Anna Klevhag @ Callaghan Spring/Summer, 1996 Ready-to-Wear
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AGE - #POWER
As fashion season can be defined as much by the people on the catwalk as it can by the clothes they are wearing. This time around, a key moment came at the end of Marc Jacobs’ New York show, when an almost makeup-free Christy Turlington made a rare return to the catwalk, aged 50. While this is hardly ancient in the real world, it is in modelling, where the average catwalk model is around 18. A few days later, Simone Rocha arguably upped the ante. The 32-year-old’s show – in part inspired by Louise Bourgeois, who lived until she was 98 – featured models in their 30s and 40s.
Of course, the motives for this are not entirely pure. The over-50s account for around 47% of all UK consumer spending, according to figures from 2015, and if their financial clout has been dubbed the “grey pound” by the retail world, it’s an even more dazzling silver in beauty. In an arena where youth has always been highly prized, older faces are finally having a moment in the spotlight, or at least on a billboard near you. Unretouched, unairbrushed Helen Mirren, 74, tells us we’re all worth it for L’Oréal Paris; Neal’s Yard Remedies’ #AgeWellRevolution stars “real” women of all demographics; and Pantene’s #PowerOfGrey initiative challenges the discrepancy between perceptions of men and women with grey hair, encouraging women of all ages to share images of themselves on social media, using the hashtag #powerofgrey.
In MAC’s What’s Your Thing campaign, models and non-models wear makeup looks that represent their unique style. Among them are Anna Klevhag, 50, sporting bold, berry-stained lips, and Jan de Villeneuve, 75, in full foundation, pillarbox-red lipstick and smoky eye makeup. Neither has been made to look younger; instead they look confident, stylish, modern – a woman in her 20s would be as inspired to buy that berry lipstick as one in her 50s.
Campaigns such as MAC’s demonstrate a shift in attitudes. “Older women are usually forced into either rosy ‘mother-of-the-bride’ makeup or the New York-eccentric caricature of bug-eyed glasses and bright clothes,” says MAC’s Terry Barber. “What people enjoy about this campaign is seeing older women who look very different from one another, are very stylish, and are not just there to tick the diversity box. Consumers are constantly offered ‘fixes’ or told how to hide wrinkles. But what if you don’t want to hide them?”
Beauty advertising has traditionally focused on looking younger, rather than embracing beauty at any age. A Palmolive ad from the 30s even read, “A wife can blame herself if she loses love by getting ‘middle age’ skin.” While things have moved on, there are still issues. In 2017, Dior cast 25-year-old Cara Delevingne in its Capture Youth anti-ageing campaign, sparking a social media backlash, while in 1996, Lancôme famously let Isabella Rossellini go at 43, only to rehire her at 63.
“It’s hard to believe in an anti-wrinkle cream if it’s shown on a younger woman who is unlikely to have any,” says Renia Jaz, 53, whose blog and Instagram are dedicated to ageless style. “We are not ashamed of the changes happening to our hair, face and body, and we want brands to respect that.”
HARVARD REFERENCE
The Guardian. (2019). Being Seen: how is age diversity effecting chance in fashion and beauty. [Online]. The Guardian. Last Updated: 14 Sept 2019. [Accessed 19 September 2022].
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Anna Klevhag @ Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer, 1996 Ready-to-Wear
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