Stylish seniors – Age Representation in Fashion
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
When asked to picture a ‘stylish senior’, one will first think of a ‘silver fox’, such as George Clooney. It would be fair to suggest that few people asked this question would choose an older woman as their first port of call – and why should they? Ageing is something which has typically precluded women from entry into the realm of fashion, creating a world where there is no female equivalent to the ‘silver fox’. For a long time, the idea that older women could be high fashion, or even sexy, was virtually farcical. However, fashion brands are increasingly hiring older women to head their campaigns – and the results are rather striking.
Photo courtesy of Vanessa Beecroft for SKIMS
The hero of this inclusive phenomenon must be SKIMS, and its October 2023 campaign with the iconic Kim Cattrall. The significance of one of the most globally popular underwear brands using a 67-year-old to model its lingerie should not be understated, when it is lingerie campaigns which have particularly contributed to the narrow image of models we have today (think Victoria’s Secret Angels or Playboy Bunnies). What’s more, Kim Kardashian herself has long been referenced as an ideal body type, even modelling for Playboy herself in 2007. SKIMS promoting such diversity is both hugely influential and promising. The campaign proved to be good news for SKIMS too, generating 120% more positive interest in the brand and remaining its most popular campaign to date. In terms of positive press, it even outdid its debut launch of men’s underwear with Neymar Jr. as the featured model.
In a wildly different campaign to SKIMS, Loewe recently featured Dame Maggie Smith in its Spring/Summer 2024 pre-collection, garnering global attention and viral status. The most striking aspect of the campaign was the focus on the 88-year-old’s make-up free face. Attention is drawn to her ‘lived in’ face by large coats covering any other part of her body, and her hands are centrally positioned in every frame, highlighting her glamour as well as Loewe’s chic handbags. Campaigns where age is brushed off and ones where it is asserted, such as in this case, are equally important for the promotion of ageing women in fashion.
Photo courtesy of Juergen Teller for LOEWE
That the void of older women as fashion models is only now being addressed seems laughable when countless influential figures in fashion are older women – Anna Wintour, Vera Wang, and Donatella Versace, to name a few. And this is not only a growing phenomenon in the fashion world, but the film industry is also embracing this forgotten group; take Emma Thompson’s Good Luck To You, Leo Grande as a brilliant example. Not only is it refreshing and exciting to see older women on the cover of magazines, but the risk of featuring older women is a worthwhile one for fashion houses, who can enjoy both increased revenue and popularity as a result. Is ‘age is just a number’ a phase or the future for fashion? Let’s hope it’s the latter.