With biohacking on the rise, nostalgic fashion trends cropping up at every turn, and an anti-ageing treatments industry that’s going from strength to strength, the overwhelming message seems to be that youth equals beauty – and any evidence of the passing of time is best erased.
It’s all the more impressive, then, that even against this rather dire backdrop, there seems to be a seismic shift going on in the fashion industry right now, that’s celebrating the exact opposite. Welcome to the new era of older women as the ultimate style stars; an era in which Dame Maggie Smith and Joan Didion front fashion campaigns, seventy year olds rule the runway, and the buzziest influencers are not simply the latest crop of fresh-faced models, but their fabulous, fifty-plus counterparts.
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Doing away with outdated beauty ideals and stereotypes about ‘age-appropriate’ dressing, this new wave of silver street style stars are all about embracing their grey hair, wrinkles and older bodies rather than trying to hide them away – and experimenting with hot new trends, bold colours and edgy silhouettes to boot.
These women are bringing a fresh new energy to the fashion circuit – not to mention decades of experimentation and style knowledge – and quite frankly, we can’t get enough. From the seventy-plus model with a penchant for streetwear and the Canadian front row regular with millions of followers, to the Chinese doctor who pairs Prada with her son’s clothes, these are the older street style stars who are proving that fashion has no age limit.
Grece Ghanem
If you’ve started noticing an impeccably dressed, silver-haired woman popping up all over your social media feed of late, most likely it’s Grece Ghanem. The 60-year-old Lebanon-born, Canada-based former microbiologist is by far one of the hottest faces in the fashion industry right now, a front row regular and street style star par excellence.
With her penchant for playful looks and bold, ultra-luxe accessories – as well as the conviction that ‘style has no age’ – it’s little surprise that Ghanem has proven to be catnip for photographers and brands alike. This year alone, she has collaborated with the likes of On, Messika and Estée Lauder, attended multiple Fashion Weeks and jetted between countless glamorous events and destinations – all while sharing her daily looks with her 1.8 million Instagram followers.
Renia Jaz
A self-proclaimed ‘ageism fighter’, Renia Jaz is best-known by her Instagram handle, @venswifestyle. Indeed, it was thanks to this very social media platform that the Poland-born, Northumberland-based content creator made a name for herself in the fashion industry – and simultaneously proved that style shouldn’t be dictated by a number.
Despite being a lifelong lover of fashion and dressing up, it was only after she turned 50 that Jaz took her family’s advice to begin sharing her looks online. Soon enough, she became a style inspiration go-to for women of all ages, and continues to be one of the most-photographed show attendees still today. Jaz’s signatures at 59? A big smile, bold red lip, and total fearlessness in the face of even the most out-there trends.
Linda Fargo
An icon of the New York fashion scene, Linda Fargo has been one of the top dogs at Bergdorf Goodman for more than 20 years – so it only follows that she have truly impeccable taste. Think Upper East Side chic but with a big dose of fun, that’s regularly snapped by street style photographers as she rushes between shows each season.
And as Fargo edges towards her Seventies, her enjoyment of fashion and creativity is showing no signs of slowing. See: the businesswoman in head-to-toe gold Schiaparelli for a recent gala dinner, and the nude, crystal-covered unitard she wore to last year’s Met Gala after party.
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