TO make a name for yourself in fashion, especially a household name, there is a lot to learn about timing, trends and egos. Vera Wang has mastered many of those lessons in the 20 years she has led her own namesake company.

Wang made a list for The Associated Press of 20 nuggets of wisdom she has gained in her career, not only as her own boss but also reaching back to her time of competitive ice-skating (she was a contender for the 1968 US Olympic team), as a Vogue editor, and as a designer at Ralph Lauren.

She remains on alert for new tricks and strategies - that seems to be tip No. 21.

1. It's not just what you design, it is whom you dress.

Wang tackled the red carpet long before she launched her runway collection. But she was already making bridal gowns and competition skating costumes.

"I jumped into celebrity dressing when it was pretty new. There had been a moment of Scaasi with Barbra Streisand and Bob Mackie with Cher, but little else. So I jumped in, with Valentino and Armani, and Women's Wear wrote I was dressing Sharon Stone," Wang says.

Stone's 1998 Oscar-night combo of a purple skirt by Wang and white button-down shirt was the publicity Wang never could have bought. Now awards-dressing is tougher. "Now it's the fashion Olympics to get people to wear your stuff ... The Oscars are killers."

2. Timing is everything.

Though she preferred sportswear, the fashion opportunity in the late 80s and early 90s was evening wear and bridal because those were big, expensive show-stopping pieces.

3. Luck helps too: It is better to be lucky than smart.

Sometimes the big break comes from something out of your control. Wang points to Jason Wu, designer of Michelle Obama's inaugural gown. He's worthy of all the praise, but there are other undiscovered "Smart" comes into play when you recognize the lucky break and make the most of it," Wang says.

4. Nothing is new in fashion; it is about how you reinterpret it.

There are only so many ways a garment can be sewn to be functional and flattering. The challenge for designers is to make it their own.

5. It is about the money - always.

"We creative people don't like worrying about it, but to be in business today, you have to face reality," Wang declares. "I've redefined my business model constantly."

Affordable lines allow her to be creative in her primary collection, which is costly.

6. Relevance is relevant.

Women want clothes that move seamlessly within their lifestyle and within their budget. If you cannot mix a collection piece with something from a mass retailer, it probably won't fly.

7. Everyone deserves true fashion at any price.

No matter how much something costs, high or low, it is an investment and the shopper should get something that looks good.

8. Fragrance is about the most personal thing a person can wear.

"Fragrance makes a statement about who you are," says Wang. You want to be a girlie girl? Rebel rocker? City sophisticate? There are scents for those personas.

9. A pair of shoes or boots can create attitude in a second.

Personas change from ballet flats to heels to Uggs.

10. Fashion is expressive.

Building on the shoe-attitude theory, use accessories to change your outfit depending on your mood, but keep the core pieces classic. Change proportions, wear fine jewelry with T-shirts or a chunky necklace with a gown. Keep the pieces and wear them a new way next year.

"Twenty years ago, fashion was all about rules: You wore a pump to a luncheon and a certain Hermes bag. Now it is about what works for you: be preppy, downtown or Goth, or be all of those on a given day."

11. In design, all people have to guide them is their own barometer.

Yes, there are larger cultural trends, but Wang says she has to "feel" a particular color or silhouette, otherwise it won't work in her collection.

12. Never underestimate the client.

Wang says she doesn't think of what men will think of women wearing her clothes. If the woman feels pretty and sexy, she is pretty and sexy. Winning her over is all that matters.

13. Ready-to-wear: always out of my comfort zone.

"Designing this is a torturous process. It's never easy for me, but that's been good. I always push myself out of my comfort zone. I don't see a reason to do it if I don't."

14. Bridal: conservative, flamboyant; you never know.

The bridal collection needs much broader appeal and be targeted toward the client's tastes, Wang says. Most brides are not as influenced by fashion trends as they are by the vision of the wedding dress they always have dreamed of. She considers herself more of a costume designer in the spirit of Edith Head than a taste-maker when it comes to bridal.

15. It takes courage to put yourself out there.

Reviews can be hard to read, she says, because the reviewers ignore the bravery it takes on a designer's part to churn out collection after collection, on a strict schedule, to an often fickle audience. A film maker, for example, often can reshoot something or extend a deadline when something is not working. A designer doesn't have that luxury.

16. Dressing athletes is a crazy winning, and losing, sport.

Skating was such an important part of her own life that she gets very emotionally wound up with the skaters she has dressed, including Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan and Evan Lysacek.

17. You are not always successful.

"I had to learn to dust myself off and try again. That's my real story. I went to Vogue, and I was not getting the big jobs, and then I went to Ralph Lauren. I didn't feel there was much more I could do there, and that's given me the opportunity to struggle. You have to struggle to appreciate the successes in your life. It is not real otherwise."

18. You are only as good as your team.

No one can do it all. Fashion is not unlike a team sport, where a handful of people get the glory, but many people helped.

19. Keep fighting. Do not sit on your laurels.

If you hang back, even just one season or one awards show, someone else is waiting to take your place.

20. Everyone's journey/route is different.

Wang says she tries not to compare herself to other designers, businesswomen, wives or mothers. Everyone makes choices based on their own situation, and no one else can understand them fully, they only second-guess.

"I've tried to create a life for me that is complete. The truth is, everyone's route is different. It doesn't mean one is better than the other; they're just different."