( CNN ) -- Last week , powerhouse wedding gown designer Vera Wang announced that she and her husband of 23 years , Arthur Becker , were separating . `` Vera Wang and Arthur Becker have mutually and amicably agreed to separate . They remain devoted parents to their two daughters , '' Mario Grauso , the president of the Vera Wang Group , said in a statement to CNN . The couple married in 1989 when Wang was a design director at Ralph Lauren and Becker was a stockbroker at Bear Stearns & Co. Before her tenure at Ralph Lauren , Wang worked at Vogue magazine for more than 15 years . Wang , 63 , launched her label in 1990 , a year after her own wedding , with a prestigious Madison Avenue address on New York City 's Upper East Side . She opened Bridal House Ltd. , as it was called at the time , because she noticed something was missing from bridal gowns during her own wedding planning : art . Tamara Albu , an associate professor of fashion design at Parsons The New School of Design , said Wang revolutionized the way people looked at the wedding gown ; she upped the sophistication and made the gown an expression of a state of mind , not just a marker of a special occasion . `` She understands women who embrace fashion . In her case , she markets the wedding gown as a personification of love and beauty , not herself , '' she said . However , Wang 's recent announcement has caused speculation as to whether her fairy-tale aesthetic will be affected by her own not-so-happily-ever-after ending . Wang 's empire has grown into a multitiered , multimillion-dollar effort , a marriage of ready-to-wear and sportswear , as well as bedding , eyewear , fragrance , stationery , luggage , footwear , tableware and flower collections . Ivanka Trump , Chelsea Clinton and Victoria Beckham are just a few of the influential people who have said `` I do '' donning Vera Wang . Nowadays , designers sell a lifestyle , and with it , their clothes and accessories . Diane von Furstenberg is renowned for her iconic wrap dress and signature prints for the ever-sassy career woman -- embodying the DVF label . Donatella Versace is synonymous with over-the-top prints and unabashed sexiness , fitting for her brand 's Miami jet-set look . For Wang , it was romanticism . `` Vera Wang is a magnificent designer who has created a unique aspirational world that alludes to sensuality and youthful sophistication . Exquisite details , intricate draping and a nonchalant sense of style characterize the Vera Wang aesthetic , '' Albu said . Does the end of Wang 's marriage mean her enchanted empire is in danger ? Albu says not necessarily . Wang 's Fall 2012 bridal collection departed from the typical matrimonial hues of white and ivory and included several black wedding dresses , while her spring 2013 bridal collection was emblazoned with scarlet-hued gowns . Both are creative decisions Albu says could have been foretelling of Wang 's own marital woes . `` I think there is something there . This did n't occur overnight and ( is ) , in a way , a symbolic gesture . Creative people do take their inspiration from everywhere , including their own personal life , '' Albu said . However , fashion experts like Albu also say Wang 's customers are looking for their own fantasy -- not trying to mimic the designer 's . `` Without doubt , every bride has her own fantasy about her own wedding . Does this fantasy include the personal life of her dress designer ? I do n't think so , '' Albu said . `` It is about a dream and an image and not a projection of someone that is instrumental in setting the stage , '' she said . Molly R. Leis , who owns the retail marketing firm MRL Communications , agrees Wang 's personal life wo n't drive away sales because she never made it a part of the story . `` The Vera Wang brand does not sell her personal love story nor her marriage , but the soul of a New Yorker dedicated to offering women a luxury lifestyle brand , '' said Leis , who is also a former director of marketing for Saks Fifth Avenue New York . `` Vera sells a lifestyle beyond the wedding . The dream she sells is that of an ambitious , driven , determined woman destined for success . She is often photographed and interviewed alone without mention or sight of her husband , '' she said . Reports have indicated that Becker , a successful businessman , played a significant role in expanding the Vera Wang brand , and neither party has commented on how their marital split might affect the company 's operations . But for customers devoted to Wang 's designs , it does n't change the bottom line . Alli Sosna of Washington , D.C. , will walk down the aisle on June 8 , 2013 , in a Wang gown . The 27-year-old says she did n't , and still does n't , consider the designer 's personal life in her decision . `` I saw myself comfortable in my own skin , in a well-fitted elegant dress on a very important day in my life , '' Sosna said . `` The design spoke to me , not the artist 's marital status , but what she stands for . If anything , her dresses are probably going to get better since she will be back on the market and falling in love again . '' And if there 's anything popular culture loves more than a fairy tale , it 's a second chance at love . Are your fashion buying decisions influenced by a designer 's personal life ? Would you buy a Vera Wang gown post-split ? Share your opinion in the comments section below . Maria LaMagna contributed to this report .
Vera Wang built a multimillion-dollar company around fairy tale wedding gowns . Wang and her husband , Arthur Becker , recently announced their separation . Speculation has swirled that Wang 's marital split might affect her dress empire . A design expert says customers are n't looking to mimic the gown designer 's personal life .