NEW YORK: Vera Wang, arguably the queen of red-carpet dressing, didn’t go into the fashion business with stars in her eyes. She knew about its unglamorous side, the hard work and, especially, the risks. And there were plenty of doubts along the way.

But every time one person — and, she says, it really just takes one — understands what she’s trying to express with a certain drape of a fabric, a particular color or a new silhouette, she’s reminded of the reason why she became involved in fashion, and why she’s still in it: There’s an indefinable payoff that comes when she’s helped a woman look and feel her best.

“I didn’t come into this like all these teenagers who don’t know better. I wasn’t a ‘young, new designer,’ but I was a new designer and had to go through those growing pains. The risks were apparent to me, and I had seen so many of my friends go through ups and downs,” Wang said in a recent interview.

Wang, 63, was honored for lifetime achievement by the Council of Fashion Designers at its star-studded awards show Monday night at Lincoln Center. She accepted the award from her mentor (and former employer) Ralph Lauren.

“To all the women and men I have dressed, thank you for your trust,” she said during her acceptance speech.

There’s rarely a Hollywood event or an A-list wedding where Wang’s name doesn’t come up. You probably couldn’t go into a shopping mall without seeing it, either.

Her hit parade includes the lavender skirt actress Sharon Stone paired with a Gap shirt at the Oscars in 1998, Chelsea Clinton’s crystal-waistband wedding gown in 2010 and the rose-printed gray jacquard chiffon blouse and evening robe worn with gray rose-printed pants that closed her last catwalk show at New York Fashion Week.

She has a lower-priced line at Kohl’s and another one at David’s Bridal. She’s developed a fragrance business and home-goods collection. And she has branded FTD flower bouquets.

Wang launched her company in 1990 as a bridal brand with a shop at the Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue and a sinking feeling in her stomach. She still feels that way sometimes when she’s about to take another big leap, she acknowledged, but said each success pushes her to go a little farther.

She says being on top requires a combination of “responsibility, dedication, love and passion.” That delicate balance comes through in her artful style.

“I was always taught that anyone should be able to pursue their dream and that the biggest crime is not to try. That made me motivated, and I didn’t want to wonder what could have happened.”

The perk that comes with it all? “I have a great closet,” she said.

Wang has served on the CFDA board, so she knows how thoughtful the process is when selecting a lifetime honoree.

“This is beyond anything I could have expected. I had informed other designers they had gotten the award. ... It was such a shock to get the call” from CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg. “She said, ‘Sit down. You’re going to like this.’“

The hardest part — other than choosing what to wear — was pulling together a retrospective of styles for a video tribute that would suit such a perfectionist.