VERA WANG’S FIVE STEPS TO SUCCESS

“Legacy is a big word,” says Wang. “But perhaps the ability to be kind and courageous would be at the top of my list!” Here are her secrets to success.

KNOWLEDGE IS KEY

“There is always something to learn. If you stop learning and growing that is really the end.”

NEVER REST ON YOUR LAURELS

“I don’t know if I feel that I’m successful – if there is a secret I think that is it. I never feel really complacent and I don’t know a designer friend who does.”

STEP INTO SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES

“Everyone should try someone else’s job for a week, even a day! If you want a career in any field, you must immerse yourself in it fully.”

LEARN TO RETREAT

“I try to schedule for free time. I take three weeks a year. I lie by the pool in Greece, I play golf for an afternoon in New York, and if I have a day off, it’s like a month’s holiday.”

STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE

“It is impossible to succeed in any business today, particularly creative ones, without that special alchemy of art and commerce.”