Mark your calendars for June 27 because Vera Wang’s 75th birthday is right around the corner. And if this year’s celebrations follow the pattern of previous years, two things are certain: it will be a stylish, lavish event—and there will be cake.
The bridal designer is known for embracing a good theme. Last year, she dressed as a “rhinestone cowboy” for her Wild West–inspired party. The year before, she celebrated her 73rd birthday with an all-pink event called “Cakes and Karaoke,” complete with her own party prosecco rosé, of course.
As for this year? In a recent interview with People, Wang said her birthday plans are still” up in the air,” admitting that “75 is a lot of pressure.” Nevertheless, the former Vogue editor shows no signs of slowing down. She told the magazine she draws inspiration from icons like Warren Buffett, who, at 93, and Queen Elizabeth II, who famously reigned well into her nineties, refused to let their age interfere with their work.
“I’m just going to keep prodding on because I feel as though I’m able to do my best work more and more,” she told People. “I’m really trying to respect that in me, that voice in me, that I feel very happy to be creating. That’s what it’s all about, really.”
This isn’t the first time Wang’s spoken out about her work ethic and how it’s helped her maintain a youthful spirit. In an interview with Page Six Style this past October, the designer reiterated how her career has helped her feel ageless.
“Basically, I’ve worked my whole life, so it’s really been about work,” Wang told the outlet. “I think work keeps you young and stimulated.
“I work very long hours, I’ve raised two daughters. I think keeping busy is the best antidote [for] good health,” she continued.
And there’s more. In a landmark interview BBC 100 Women in 2022, Wang elaborated on her philosophy on aging. She told the outlet that she never thought to go “out of [her way] to “preserve youth in a fanatical, obsessive way.”
The interview followed Wang’s social media post of herself wearing a crop top, sparking a frenzy among fans. “I didn’t think of myself as being particularly risqué,” she told the BBC.
“It’s very complimentary and I am very grateful for that.” she continued. “But, I have been asked; what are my ‘secrets.’”
Her response: good sleep, and a good cocktail. “I value having a vodka cocktail at the end of the day, because it helps me to transition from a very intense work schedule to a bit of a private life.”
Most iconically, Wang called ageism “so old-fashioned,” insisting that in life “you have to try and continue to grow in one way or another.”
“I never thought about youth, probably because I work with the most beautiful women in the world on a daily basis,” she added. “And because of that, I more envision them as my muses, and maybe it’s a way of dealing with aging that is productive.”