'Timeless' and 'Ageless'



I talked about fashion and the older model in a recent post. I was very struck by the words of Vincent Peter in Paris who thought that older models were not even 'a trend' . Sure, the amazing Maye Musk continues to receive great attention - the entire Musk family is, for one reason or another - but, somewhat reluctantly, I have to agree with Peter. At New York Fashion Week, currently unfolding, there are no older models. The 'models to watch' list published by Vogue UK online shows some ethnic diversity, with a strong Chinese presence,  which is to be welcomed, but all the models  featured are below the age of 25. I am hopeful that London Fashion Week, which is taking place next week, might offer some openings for older models but I feel it might be wishful thinking on my part.
The fashion weeks that took place in September 2017 did seem to embrace diversity and a few older models were seen on runways.  I did a show for Joanne Hynes and it felt good to be included.


In December 2017 Tahmina Begum published in the HuffPostUK, Style section, a post about models to watch in 2018. There were no older models in that list but in fairness to  Tahmina I have to reveal that she had asked me to send her my details, as she wanted to feature me. I was greatly honoured but unfortunately, it was a matter of  bad timing. I never got her message in time so I was too late for the publication deadline.  I am of course really grateful to Tahmina for thinking of me and for trying to be as inclusive as possible in her discussion of diversity in fashion modelling. I generally like Tahmina Begum's incisive comments and the way she pushes for diversity to be embraced as a matter of course, often being critical of the way 'diversity' is currently interpreted.


Yet, as time goes by, I get more and more discouraged by the currently held perception of 'diversity' as a mere trend. It is not and it cannot be just a passing trend. What is wrong? What needs to be done?
In the context of a broader diversity of representation, ageism is, sadly, still rampant. Older models,  are old news at the moment. There are other issues fashion is trying to grapple with and age seems to be of lesser importance.
A generational imbalance and generational conflict is what compounds the issue of ageism. Yes, middle class  baby boomers have greater spending power and can stake a claim to a fashion that does not ignore them, as they are able to buy it. But young people are not happy about the older generation hogging jobs and positions of power. It is this general anxiety that actually fosters discriminatory attitudes towards the older generations. Clearly it is not a problem to be resolved by focussing on an age divide. There is plenty more at stake.
As for magazines, Vogue UK, when Alexandra Shulman was still at the helm, had a few issues devoted to 'Ageless Style', one published in 2015, with models barely in their forties on the cover and plenty of good advice on how to dress to cover 'ageing elbows' and 'nightmare knees', stuff I remember reading in magazines when I was a teen - and that was a long time ago. Nothing has really changed. Older bodies are flawed and shameful.
Will Edward Enninful, new Editor-in chief of Vogue UK, do better? We can only wait and see.
Vogue Italia, currently led by Emanuele Farneti, following Sozzani's  demise - I wonder whether there is a trend here, of men leading the major fashion magazines, whose readership is almost entirely female -  took the plunge last October with a 'Timeless' issue, on whose cover there was the amazing Lauren Hutton. It was a great honour for me to be in one of the editorials, together with Grey fellow model Zvona Vucković, shot by Nacho Allegre and styled by Enrica Ponzellini. 'Old age is having a fashion moment' wrote Farneti, quickly adding that Vogue was not featuring over-60 models for that reason but because of the need for inclusive diversity.

So what next? Should I retire from modelling? Or should I wait till my 70th birthday, in a decade or so? I am quite torn. Farneti's words are food for thought. The October 2017 Vogue issue was dedicated to those (older) women who "do not get anguished by the thought of tomorrow, those for whom it is always and forever today".
What an idyllic vision of old age.  I wish it were true.

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