Are Alexander Wang and Vera Wang related?
Short answer – Both designers are of Asian descent, with Alexander being Taiwanese American and Vera being Chinese American. Their shared ancestry and surname have led to speculation about a possible family connection, but there is no familial link between them.
Introduction
If you’ve even the slightest interest in the fashion industry, there’s a very good chance that the surname ‘Wang’ should sound familiar.
To many of you, you’ll likely associate the surname with Vera Wang, though some more commonly associate it with Alexander Wang.
Vera Wang is arguably more well-known than Alexander, and what she has achieved in a relatively short duration of time is nothing short of remarkable.
She is one of the most iconic figures in the fashion industry, with her clothing, fragrances, and jewelry, in particular, being enjoyed by people all over the globe.
Because Vera and Alexander Wang both share the same last name, however, and because they both work in the fashion industry, many people have speculated that Vera and Alexander are related in some way.
But is this true, or is this another case of misinformation being spread online?
Well, that’s what we’re going to look at today.
Is Alexander Wang related to Vera Wang?
Keep reading for the answer.
Who is Alexander Wang?
Before we can look at whether Alexander and Vera Wang are, in fact, related or not, we’re first going to look at Alexander.
Of the two people we’re looking at today, Alexander is likely less well known than Vera, but make no mistake about it, he is still a hugely influential figure in the fashion industry, while also being one of the most well respected as well.
Alexander Wang was born in San Francisco, California, USA, on December 26th, 1983.
He is a Chinese-American fashion designer with a huge following in the fashion industry.
Despite being relatively young, he has already achieved a huge amount in the fashion industry, having launched his fashion line back in 2005 and being awarded the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund back in 2008.
Known for his unique urban street style and use of the color black, he previously worked as the creative director for Balenciaga in 2012.
In this role, he oversaw men’s and women’s ready-to-wear styles.
He would also create his line for H&M in 2014.
After three years with Balenciaga, Alexander Wang announced that he would be leaving, by mutual consent, to pursue new ventures and go it alone.
In 2016 he became the chairman and the CEO of the ‘Wang Brand’ when he succeeded his mother and sister-in-law.
Controversy
Even if he’s respected in fashion, Alexander Wang has still seen his fair share of controversy over the years.
In 2020, it was alleged online that Alexander had sexually assaulted several individuals.
One of the individuals was Owen Mooney, who alleged that Alexander had inappropriately groped him in a busy New York nightclub.
This led to more people coming forward with similar allegations.
Wang would release a statement shortly afterward, reiterating his innocence and stating he would do whatever it took to clear his name and reveal the truth.
Renowned for his party lifestyle, there have been numerous incidents where people attending his gatherings have alleged they were drugged or given illegal narcotics without their knowledge.
Again, Wang has consistently denied these allegations.
On top of that, in 2012, it was alleged that one of Wang’s fashion companies was running an illegal sweatshop and was in violation of New York State labor laws.
It was alleged that workers were forced to work upwards of 16 hours at a time, with some working more than 25 hours with no break.
Working conditions were said to be extremely poor, and numerous workers filed lawsuits, which were subsequently dismissed after both parties agreed to an undisclosed settlement.
Who is Vera Wang?
Needless to say, with Alexander Wang such a respected yet controversial figure in fashion, this has resulted in speculation that Vera Wang could be the mother of Alexander Wang or related in some way.
We’ll address that in just a few moments. Before that, though, we’re going to learn more about Vera Wang.
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27th, 1949, in New York, USA.
She is a Chinese-American fashion designer and one of the most respected and influential figures in the fashion industry.
Vera started as a figure skater before she got into the fashion industry when she worked as an editor at Vogue magazine.
This was important because she became the youngest-ever Vogue editor. This helped open new doors in the industry.
She would go on to work at Ralph Lauren before making a name for himself as a bridal wear designer.
After becoming frustrated with a lack of wedding dresses, Vera designed her wedding dress for her wedding to her long-term boyfriend, Arthur Becker, in 1989.
She quickly sketched out a rough design for a dress for herself and hired an independent dressmaker to make the dress for her. This reportedly cost around $10K.
By 40, she became an independent wedding dressmaker, and her career really took off. She has made wedding dresses for a number of high-profile celebrities and figures, including Khloe and Kim Kardashian, Avril Lavigne, Hillary Duff, Victoria Beckham, and many more.
Her signature fragrance, Vera Wang: Princess, is also trendy all over the globe.
Vera also makes jewelry, including wedding and engagement rings, and has received countless awards over the years.
She has an estimated net worth of more than $650 million.
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Is Alexander Wang Related to Vera Wang?
Okay, so, the moment of truth, is Alexander Wang related to Vera Wang?
Despite both people working in fashion, being of Chinese-American heritage, and sharing the same last name, Vera Wang and Alexander Wang are NOT related to each other and have nothing to do with each other in the real world.
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Lee Parry is a writer and blogger originally from Manchester, UK, and he has a B.A. in Modern Languages from Manchester Metropolitan University. Parry occasionally teaches English and spends most of his free time reading.