Sometimes, cynicism takes a hike. Over three days last week it went wondrously AWOL at Vera Wang’s store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan as the designer and members of her staff too numerous to count focused the company’s attentions on 11 VIP brides. Not of the Hailey Bieber, Hannah Davis, Chelsea Clinton, Lily Aldridge ilk, but VIPs whose names are unfamiliar beyond their own circles. They are all military brides, some in the service themselves, some engaged to military personnel.
“This is one of those rare opportunities when you really feel a lifetime of work can lead to something very positive, very happy, and affect someone’s life,” Wang said. “And for that reason, I feel very, very fortunate. Being able to reach first responders, members of the military, people who have [dedicated] their lives for us, for our safety, was the most direct and emotional and fulfilling way in which I could make a bit of a difference in their lives.
Ruth “Marie” Wenzel and Sean Shariff Fisher won the grand prize, which meant that Wang herself would fit the dress for their wedding on Oct. 9, 2020. Wenzel, a social worker, said she was actively looking for programs that help with weddings, since between them she and Fisher have three children, and day-to-day expenses leave little left over to fund a wedding.
“We’re untraditional,” said Joseph Towery. He and Olena Solomnikova met in the Interservice Respiratory Training Program. Their attraction was immediate, but being in different branches, they were differently assigned post-training, and did not meet up again until three years later, at Pearl Harbor. He asked her out to a Fourth of July dinner, commencing a relationship that would be carried out largely via FaceTime, but it’s worked. Towery proposed with a pair of blue Manolo Blahniks.
Wang’s camp scheduled appointments at three-hour intervals so that no one would feel rushed. Fittings were done in the largest salon, which was re-merchandised between appointments with dresses appropriate for each bride in terms of sizing and style preferences. The women’s approaches varied widely; some arrived armed with strong fashion opinions and others, eager to let Wang’s staff do their expert thing.
As originally imagined, this initiative called for 10 winning couples, with Wang personally fitting one bride. While she did indeed fit “top” winner Wenzel, she decided to meet every couple, staying at the store for almost the entire three-day run. Along the way, she multitasked, working on, among other things, refining her remarks for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation Benefit at which she was honored on Thursday.
VeraWangGang Generous, thank you Vera doing something so meaningful for our troops. Thank you.