Reports this week claimed that Vera Wang, the wedding dress designer synonymous with romance, is separating from her husband, Arthur Becker, after nearly 23 years of marriage.
Apparently, Vera Wang’s own brush with divorce also extends to some high-profile Hollywood clients who have all walked down the aisle in one of her covetable dresses.
From Mariah Carey to Heidi Klum and Jessica Simpson, a number of stars have entrusted the renowned designer with their special day, but it seems their marriages did not fit as well as their fanciful gowns.
While there are many Vera Wang-wearing brides still married, such as Khloe Kardashian, who married Lamar Odom in 2009 in one of her designs, as well as Victoria Beckham, Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton who all wore Vera Wang and are still living in wedded bliss, many more have split.
Mariah Carey married Tommy Mottola in 1993 in a Vera Wang sweetheart gown with a 27-foot train, they divorced four years later
Mariah Carey married Tommy Mottola on June 5, 1993 in a Vera Wang sweetheart gown with a 27-foot train, however they parted ways four years later.
Jessica Simpson wore a Vera Wang gown for her wedding to Nick Lachey in 2002, but the Newlyweds stars broke up in 2005. That same year Sophia Bush married her One Tree Hill costar Chad Michael Murray in Santa Monica, California in April 2005, and they split in September 2005.
Jennifer Lopez walked down the aisle in Vera Wang for her wedding to Marc Anthony in 2004, who she divorced in 2011, meanwhile Avril Lavigne wed Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley in a strapless organza gown in Montecito, California on July 15, 2006, and dumped him three years later.
Elin Nordegren, who married Tiger Woods in October 2004, by the 19th hole of the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados, filed for divorce in 2010, and Kim Kardashian wed Kris Humphries in August 2011 wearing a custom made Vera Wang gown, but just 72 days later, the couple split.
And though not pictured on her wedding day with Seal, Heidi Klum wore an ivory gown by Vera Wang which featured Chantilly lace and an empire waist.
Earlier this year, the pair divorced.
Vera Wang’s own separation comes just two weeks before her 23rd wedding anniversary. The now 63-year-old designer was 39 when she wed Arthur Becker, a computer executive who has become increasingly involved with the Vera Wang brand over the years.
Celebrity wedding dress designer Vera Wang has separated from her husband, Arthur Becker, after nearly 23 years of marriage.
Mario Grauso, the president of Vera Wang’s company, said in a statement: “Vera Wang and Arthur Becker have mutually and amicably agreed to separate. They remain devoted parents to their two daughters.”
Their separation comes just two weeks before their 23rd wedding anniversary.
Vera Wang, now 63, was 39 when she wed Arthur Becker, a computer executive who has become increasingly involved with the Vera Wang brand over the years.
According to WWD, Arthur Becker has advised Vera Wang closely as her business developed from an Upper East Side one-stop bridal shop into a global multimillion-dollar brand, becoming more involved with the day-to-day operations of the business in recent years.
Vera Wang has separated from her husband, Arthur Becker, after nearly 23 years of marriage
The couple married at the Hotel Pierre in 1989 after becoming informally engaged in 1988 during a trip to Hawaii, and have two daughters, Cecilia and Josephine.
At the time of their marriage, Vera Wang, also a former Vogue editor, was design director for Ralph Lauren women’s accessories and at-home wear.
In 2006, Vera Wang described her marriage as a surprise to New York magazine.
She said: “I was the girl who nobody thought would ever get married. I was going to be a fashion nun the rest of my life. There are generations of them, those fashion nuns, living, eating, breathing clothes.
“But Ralph [Lauren] said, <<Get yourself a husband and a family>>. Anna [Wintour] said, <<You have got to get a family going here. You’ve been single for three decades now>>. So I married my husband.
“There are days I’m not happy I did it, but there are days I’m thrilled – I mean, he has always understood my nature, which is that it’s always about product.”
When it comes to her own wedding dress, Vera Wang scoured department stores and bridal boutiques but only found a “sameness to everything”.
Eventually Vera Wang gave up and hired a dressmaker to create her own gown, for $10,000.
In 1990, Vera Wang opened her own design salon in the Carlyle Hotel in New York, featuring her now trademark bridal gowns with financial backing from her father.
The Vera Wang label quickly took off, earning praise from the fashion elite for its luxurious fabrics, exquisite detailing and modern interpretation of classic lines.
Vera Wang has made wedding gowns for many well-known public figures, such as Chelsea Clinton, Ivanka Trump, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Garner, Sharon Stone, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kate Hudson, and most recently, Kim Kardashian.
A Vera Wang model’s waist appears to have been airbrushed to an impossibly tiny size, making it almost narrower than the width of her head.
The model, who wore a White by Vera Wang bridesmaid gown, and appeared on the David’s Bridal website, had a slender, yet normally proportioned waist in a back view.
The front shot, however, saw the model’s midriff whittled down to what seems to be almost half its actual size.
Even more ridiculously, the $168 gown, is magically transformed from the charcoal-colored design seen from the front to an entirely different amethyst tone when viewed at the back, Jezebel.com points out.
In fact, the back view image shows what could actually be a different gown – and model – altogether.
While the front view displays a tight bodice all the way to the knees, the back view falls loose just below the bottom.
Vera Wang model’s waist appears to have been airbrushed to an impossibly tiny size
Vera Wang model appeared with normally proportioned waist in a back view
It seems odd that David’s Bridal would include an inaccurate image of the asymmetrical design from the designer’s Fall 2011 collection.
According to Vera Wang’s official website, the stockist is one of few who sell the White bridal collection so correct images of the gown should be readily available.
Regardless, the model who is wearing the dress is seen with a correct-proportioned waist throughout other photographs in the collection.
It is not the first time a model’s waist has been airbrushed to appear slimmer.
Ralph Lauren used Photoshop in 2009 to shave so much off model Filippa Hamilton’s frame that her waist appeared narrower than the width of her head – despite the fact that she was already a U.S. size 4.
The fashion label later apologized for the unnecessary edit.
A spokesperson said at the time: “After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.”
Grazia magazine was also guilty of its own careless picture alteration.
The magazine admitted to whittling down the size of the Duchess of Cambridge’s waist for the front cover of a special Royal Wedding edition.
A spokesperson called the Photoshop job an “accident”.
The American Medical Association introduced a policy against excessive Photoshop use last year.
The organization released a statement that said it would “discourage the altering of photographs in a manner that could promote unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image”.
