Originally appeared on E! Online
Like a fine wine, Vera Wang just gets better with time.
The fashion designer, who turned 76 in June, is often lauded for her age-defying beauty, and she recently shared what she considers to be the secret to maintaining her youthful energy.
“I always say to people I think I work really hard, and I think work is a great deterrent,” Wang exclusively told E! News at the 19th annual DKMS Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City Oct. 14. “It just keeps you occupied mentally, physically. It keeps you engaged. So I think work is really, really important.”
While she shared that there’s “nothing non-negotiable” for her when it comes to daily beauty rituals, she did stress the importance of exercise to her routine.
“I do like to work out when I can,” Wang said. “I’m a little sporadic. I have a very busy schedule, but it’s really work. Work’s what keeps me going.”
READ Vera Wang, 76, Shows Off Glowing Skin in New Photo
The bridal designer also provided some insight into her refreshing perspective on birthdays in her seventies.
“I don’t set goals at this age, but I’m very grateful that I have the help I have, and I feel that I’m lucky to be able to be as active and as engaged as I am,” she explained. “Birthdays should be celebrated and treasured. A lot of my friends are scared. I say, if you get to this stage, you’re really lucky. So you should celebrate it.”
Wang—who shares daughter Cecilia, 33, and Josephine, 30, with ex-husband Arthur Becker—turned heads when she celebrated her birthday earlier this year in two sexy outfits: a backless slip dress and a lace-trimmed gown layered with white pearls.
“Just celebrating my 75 9/10 – 76th birthday NEW YORK TIME with my Parisian crew and a few others who have been lifelong besties!” she wrote on Instagram in June. “Thank you all for this special special night!”
Kris Jenner is aging on her own terms. In a new interview with Vogue Arabia, published on Aug. 26, the mom of six opened up about giving her 15-year-old facelift a refresh ahead of her 70th birthday this coming November.
