Why older women are the new icons of fashion
The notoriously youth-obsessed fashion and beauty industry have a tendency to pretend women past a certain age don’t exist, but a recent slew of high-profile campaigns featuring leading older ladies might signal a turning of the tides. And all we can say, it’s about bloody time!
In January, high-end French fashion house Céline released their latest campaign with 80-year-old novelist, Joan Didion, as the face of the brand. Two days later, luxury French label Saint Laurent debuted an ad featuring 71-year-old singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell.
Kate Spade recently rolled out campaigns showcasing 93-year-old style legend Iris Apfel with supermodel Karlie Kloss, who is 71 years Apfel’s junior. Cosmetic brand L'Oréal announced earlier this year it had signed 65-year-old sixties icon, Twiggy, as its latest brand ambassador. Twiggy joins the ever-elegant 69-year-old Helen Mirren who was revealed as the new face of L'Oréal in 2014 with much fanfare.
The mature woman, it seems, is finally “on trend”. And these ladies are only the latest members of a growing trend to include over-60s in high-end campaigns. Last year saw actress Jessica Lange, 65, cast as the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty, 69-year-old Charlotte Rampling become brand ambassador for cosmetic brand NARS and Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston, 63, model for Gap.
But it’s not just famous ladies who are finally being given the space and media attention to shine. There’s no young, stick-thin 20-something year old model in Dolce & Gabbana’s new spring campaign, but a trio of chic Spanish grandmother modelling gold tiaras and clutching embellished purses. We’re assuming they are well past their 70th birthdays and still looking as fabulous as ever.
And closer to home, publishing icon Ita Buttrose was one of the ambassadors for label Sportscraft’s 100th anniversary.
The recent explosion of older faces in, perhaps, the most youth-obsessed industry has many wondering if we’re finally accepting – or even embracing – women of an older age. Although that may be a stretch too far because a few older faces in a sea of faces that haven’t seen past 30 isn’t exactly revolutionary, it’s heartening to see brands finally going over-60 and recognising that not everybody wants to chase youth forever. While there is still a long way to go before the beauty of an older woman is truly embraced by society, this recent trend can only be a step in the right direction. And while trends certainly come and go in fashion, we hope this is a trend that stays.