"Never mind Cara, Gigi and Karlie -today's hottest models are in their 40s, 50s, and beyond". Louisa Pritchard reports on the kickass women putting a one-overlooked generation back on the fashion map...

Hello Silver Sirens...

Alex B.

Began modelling at: 46

Previous job: Academic

She says: "I am not surprised that older models can find work - it just has to be so, given the changes in demographics - although I believe we still have a long way to go"

Louisa Pritchard, Stella Magazine

Alex has walked at ParisFashionWeek and has been a constant presence on the runways of LondonFashionWeek, as well as appearing in numerous editorials and commercials. Now in her sixties, her modelling career spans nearly two decades.

The irony! After years and years of using contacts and after advising a newbie about what to do and expect, reassuring her it was all plain sailing, I ended up at the Moorfields Eye Hospital A&E because of a soft contact stuck to my inner eyelid. Turns out my eye had already expelled it but with all the poking around I did I got myself a mild bacterial infection. Was it hubris? I mean I kept saying I knew all about wearing contacts. But I clearly forgot the basic principle: do not touch your eyes unless your hands are squeaky clean.
Bottom line: a shoot cancelled, a missed selftape deadline and an entire morning waiting to be triaged and then seen by the doctor on duty. Thank god for audiobooks!
#contactlensmishap #eyeinfection #modellife

So, continuing yesterday’s post, these are all AI versions of me created by @doji_com. I supplied six selfies and two body shots and I got these which I can use to style clothes I may want to buy, to help me decide. The clothes are all designer, naturally, you will not find high street on this app. I was curious about the AI doubles, that’s why I wanted to try. And honestly, I am speechless. These AI ‘Alex’ are based on my features and body type but they show no sign of ageing. Is this the future of clothes shopping? And are we all going to have ageless and perfect AI doubles? What will happen to our individuality?
***NOT AN APRIL FOOLS ***
#aigenerated ##aimodelsfashion #shoppingapp #aiperfection

Me as reimagined by Doji @doji_com, a new app that allows you to shop for clothes. It creates an AI version of you based on selfies. This is one of the AI versions of me the app has created. This is AI, I do not look like this in real life.
There has been a lot of talk about models and AI and what AI can/will do for the fashion industry. Apps like Doji target consumers directly, with no models. Anyone can create an AI version of themselves, style it online and then shop the looks.
I fully understand the rationale, this is the business of fashion.
But…do I really want an AI generated Barbie doll version of myself?
#ai #aigeneratedimages #aiandfashion #aimodelsfashion #shoppingapps

BTS at Feel the Frame, Shoreditch, London

I have worked with @feeltheframe.studio on a new concept, doing self portraits in a fully professional studio where Anna Arfen, the photographer, discusses your requirements and sets all the lights for you and then leaves you to experiment with the remote control. She is on hand if there is a problem. At the end of my session -will post images by and by - we did this short video to show how it works, well, how it worked for me.
Doing self portraits is different from modelling for someone else and it was interesting to explore another way of being in front of the camera. I admit it was not easy for me to become my own art director but I enjoyed it. I definitely need more practice. Self portraiture is not like taking selfies - about which I feel ambivalent. Self portraiture is an art; it requires many skills and a superlative technical knowledge of photography. Think of Cindy Sherman whose work I adore or of the self-portraiture of Nadia Lee Cohen @nadialeecohen , whose work I truly respect. What Anna Arfen is trying to do with the project ‘Feel the Frame’ is to make self portraiture more accessible to everyone, debunking the idea that taking selfies is what it’s all about.
#behindthescenes #selfportraitphotography #modelling #modelandartdirector

From the archive, some portraits taken in France by Pascal Renoux @pascalrenoux.portraits.
#portraits #portraitphotography #silverhairedmodel

All mothers are superwomen!
Mother’s Day is upon us, on 30th March.
I did this shoot for @charlesfish_jewellery and am grateful to the team - please tag yourselves! Love the vintage jewellery!
#mothersday #superwomen #oldermodel #silverhair #vintagejewellery

Love Paris when the weather is nice and today it was glorious. Really enjoyed shooting with @oda.eide, with great styling provided by @annabelluceystylist and gorgeous make up by @margheritafabbro_mua. I did not make it to any of the shows, it’s PFW, but mine was a flying visit, back in London tomorrow. I thought I had to go and take a good look at the Tour Eiffel. I watched a movie about Gustave Eiffel a while back and his efforts to build the tower. It made me appreciate this extraordinary feat of engineering. Au revoir, Paris!
#fashionshoot #modelling #modellife #beingatourist #parisfashionweek #springinparis

Moments from the ‘Future of Fashion’ show on 22nd of February 2025, part of @londonfashionweek. Thank you @bullockinclusion and @londonrepresents for having me as a model! Thank you to all the photographers and videographers - I will tag you separately when I post stills and videoclips but for now I wish to mention @traceydaviesphotography_ and @sophia.stefelle - for capturing me while on the runway and backstage. Huge thanks to the sponsors who made the event possible
@europeaninvestmentbank @atmos @lifeatzebra @londonkindred @southasianbeautycollective @lucas_nunes0 @marceloq.photography @angeharperphoto @riocafeuk @beths.uk @thearcheswinebar @royalcollegeofart @modelsofdiversity
Thank you also to the fabulous makeup artists and hairstylists and, of course, the designers whose work was on show! A special thank you to @d_ren_1 for being so helpful and to the one and only @samantabullock
#bullockinclusion #londonrepresents #inclusivefashion

Thank you @understatement_underwear for the wonderful gift. I really love this leopard print set!
#nothingbuttperfect
#nofilter
#weloveourunderwear
@golden_age_models

Thank you @londonrepresents and @bullockinclusion for a great evening of amazing fashion, I loved the Brazilian touch! Honoured to be part of it. Too many people to thank individually - designers, fellow models, makeup artists, hairstylists, photographers and videographers. Huge thanks to everyone involved!
#diversitymatters #diversityinfashion #londonfashionweek

Only two days to go!
@londonfashionweek @bullockinclusion @mrsrobinsonmgt

Grateful to all who made it possible!

