failed to materialize, Wang turned to her second love: fashion. (Wang's mother had been an extremely fashion-savvy woman, and Vera grew up with a love of clothing.) The design that turned her into a celebrity overnight? The diaphanous skating uniform worn by Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Olympics. The outfit garnered tons of media attention, and the rest was history!

Vera Wang's bridal designs were also influenced by an event in her life -- her own wedding. In the 1980s, mainstream wedding gowns were matronly and sexless. Like many other designs of the time, bridal fashions were over-designed and gaudy. For her own wedding, Vera Wang searched high and low to find a simple, classic wedding gown, and couldn't. She ended up being married in a puffy-sleeved monstrosity that she disliked. This only served to inspire her creativity, however, and she set out to design wedding fashions that were sexy, sophisticated, and that reflected a woman's personal style. The Vera Wang label quickly established a precedent and earned praise from consumers and the media alike for its use of modern lines and sumptuous fabrics. According to one reviewer, "There was no fashion in bridal [design] until Vera Wang."

Today, Vera Wang is much more than just a bridal couture designer. She has used her personal design aesthetic to create ready-to-wear collections, fragrance collections, and products for the home. She continues to innovate in her use of materials, proportion, and detailing.

To find a fashion design school location near you and learn more about the fashion programs available, click on any of the school links below:

Online

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Online Division

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Retail Management, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Management

Berkeley College, Online

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Marketing, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Management, Associates Degree in Fashion Marketing, Associates Degree in Fashion Management

International Academy of Design & Technology Online

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Merchandising

The Connection Between Celebrities and Fashion

Did You Know.... The International Academy Of Design & Technology offers an online bachelors degree program in fashion merchandising as well as associates and bachelors degree programs in retail merchandise management. Learn more about IADT's online fashion programs.

By J. Moore
You are sitting at home in your comfortably flannel pajama pants and a pizza stained t-shirt. With a bag of potato chips in one hand and the remote in the other, you excitedly switch on the tube to watch the event of the year... well, at least of the week... the Academy Awards.

Which films have been nominated? You are not sure.

Who is the Oscar favorite for "Best Cinematography?" You do not care.

What will Halle be wearing?

How many diamonds will fit around Nicole's thin little wrist?

YES! THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS!

And thus we see the reason for the relationship between fashion designers and our favorite A-list celebrities. Calvin, Donatella, Marc, and the rest of the gang are certainly not fools! Fashion designers are aesthetically driven - they seek to create physical beauty inspired by their thoughts, ideas, and visions. This physical beauty is known to us as clothing. And how beautiful it truly is!

And what can be better than a meticulously constructed and designed floor length Vera Wang gown? A meticulously constructed and designed floor length Vera Wang gown on Julia Roberts! Fuse the most beautiful fashion designs with someof the most beautiful faces, bodies and people and the result borders on sublime - a sensory delight that keeps us tuned in and left wanting to emulate.

Flashback to the months leading up to my senior prom... just weeks after Gwenyth Paltrow won her Academy Award for "Best Actress", the racks of Macy's were overflowing with replicas of Paltrow's bubblegum pink ball gown. As much as we value our individual tastes and fashion sense, there is at least a part of us (no matter how small), that emulates the beauty we find in the world. This is natural, right?
I have heard that a celebrity wearing your gown/tux/creation to a red carpet event is worth over a million dollars in advertising. Further, they tell me that slipping a gorgeous frock onto an Academy Award winner is worth tens of millions of dollars in advertising. This does not seem to be much of a stretch. Beauty sells - making the relationship between fashion and celebrity brilliant.

Reasons To Go To Fashion Design School

Did You Know.... The Art Institutes offer fashion design and fashion marketing programs in dozens of cities across the US. Learn more about the Art Institute campus near you.

 

You are creative. You can sew. You have a sketchbook of designs the Hilton sisters will drool over. So, why go to fashion school? There are many reasons:
1. You will be taught.

The study of fashion design involves hands-on training, so, yes, you can prepare yourself by developing many skills on your own. However, when you choose to pursue a fashion design degree, you are choosing to be taught.
What does this mean? You will interact with instructors and professors who will teach you new and advanced skills. You will be critiqued and your technique will be perfected through exchanges with other students.
As a fashion design student, you will have the time and opportunity to hone and perfect your craft without the pressures of clients and your career.

2. You will be inspired.

Who will you encounter in fashion school? Other talented, excited, inspired young artists. Design school affords fashion students the opportunity to experiment and feed off of the energy and innovation of other students. In our opinion, this experience can only make your own design work better.

3. You will be prepared.

The challenges and obstacles of earning your fashion design degree will thoroughly prepare you for the fast-paced, "so five minutes ago" fashion industry. Also, your courses and class projects will give you an opportunity to build out a diverse portfolio of your student work, which make your skills more marketable.

