It’s no secret that the fashion industry tends to skew young. In fact, it’d be safe to say it’s obsessed with youth.
Runway shows and fashion magazines are filled with teenagers and young women modelling clothes designed for people much older than them; in some cases we’ve seen actual children, like Thylane Blondeau, styled in very adult fashions.
In this world, age has the power to stop careers in their tracks. Just ask Australian model Gemma Ward, who told press this week she was being warned about her looks “fading” by the time she reached the ripe old age of 20. Scary stuff.
However, designers occasionally remember that flesh-and-blood women don’t actually expire at the age of 25. Take Marc Jacobs’ latest ad, for instance:
In his Fall 2016 campaign, the US designer has featured Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, who just so happens to be 69 years old — a far cry from today’s teenaged ‘it’ models.
The 69-year-old is photographed in a sexy, sparkly dress with a deep V-cut neckline, teamed with black gloves and classic winged eyeliner.
It’s a gloriously seductive image and proof that age is no barrier to beauty or appeal. However, as Jacobs notes in his Instagram caption, Sarandon’s allure isn’t purely physical.