Every time I open the closet, I
see and when I got introduced to
beer and Jill turned to me and
said, what do you say that for?
All those labels. Your wine? Yes
I could have said a little
better when open the closet.
Lacey you all the time. Oh what
about president Biden honoring
fashion designer and icon Vera,
weighing with the 2021 national
medal of the arts. It's one of
the nation's highest honors, she
joined a select group of
creators, advocates and writers
to receive this award, including
Bruce Springsteen, Julia Louis
Dreyfus and Gladys knight. I
mean, this was the first time
since taking office as president
Biden held this event due to
covid 19 right in the
restrictions there, so joining
us now ah fashion designer
recipient of the national medal
of arts all around hero, my
friend Vera Wang, our friend.
Very good morning to you.
Congratulations. Thank you so
much. I'm flying on air. Um it's
kind of surreal. I have to say,
but here it is. My olympic gold
. It looks like an olympic gold
medal. But as you know, popping
out, we're talking. We were
saying in the break as we were
talking to you, Bobby said that
they're both important. But this
is about a lifetime of work. Not
just one huge win. This is about
your body of work. Yes. Yes a
long body of work, definitely.
But I have to say that I was
really moved. I mean, you never
really think how you react. But
when I walked into that room, um
it was really quite emotional
for me because also something I
totally did not anticipate in a
million years. So this was an
out of body experience. You had
no idea like the address of mine
. Yes your stuff is so
beautiful. It's just it's like
timeless and I mean what he was
saying there about walking into
the first lady's closet and
seeing your your designs
everywhere. I wonder what it's
like to even hear something like
that that the first lady's
closet in the white house is
full of your work and things
that you've created. Well, I
like to think, guys. Poppy
Caitlin, everyone else don. I
have to say that, um it's such
an honor to craft clothing, but
to see it really warn and
enjoyed an experience by someone
like the first lady. I don't
think it really gets better for
any designer tell you the truth
. Yeah you know, I mean, go
ahead. No I just think that for
something so unexpected. I was
unbelievably moved. So you know
, I'm just happiest can be
today. We're playing celebratory
showing videos. Some of your
dresses. I mean, truly are
unreal on. Yeah I mean, I'll
never forget the experience of
walking into your boutique like
10 years ago and getting to try
on your gowns. It's a once in a
lifetime experience. Look um I
love that you have said if
anyone had said I'd be the girl
who didn't get married until she
was 40 and would build a
business based on wedding gowns.
I would have laughed. Look how
much you have done. Since this
moment in your life when you
thought and you've said, well,
maybe it was too late. Guys is
40. That old says that to me,
god, you didn't get started to
your 40. And I'm thinking well,
I don't know if I could have
done it at 35. I was too crazy.
I mean, I'm just saying honestly
, 40 doesn't seem 40 doesn't
seem that old to me particularly
now, and I have to say that
there's something about a
certain maturity that comes, you
know that comes with age and
experience. But only had two
major careers before both of
vogue magazine. Yeah obviously
as a as a design director for
Ralph Lauren's company, so both
of those things really helped me
establish, you know, a resident
not only a resume, but such
incredible education experience
, so I don't know it's 40
battled. No but I guess it is
not. But absolutely not. Let me
ask you about we were just
talking about, you know. People
looking for cheaper products,
but there's also luxury goods
are really soaring right now.
Aspirational I think probably
coming out of covid is helping
as well that people want to be
aspirational. Do you think that
it has changed now that you know
, considering what happened at
the covid that people are, you
know, foregoing their dream
wedding. Um weddings now, are
you seeing that or people still
leaning into the big wedding
dress? Expensive stuff, you
know? I think, frankly, before
the pandemic, there was a new
trend. Young couples wanted to
not spend quite as much on the
sartorial the clothing part of
the wedding. It's more
interested in travel and
experience, but I think since
the pandemic and everyone was
locked up there has been this
wedding resurgence. It's been
really kind of insane, and I
think the desire to celebrate
with people you love and you
know, just really experience the
full wedding moment has really,
um galvanized and changed pretty
much our business for now. I
have to be honest, I did 38
personal vip weddings myself
last year and wow record for me
. Wow yeah, well, listen, you do
beautiful stuff. But the best
accessory I think today is that
huge metal hanging around your
neck. I love it so much. I can't
even tell you I could never have
expected this in a million
years, so well, well deserved
and thank you guys for joining
you in New York dinner. All four