4. You will get a job.

Yes, it is true, and quite possibly the most important reason you should go to fashion school. What distinguishes you from the leagues of other creative, skilled seamstresses? Your degree! Employers want designers who can commit to work hard and achieve success - two abilities obtaining a degree proves you have.

Lights, Action, Runway

Did You Know.... The International Academy Of Design & Technology offers an online bachelors degree program in fashion merchandising as well as associates and bachelors degree programs in retail merchandise management. Learn more about IADT's online fashion programs.

Producing a Fashion Show

Producing a fashion show is like directing a movie - coordinating all visual and technical aspects to create one final (but fabulous) production. Although fashion shows can be produced on any budget and for any type of audience, a game plan is necessary to execute perfection.
With over 20 fashion shows under my belt, I could probably write an entire book (and may still do). However, the following guidelines will certainly put you on the right track to illuminate your very own runway!

THEME of SHOW

Every fashion show must have an overall concept. Is it a Back to School Fashion Show for a mall, a showcase for a local designer, or a charity fundraiser? The client possibilities are endless. Creativity is the key to dress up the show any way you see fit. I have produced many themed events for holidays, stylist collaborations, color/shoes/jewelry/lingerie inspired concepts, and designer or retail-driven shows. Once you have a theme for your runway, the details are much easier to solidify.

MODELS

Agency models know how to strut the catwalk, but can be very expensive. If you don't have the budget to pay industry rates, base your model search on your client's needs. Are you promoting a children's line and need models under the age of 12? Is this a charity fundraiser with all ticket-holders over the age of 60? Hold a model call and place ads on free bulletins requesting potential models to show up in person to fill out fitting sheets and take Polaroids to remember their look. This is a great way to build your own model base for future shows.

FASHIONS for the RUNWAY

As the producer, you may or may not have to select the clothes for the runway. Based on your show concept, the stylists, designers, or stores might choose the merchandise. In any case, make sure you are familiar with all the garments in the show. Each garment should be returned in the same condition it originated. Take photos at the model fitting and have a list of all items on each model. When they return their outfit to you after the show, check for all pieces. This way you know who is accountable for what.

PRODUCTION

To get any show ready for the runway, you will need to solidify a venue to host the event, a runway or stage, lighting, music and of course, hair & makeup. Nightclubs, hotels, schools, and malls are popular fashion show venues. However creative spaces can be turned into runways. You may have a DJ to mix the music, a salon sponsoring the hair/makeup, and a multimedia screen on the runway with store logos. Whatever your technical details, make sure everything is tested and ready to go before the show.

SCRIPT

Write out the entire show in a script format. Whether you have an emcee speaking commentary on each outfit or music timed out for each individual scene, the model and fashion order is extremely important to have written down. This will make it much easier to call your show and follow along with the program.

VIP SPONSORS
On occasion, you may
work with sponsors paying for the event who want additional publicity onsite. Hang their banners, giveaway promotional gift bags, and/or host a VIP reception for the sponsor's guests. If the sponsor is a restaurant or alcohol/beverage company, feature their product exclusively.

Careers After Fashion School

Did You Know.... The Art Institutes offer fashion design and fashion marketing programs in dozens of cities across the US. Learn more about the Art Institute campus near you.

If you are considering going to fashion school to become a fashion designer, you should know that there are many other career paths open to you upon graduation. Fashion designing jobs can be extremely fun and artistically gratifying. However, they are often intense and very competitive. Do yourself a favor and explore all of the career options that come with completing fashion school. Here are just a few to get you started.

• Fashion journalist - For those who have a passion for fashion and for writing as well, fashion journalism could be an even better match for you than fashion designing jobs. Fashion journalists cover industry news and trends, from runway shows to new boutiques. A job like this requires serious writing skills, a natural curiosity and a profound respect for deadlines and producing quality articles. Learning about the industry in fashion school will definitely boost your career as a fashion journalist.
• Fashion stylist - People who strive to become fashion stylists have a profound knowledge of fashion, a fierce personal style and a knack for putting together complete outfits for other people. While stylists do not have to attend fashion school to become successful, it is important that they know about fabrics, prints and other technical aspects of fashion as this knowledge will affect their fashion choices.
• Fashion marketer - Marketing is all about creating an image of a product or company and broadcasting that image to the consumer. The world of fashion would come to a grinding halt without fashion marketers. Much like fashion journalists, people in fashion marketing must have excellent communication skills. They must also know how to gain and maintain a vast set of contacts.

These are just a few fashion careers you can look into during your time in fashion school. With a little research, you can find the career path that was made for you.

To find a fashion design school location near you and learn more about the fashion programs available, click on any of the school links below:

Online

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Online Division

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Retail Management, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Management

Berkeley College, Online

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Marketing, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Management, Associates Degree in Fashion Marketing, Associates Degree in Fashion Management

International Academy of Design & Technology Online

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Merchandising