After entering the catwalk to curvy models, to imperfect, unique or particular faces and bodies, to LGBTQ boys and girls and to models with disabilities, fashion finally seems ready to break down another taboo: that of age. In a society like ours, in which the dominant model is still that of an eternally young and performing woman, talking about Age diversity is almost a revolution.
If already in the world of cinema and music the dogmas surrounding old age have been dissolving for some time, in the world of fashion it had not yet happened. In recent years, however, more and more photographers, brands and influential magazines have begun to portray models over 50 and over 70, a sign of a sensitivity that is finally changing.
Age diversity celebrates the body exactly the way it is, without artifice. The most popular over models today are women who live with serenity as the years progress, the appearance of wrinkles and white hair. The message is clear: beauty is timeless.
So let’s discover together 10 icons of ageless beauty for a more inclusive fashion:
1) Maye Musk
Class of ’48, Maye Musk is a model and dietician . She was born in Canada, she moved with her family to South Africa in 1950. she It was she who started her modeling career by winning the Miss South Africa beauty contest in ’69. At the same time she studied dietetics at the South African Orange Free State University and subsequently obtained a master’s degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Toronto . Her career as a model is studded with successes and memorable shots. Her last record dates back to 2017 when she becomes the oldest spokesperson for a cosmetics brand at the age of 69.
Source: Instagram , Maye Musk, modified size
2) Yasmine Rossi
Undisputed symbol of ageless beauty, this stunning 65-year-old model is the perfect example of the benefits of an active, healthy and conscious life. She arrives in the world of fashion relatively late, at the age of 30. Since then, her career has been on the rise.
Thanks to her breathtaking physique, her perfect skin and her candid and flowing hair. His secrets are very simple. An active working life, a varied and balanced organic diet, moderate physical activity, weekly scrubs on the skin of the whole body, rapeseed oil treatments for the hair.
3) Daphne Selfe
Now 92, Daphne Selfe holds the record for the oldest model in the world. About her Her career began after winning a local competition that allowed her to sign a contract with a London agency many, many years ago. After the wedding in 1954 and the birth of her children, Daphne I think it was time to leave the world of fashion but things turned out differently.
Indeed, the fame of Selfe increased with the increasing of the years, becoming a symbol of beauty without age. She has never tried to hide her wrinkles, showing them with such pride that she has become one of the most requested models in the over panorama. You have collaborated with the most famous high fashion brands and conquered the covers of the most authoritative magazines in the sector.
4) Anna Von Rueden
Among the greatest exponents of Age diversity there is certainly the almost 80 year old Anna Von Rueden. She was discovered by chance on the streets of Berlin, after a break from the catwalks during which she dedicated herself to her private life and her 4 children, in 2006 she returned to the limelight. Unlike many of her colleagues, who lend themselves sporadically as testimonials, she works full-time with various fashion agencies.
5) JoAni Johnson
JoAni Johnson’s story is unbelievable. After a life spent working in the marketing of the clothing industry, she begins to take an interest in the world of tea blends. She becomes an expert, writes books and founds a company of her own. But it is only after the age of 60, motivated in particular by her husband, that she decides to launch herself into the world of fashion as a model.
It parades for different brands and appears in some advertisements. Her popularity comes when Rihanna chooses her as the face of her fashion line. She is the silver-haired oversized model and certainly a symbol of ageless beauty, but not only. With its Jamaican origins it is also a living manifesto of the fight against racism and misogyny.
6) Gillean McLeod
Gillean McLeof also began her modeling career at the suggestion of a photographer friend at an unusual age. The famous stylist from Los Angeles did not abandon her career but, to it, she added that of a model. A few years ago, at the age of 60, she became the protagonist of the beachwear campaign of a well-known clothing store chain. For the occasion on Instagram she posted the shot of her in costume writing: ’60 years is the new 20′.
7) Milva Spina
Model, stylist and make-up artist. Milva Spina has always worked in the fashion world but she has often dedicated herself to collateral projects rather than focusing on her own modeling career. Her turning point, as also underlined in the presentation form of one of the agencies she collaborates with, was her age. ‘After she left her naturally gray hair, her phone never stopped ringing.’
8) Lyn Slater
The story of Lyn Slater and the American dream come true . A teacher at a New York school, she was walking with a friend of hers through the streets of the Big Apple during Fashion Week when some photographers mistake her for a fashion icon and start taking pictures of her. From which moment Lyn Slater decides to launch herself into the world of fashion by opening a blog in which she publishes her outfits. On Accidental Icon , which today is also an Instagram profile following, Lei lyn is aimed at all those normal women who do not want to give up on fashion and who claim the right to be cool even if not younger.
9) Iris Apple
Iris Apfel is probably one of the best known faces of Age diversity . Born on August 29, 1921, she has always been successful in entrepreneurship and interior design. She has never been a model but her eccentric and recognizable style has made her famous all over the world, even among the very young. Almost 100 years old, Iris manages her own Twitter account , a Facebook page and an Instagram profile with 1 million and 600 thousand followers. She is probably the oldest influencer in the world.
10) Carmen Dell’Orefice
The latest icon of ageless beauty that we present to you is 10 years younger than Iris. Carmen Dell’Orefice was born in 1931 into a rather indigent family. Her father is an Italian musician, her mother a Hungarian dancer. She tries to pursue a career as a dancer and a swimmer but both will be interrupted by the rheumatic pains developed during the years of poverty.
In 1944, at the bus stop, she was noticed by the wife of Herman Landschoff, photographer of Harper’s Bazaar ; the rest is history. In the 1980s and 1990s the scene was dominated by very young models whose careers generally ended at the age of 30. Thanks to her extraordinary beauty but her, Carmen Dell’Orefice managed to make her way and work even in those rather hostile moments. The relevance of her work was also celebrated by the University of the Arts London which, in 2011, awarded her an honorary degree.
