STYLE: THE REVENGE OF THE SENIORS

If the world of fashion has long extolled youthful beauty, could that time be over? One might say so. For several years now, winds of change are blowing through the fashion scene, celebrating the splendour of middle age.

For about ten years, the big fashion houses have been highlighting the beauty of age, betting on muses born before the 1970s, like Isabelle Huppert for Balenciaga, for example. But that's not all. Whether in film, music or fashion, seniors seem to be taking their revenge on the younger generations. At a time when youth is gold, these voices have not yet spoken their last word. Rather, quite the opposite.

“At twenty, we're invincible, at twenty, nothing is impossible”, sang the French singer Lorie in 2002. And if we have long believed that the future belongs to the younger generations, it is difficult to deny that upper-middle-age brings its share of potential. Different people can attest to this, like the actress Jennifer Coolidge, and her iconic character in the series The White Lotus.

Many people remember her as Stifler's mom in the gritty comic saga of the early 2000s, American Pie. It has taken 20 years for Jennifer Coolidge to become one of the most popular actresses of the moment - something she did not neglect to highlight in her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, where she won Best Supporting Actress in a series. Filled with humour and references to her pre-White Lotus career, the speech marked a real turning point in this 61-year-old actress's career. 

Style comes and goes, with the rhythms of society. These last months, inclusion has been the word on everyone's lips. It's time for better representation for everyone on the runways: more curvy models, more diversity, fewer gender boundaries, and also older models, too. So much so that several major fashion houses have given pride of place to seniors on the catwalks. Like the last show by Danish designer Rotate, which saw Lisa Rinna, a 59-year-old actress walk the runway; or at Olivier Rousteing who invited the iconic singer Cher (at 76 years old) for Balmain. It's impossible not to mention the presence of Pamela Anderson in the most recent Jacquemus show, who has become a real muse for the young designer.

Whether in a thin-strapped bodysuit or a second-skin jumpsuit, Lisa Rinna and Cher proved that daring and dressing confidently can be accomplished at any age. Rather than noticing the signs of ageing, all we see is women who absolutely shine, real stars of the runway.

It was the same principle at AMI, which chose the British actress Charlotte Rampling, 77 years old, to close the Autumn-Winter 23-24 show at the last Paris Fashion Week. Celebrating her extreme chicness and natural beauty, she appeared dressed in an oversized navy-blue suit with nude makeup, her grey hair coiffed back.

Contrary to what you might believe, the realm of influence is not restricted to adolescents. Several big names on social networks are over 50 and they are exploding.

Like Jannik, who goes by Jaadiee on Instagram, who photographs his king-of-streetwear grandfather who has been invited to a number of Fashion Week shows. 

This 76-year-old, who poses in Dior, Gucci and Off-White, has 1.1 million followers on Instagram. This is a number soon to be attained by Grece Ghanem, model and influencer at age 57, currently with 980,000 followers. With her short grey bob and colourful, always on point outfits, Grece proves that age has nothing to do with audacity and being chic. 

Nathalie Oliver, stylist and TikTok hit (along with her daughter Ninon), also embodies the class and elegance of age. “How are you, mom?” That's how all of their TikTok videos begin. We see Nathalie, always in a rush, detailing her outfit of the day, always chic and never flashy. Designer clothes horses, this mother-daughter duo quickly went viral on TikTok, and their videos took on a humoristic bent. The “too beautiful” that punctuates each of their exchanges may be excessive, but they prove once again that fashion is far from a field reserved for the young. 

Beginning in the 1970s, a concept began to emerge: ageism, or discrimination based on age, as if years were a counter for value. At the heart of ageist prejudices? Women, mostly, for whom hiding signs of aging has become a primordial obsession. Colouring hair to hide the grey, plastic surgery - these have become the norm. Madonna has recently paid the price. As this iconic 64-year-old singer heads out on another world tour, she has also been the target of significant mockery due to her physical appearance after her attendance at the 65th Grammy Awards on February 3^rd, 2023. 

Metamorphosed, Madonna was the victim of a host of derogatory comments. So much so that she was obliged to respond to her detractors through a sharp Instagram post:

“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in.

A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her If she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.

I have never apologized for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I'm not going to start...I look forward to many more years of subversive behavior-pushing boundaries-Standing up to the patriarchy -and Most of all enjoying my life.:

What if the future belonged to seniors?