Face it, fashion runways have a loooong way to go before they’ll count as truly diverse, but this season there’s been a shift in at least one area of representation. At show after show, we’ve seen stylish women of all ages — not just one or two tokenized women over 25, but models ranging in age from their 40’s to 70’s strut their stuff on the runway this season.
Granted, a number of these women were legends making a comeback. At Hellessy, Pat Cleveland (68) closed the show in her signature sashay, while Elie Tahari tapped Christie Brinkley (65) to walk with her daughter, Sailor Cook. Carol Alt stole the show at Dennis Basso, while Batsheva included Veronica Webb (53), and Patti Hansen (62) dazzled at Michael Kors. 90’s supermodel Christy Turlington (50) made a return to the catwalk in more than two decades at Marc Jacobs. So some of the age diversity came from designers paying tribute to fashion history.
But supermodels were hardly the only non-18-year-olds on the runway. 11 Honoré kicked off Fashion Week with a size-inclusive show that ended in a spectacular finale featuring Laverne Cox (46). Designer Rachel Comey, who often casts nonprofessional models in her shows, included a roster of her friends, including artists, writers, and other creative types. Former Vogue editor Tonne Goodman (67), who usually sits front row at shows, made a turn at CDLM. Deveaux, designed by street-style photographer Tommy Ton, featured a predominantly older cast wearing sophisticated separates — you could picture them wearing the outfits home.
The trend has continued as the shows have moved to Europe. In London, ’90s favorite Stella Tennant (48) walked Burberry in a sleek camel look, while fellow model Guinevere Van Seenus (41) made a runway return at Erdem. And Simone Rocha curated a cast that included Gen-X icon Chloë Sevigny (44), Helmut Newton muse Marie Sophie Wilson (54), and ’90s model Kirsten Owen (48).
Then, in Milan, MM6 Maison Margiela went all-in with a presentation consisting entirely of gray-haired women who looked like they were having a blast dancing along to the music. Former Garage creative director Shala Monroque (40) re-emerged at Marni while Versace had Shalom Harlow (45) open and 90’s supermodel Stephanie Seymour (50) light up the catwalk to close the show.
Every single one of these ladies hadn’t lost a strutting step, and it’s a fabulous trend that will hopefully continue.
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