Raised by an affluent American family of Chinese descent, Vera was once a figure skater taking part in various national competitions. When she failed to make Prom Evening Dress to the US team for the Olympics, she turned her back on sports and welcomed the fashion industry. Her corporate experience included being Vogue's editor for 16 years and rubbing elbows with Ralph Lauren. It was in 1990 that she opened her own Wedding Dress shop in New York, displaying her trademark Winter Wedding Dresses. Her work has the reputation of "a modern, sophisticated approach to classic style."