Vera Wang 'Didn't Really Get' the Viral Response to Her Baring Her Abs at Age 70 in 2020 Instagram Post

Vera Wang nearly broke the Internet in May 2020 when the then 70-year-old designer shared photos of her off-duty style and toned physique on Instagram.

Her outfit — a bright orange Palm Angels workout top and white short-shorts topped off with hair accessories from one of her collections with David's Bridal — put her abs, arms and legs on display, and sent fans into a frenzy.

The post, which Wang captioned, "Category is ... Backyard Bling," racked up nearly 38,000 "likes" and countless comments on social media.

Now Wang, 73, is taking PEOPLE inside the moment that went viral.

Though Wang can "barely" use her phone, in the fall of 2018, she began using Instagram as a way to connect with her followers on a deeper level.

"I was not an early adapter, but I thought it'd be nice to [provide] a little bit of an insight into the craziness of my life," she tells PEOPLE.

Fast-forward to spring 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang found herself sheltering in place with a few colleagues in Miami. Those employees were also exercise enthusiasts, Wang says.

"There was a treadmill in our house, and they kept pushing me to get on it. I said, 'I'm busy watching CNN!'"

Finally she obliged. "I was going to get on the treadmill when my design director for mass bridal said to me, 'We're selling barrettes. Could you put these in your hair? I'll take the picture.'

So now I'm really about to get on it and I hear them say, 'Oh, my God, people are talking about this.' And I said, 'What are they talking about?' And they said, 'You. In an orange workout top with white jeans shorts.'"

Wang calls that "the beginning" of the Internet's fascination with what she was wearing.

"Now, it was like 90 degrees in Miami, I wasn't going to wear a turtleneck sweater! We just all looked at each other and said, 'Are you kidding?' Just didn't really get it," she says.

"I've been to the Met Gala. I've gone to the Oscars. It's crazy. Seriously, when I say to people, 'I don't get it.' If we planned something like this, it would've never happened."

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This, and the photos that followed, had commenters demanding, "Tell us where the fountain of youth is please."

Of the response, Wang says, "I guess it's just that people have an idea of what 70 looks like today. I have so many friends that are 65 to 70 that look fabulous. But I have to say that hopefully, it's a good thing. I hope it makes women feel more comfortable with themselves or are confident, or there are many definitions of what a woman can be."

This month, as Wang unveils a campaign for the relaunch of her Rock Princess fragrance, she is instilling confidence in women again.

The scent — a fruity-floral blend of peach, jasmine, rose and amber — is "not only for the young; it's for old folks like me. I don't think it's limited to age because why can't I like Rock Princess? You know what I mean? And I think that's kind of the wonderful thing about it. There's a little bit of rock in all of us."

Wang does have a few secrets to her fabulous appearance.

"Nobody believes me when I say it, but working keeps you young. It keeps your mind young, and your spirit up and your relevance up, which I think affects your body."

"And, one of the things I am known to like to do is have a vodka cocktail. There's no question about that, I do. I have a vodka at some point after five or six o'clock, maybe towards seven.

"And I have to say, sleep, staying out of the sun without sunblock, and good lighting is everything too!"