The inimitable Vera Wang on her stylish new chapter

In the anything-goes age of bridal wear, Vera Wang is the original and ultimate wedding style rule-breaker and visionary. In her three-decades-long career, Wang has continued to innovate, and to push bridal fashion boundaries. Her wedding dresses are the ultimate fashion fantasy item that so many brides aspire to. She remains the go-to dream dressmaker for celebrity brides including Victoria Beckham, model Lily Aldridge, and the newest Vera Wang bridal alumni Issa Rae, Gwen Stefani and Ariana Grande.

In the foreword Wang penned for Vogue Weddings: Brides, Dresses, Designers, she details how her career began at age 39 when she was engaged, and she wasn’t able to find a wedding dress to suit her minimalist esthetic. “I ended up choosing a very romantic, organza over the top dress,” she writes. “It was extremely low-waisted, with a big, full skirt and hand-rolled flowers. But after the ceremony, as soon as possible, I changed into a simple spaghetti strap sheath because I am not a big ball gown girl.”

It was that moment that inspired Wang to create her own bridal line. Since the launch in 1989, nobody has had a greater impact on the evolution of wedding style. Wang brought architecture and modernity to wedding dress silhouettes. She delivered fashion drama and the unexpected. She embraced colour in her wedding dress collections, which was nothing short of revolutionary.

In 2011, Wang debuted an exquisite black wedding dress collection (some dresses remain as part of the Vera Wang Iconic Bridal collection), which is still buzzed about today in an age where the black wedding dress has become one of the most fashionable choices for brides. She was a decade ahead of the trend. Throughout my years in the wedding world, I’ve had the opportunity experience so many otherworldly runways shows, and Wang’s have unquestionably been some of my favourites. She always delivers surprise and delight.

What started with wedding dresses soon blossomed into a global Vera Wang empire encompassing ready-to-wear, home, fragrance, jewelry, eyewear and even a limited edition vodka (it’s long been her spirit of choice). In her latest business expansion, she has partnered with the Barcelona-based Pronovias Group, the storied luxury bridal design house, to launch a new collection aimed at bringing her signature stylings to a wider audience of brides. Vera Wang Bride is a collection of 60 dresses designed exclusively by Wang and her team, and is available now globally at Pronovias stores and select boutiques.

I recently spoke to Wang about this new powerhouse fashion partnership, and she told me it’s ignited a fresh creative spark within her. “Pronovias Group is one of the most respected and successful bridal companies in the world with a huge international reach,” Wang told me. “For us, that equates to an opportunity to reach a whole other audience from every perspective with extraordinary quality fashion at an amazing price point. This relationship enables me to explore a new side of my creativity while growing what I believe will become an even more significant global brand. This has been a major shift in strategy I have long desired to implement.”

The price of Vera Wang Bride gowns range from $2,300 to $5,800 (prices start at $8,600 for a gown from Wang’s Luxe Collection). In keeping with Pronovias Group’s commitment to inclusive sizing, every Vera Wang Bride wedding dress is available in extended sizes. Wang says the collection is a perfect fit for fashion-loving brides who have been at the heart of her brand ethos since day 1. “From the very start, I approached bridal as a fashion veteran and insider. As a designer I also brought that unique freedom, experience, confidence and exposure to my work. The Vera Wang bride has always been a woman who is fearless, adores fashion and has her own sense of self.”

In the Vera Wang Bride collection, you’ll find all the beloved signature Vera Wang details — exquisite laces, impeccable corsetry, unexpected textures, delicate details and eclectic skirt shapes — as well as signature silhouettes ranging from column and A-line dresses to ball gowns and mermaid cuts. When I ask Wang what inspires her, and the creation of her collections, she says it’s all about looking ahead, and taking the time to be thoughtful.

“Fashion is constantly moving forward,” she says. “It’s constantly nuanced and detailing trends and culture requires enormous thought. I’m also very focused on the role of respect in what we do. Respect for the design process. Respect for quality. Respect for individuality and imagination. And, most of all, respect for women.”

Having the ear of one of the fashion industry’s greatest is certainly not an everyday occurrence, and to wrap our chat, I had one final question: How do you know when you’ve found the perfect dress?

“You’ve found the one when it brings a certain charm, sensuality, artistry and/or grandeur.”

It’s as simple — and perfectly Vera Wang — as that.

Here are five favourite dresses from the 60 pieces in the new collection