Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty; Xavier Laine/Getty
Vera Wangis reflecting on the “honor” she felt dressing Olympic figure skaterNathan Chen.
“When you get the chance to dress an Olympian in a sport you so adore… it’s an honor and a privilege,” Wangcaptionedthe special photos on Instagram, adding, “Congratulations to my friend,@nathanwchenon winning 🥇 for his country, his team, his support system, his family, friends and fans…. but most of all, himself 🙏🇺🇸⛸.”
Nathan Chen competing in the figure skating team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.Elsa/Getty
She echoed the same sentiment in another series ofphotos, in which Chen wore a fiery orange top that faded into burgundy sleeves with white celestial marks. He completed the look, which he wore as he won the gold medal after the men’s free skate event, with plain black pants.
Though Wang is known for designing lavish red carpet gowns and brides' dream wedding dresses, she has been a staple designer of Olympic figure skating costumes for over 20 years.
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“It’s not for the faint of heart,” she told PEOPLE for its special issueThe Best of Olympic Figure Skatingin 2018. “If one strap were to break, or if the beading on the sleeve gets caught when they turn, their whole Olympics is over,” Wang explained. “That is how serious it is. It’s absolutely nightmarish!”
RELATED VIDEO: Winter Olympics: Figure Skater Nathan Chen Stuns with Highest Men’s Short Program Score Ever
Her groundbreaking looks have been featured on Olympic figure skatersNancy Kerrigan,Michelle Kwan, and Evan Lysacek, with the latter being one of her biggest challenges as it was her first time dressing a male figure skater.
“With Evan [Lysacek], I tried to back out in July. I woke up one night with hot flashes and a rash. The technology of designing for him worried me,” she said of the 2010 task.
“We had to quadruple stitch the seams. Triple stitching was not enough for his torque,” Wang told PEOPLE. “And Evan, being a man and having to jump incessantly, was very conscious of the weight of fabric. It had to be as thin as possible.”
Wang is a proud member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame due to her her contributions to the sport, including her most recent work with Chen.
To learn more about Team USA, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Winter Olympics, now, and the Paralympics, beginning March 4, on NBC.
source: people.com
