Keep ’Em Wanting More
Renowned fashion designer Vera Wang’s latest bodyproud social media posts are causing a sensation. Just don’t call her thirsty
Renowned fashion designer Vera Wang’s latest bodyproud social media posts are causing a sensation
Shortly before her birthday in June, Vera Wang received some rather enthusiastic well wishes online from fans— only they were marvelling over her body. While Wang, who has dressed legions of famous brides (Mariah Carey, Victoria Beckham and Kim Kardashian among them), has never been a shrinking violet, she was taken aback by the sudden attention.
“I was in Miami when I heard about it. I was kind of surprised,” says the designer, who had been posting more poolside selfies than perhaps was normal while spending weeks in lockdown, some with bare legs and bare midriffs. It hadn’t occurred to her that anyone would remark on her physical fitness or, for that matter, her age.
“I’m a woman designer for other women, not a male designer for women,” she says. “In the past I sort of learnt how to downplay [the way I dress] because [when I do shows or dress up a bride], it’s really about the women I dress and not about me.”
Some of her Instagram photos, showing herself in a tangerine Palm Angels sports bra, for instance, or a revealing black top, seemed to have been done in self-deprecating jest (they were paired with images of some very young fans who were emulating her signature style). Instead, the internet branded Wang a “Sex Symbol at 70”. Wang, who was a professional figure skater in her youth, responded by surprising her followers with the revelation that she is not so much into exercise these days as she is chips, cheese and pizza.
She was obviously overwhelmed by the attention, but for her, what she wanted to express in those viral posts was nothing but ordinary. “It’s a way to express myself,” she says, adding “I’m not running around advertising myself. I’ve been in a bathing suit before with my girls in Miami and you know, when it’s 89 degrees [Fahrenheit], you don’t go around in a coat.”
If there’s anything that keeps her young, she says, “I think it’s my work. I think working keeps your mind active. I am in one of the most competitive fields in the world, which is fashion. It is one of the most demanding. We are relentlessly on a very tight schedule and that makes me push myself further.”
How has she managed to continue to find success in an industry where recognition and relevance can be short-lived? Much like her latest posts, part of the answer comes from keeping her finger on the pulse of what’s interesting.
“It is key to be relevant and to stay relevant,” she says. “It has been a constant journey and constant pressure but also pure joy to interpret what’s really going on not only in fashion but in life.”