Diane Von Furstenberg is ''afraid'' of plastic surgery.

The 67-year-old fashion designer has confessed she would never undergo invasive cosmetic procedures to combat ageing as she believes altering her features would make her ''insecure''.

When asked if she would ever resort to plastic surgery, Diane told The Guardian newspaper: ''No. The thing I'm afraid of is that I wouldn't recognise myself and then I would become insecure.''

Although the Belgian-born fashion icon insists she doesn't ''love ageing'', she admitted she prefers to grow old gracefully as it shows she has lived her life to the full.

She explained: ''I don't love ageing but, you know, the alternative to ageing - you don't want that. Ageing means living, right?

''And if you live and you're aged, it means you have a past and if you're OK with your past and have lived it fully, then it's OK.

''I can't possibly say I love ageing or that I love my face, but this is my face. You have to make the most of it.''

Diane - who began designing women's wear in 1970 and went on to found her world-renowned eponymous label -managed to rid herself of ageing woes by learning to ''like herself'' in her younger years.

She explained: ''I don't miss anything about being young. What does it mean, 'Being young'? I am the way I am. The thing that makes me happy is I didn't waste my time in my youth. The biggest advice I can give anyone is that the most important relationship you have is with yourself and then any other relationship is a plus, not a minus. Get to know yourself. And don't waste your time!

''Be hard on yourself. You have to be non-delusional in order to like yourself but if you are straight to yourself, you will also be nice to yourself.''