Vera Wang - Designer and CEO, Vera Wang Group

Vera WangThe fashion industry has been the greatest advocate and -supporter of the annual Equal Opportunity Awards Dinner. As the event enters its third decade, we are honored to pay tribute to an icon in the world of fashion, and one of the industry’s most respected individuals: Vera Wang.
At Vera Wang Group, women are the decision-makers and driving force, holding the four top jobs at the firm. In addition to Vera, leading the charge are Susan Sokol, President of Apparel (and Co-Chair of the 2007 Awards Dinner); Sara Dennis, Senior Vice President, Simply Vera, Vera Wang; Laura Lee Miller, President of Vera Wang Licensing; and Elizabeth Musmanno, Senior Vice President of Global Communications.
A native New Yorker, Vera has spent her lifetime at the forefront of fashion. -Drawing her earliest inspiration from her mother and their annual trips to the Paris couture shows, Vera went on to become the youngest-ever Vogue fashion -editor at the age of 23, allowing her the opportunity to collaborate with the most accomplished personalities in the world of fashion.
After founding her own company in 1990, Vera became known for her nonchalant approach to style and luxury. Her design vocabulary resonates with signature layering, intricate draping and exquisite attention to detail. In addition to ready-to-wear, she also designs Lavender label, eveningwear, bridal, intimate apparel, footwear, eyewear, fragrance, fine jewelry, china and crystal, silver and gifts, fine papers and mattresses. Her products are sold in the most exclusive department stores and -boutiques around the world, including her own Madison Avenue flagship store.
From the red carpet to the runway, the world’s most influential and fashionable women look to Vera when dressing for their most important events and public appearances. The Vera Wang style has become a fixture on the world stage, lauded in both the domestic and international press. In 2005, the Council of Fashion Designers of America honored Vera’s innovation and dedication to her craft by naming her “Womenswear Designer of the Year.”
This September, she launched Simply Vera, Vera Wang at Kohl’s Department Stores in the U.S., bringing a broad lifestyle collection to millions of American families.
Vera currently resides in New York City with her husband and two daughters.