Vera Wang, 74, sparks conversation about aging with poolside snap

The designer’s swimsuit pictures sparked an online debate around agism

Vera Wang has sparked a conversation about aging after posting a poolside snap.

On 28 May, the 74-year-old designer shared a series of stunning poolside photos with her followers, showing off her look: a white one-piece swimsuit, silver earrings, and Vera Wang sunglasses. The caption read, “My SLIM AARONS moment …Happy Summer!!!”

After some said she was “aging backward,” users on X, formerly known as Twitter, called them out for using the phrase.

“Why are we afraid to show the realities of being 74? I loved my mom’s wrinkles and smile lines. They showed she lived life! It’s sad to think that we’re not allowed to age now… gracefully or not,” one user wrote, while another said: “Vera Wang very much looks her age and guess what? That ain’t a problem!”

“Aging is a beautiful thing. Embrace it,” someone else wrote.

Even Wang has balked at the concept, with her notably responding to a fan who previously wrote: “You are very very, very young.”

Quickly, she’d replied: “NO. I am my own person but def not young.”

In an interview with the BBC, the famous designer admitted that she finds all forms of ageism awful and “so old-fashioned”. She told the outlet: “You have to try and continue to grow in one way or another.”

She also reflected on the reaction she received after she’d posted photos of herself in a sports bra online. She explained she never thought of “going way out of my way” to preserve her youth “in a fanatical, obsessive way”.

“I mean, it’s nice that people thought that about me. It’s very complimentary and I’m very grateful for that,” she continued, revealing that her secret to her so-called ageless look includes a good night of sleep and a vodka 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.”

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Beyond her nightly routine, Wang stressed that one thing that she has prioritised is her work above all else, dubbing productivity as a way to avoid incessant thoughts about aging. Because of the nature of her job, she claimed that she rarely thinks about youth.

“I work with the most beautiful women in the world on a daily basis,” she said. “Because of that, I more envision them as my muses.”

This isn’t the only time that Wang has turned heads with her secret to aging well. After one X user said they’ll “have whatever Vera Wang is drinking,” she let them in on her secret and admitted: “Diet Coca Cola... typical on a NY fashion type.”

Beyond her penchant for Diet Coke, the designer told Harper’s Baazar that she strives for a balanced diet. She told the outlet: “I go through phases with what I eat for lunch: I like sashimi with brown rice and vegetables, Chinese steamed broccoli with chicken and rice, or the artichoke salad or fish from Sant Ambroeus.”

She noted that the key was to never miss a meal so that your mind can function properly.