#runwayshow #runwayfashion #modelling #oldermodel #runwaymodel #modellife

Feeling sluggish? Same here! I am a regular Sleeker, but come January my energy drops and I tend to skip classes. But now I am getting back on track by joining the @sleektechnique February Challenge — 21 days of one class a day. It’s already making a huge difference, I feel energised and motivated. Join the challenge and experience the benefits of regular exercise and healthy habits, you won’t regret it.
#sleekchallenge #sleektechnique #smallchanges #habitbuilding #februarychallenge #dancefitness #balletfitness

Back at the amazing @rivoliballroom where over ten years ago I shot a fashion film for @saloniofficial directed by @marieschuller. This time it was for a shoot with award winning photographer @julia_fullertonbatten. Love the styling by @mairjoint_stylist the hair by @danieldyer72 and the make up by @pablo_rodriguez_makeup . Loved working with the beautiful Mercy! ! Watch out for the final images. Thank you Julia!
#photoshoot #modellife #amazinglocations

Delighted to be participating as a model in the Future of Fashion runway show on 22nd February, for London Fashion Week @londonfashionweek. Thank you @bullockinclusion and thank you to all the sponsors:
@atmos @londonkindred @riocafeuk @beths.uk @thearcheswinebar @lifeatzebra
Thanks also to @d_ren_1 for being on hand for questions!
I hope to see you all on 22nd Feb.
#runwayshow #fashioninclusion #ethicalfashion #modelling #oldermodel #silverhair #londonfashionweek2025

(Apologies for that white line across the photo, I was not able to remove it)

New Year, new portfolio images! Huge thanks to Mrs Robinson Management @mrsrobinsonmgt who represent me as a Retro model, and photographer Edo Brugué @edodreamstudio. And next week I am off to Milan to work on a fashion film produced by Basement HQ @basementheadquarter. Here’s to a luminous 2025! As my 68th birthday is approaching I am grateful for everything life has handed me, the good and the bad…
Most of the clothes in the photos are mine, including a unique piece by artist/designer Elena Campa @elena___campa

#oldermodel #silverhairedmodel #retromodel #fashionmodel #modellife

I posed for this shot by @julienmartinezleclerc a few years ago. I was meant to be a corpse in a coffin. There is a superstition that says if you lie in a coffin you will be dead within the year. I am still very much alive several years after the shoot and I absolutely love this photo! I am not superstitious and besides, without wanting to sound morbid, it’s worth remembering that death comes for everyone, usually when you least expect it, so there is no point in indulging in superstitious beliefs.
#playingdead #superstitions #blackandwhitephotography #modelling

Some stills from the new music video by @luvcatband , Dinner @ Brasserie Zèdel
It was a fun shoot, thank you everyone!
Director: Ollie Bradley-Baker & Luvcat
Producer: Ben Carey & Ollie Bradley-Baker
DOP: Natalja Safronova
Art Director: Ellen Amann Johns
Gaffer: Michal Kedracki
AC: Kristiana Zhekova
Editor & Colourist: Ollie Bradley-Baker

#luvcat #musicvideo

Soon it’s going to be Christmas and then a new year. I wanted to get ready for 2025 so I worked with @edodreamstudio to revamp my portfolio at the suggestion of my primary model agency @mrsrobinsonmgt . And what a great suggestion it was! I love the results even though this is just BTS stuff!. I had lost confidence and faith in myself as a model but working with Edo energised me. It’s a tad too soon but here’s to a wonderful 2025. I do not think I am ready to retire from modelling, not as I thought I was 😊
#stillgotit #silverhairedmodel #alexb

I’ve been busy reorganizing my Substack, gathering in one place articles, interviews and papers I’ve written over the years. Reflecting on my visibility as an older model, I often wrote about ageism, going grey, and being a woman in fashion. Those pieces are now over a decade old, yet we’re still having the same conversations. While I’m thrilled for the newer faces representing older women, I can’t help but feel that the progress has been very slow. The presence of older models in fashion should have been normalized by now.
And yes, the persistent stereotypes in advertising (hello “sprightly granny cooking for her pets”—a role I turned down!) remind me how much work still needs to be done.
Here’s to progress in 2025! If you’d like to read my earlier pieces or comment, head to substack.com/ @alexb244. Many older online articles may no longer be available on their original websites, but I’ve preserved them. Incidentally on my Substack you will also find a podcast series dating back to 2016 on body issues and body image. Have a listen!

Let’s keep the conversation alive! 💬✨

#AgePositive #FashionOver50 #AgeDiversity #OlderModels #SubstackWriter #Reflections #WomenInFashion #AntiAgeism #GreyHairJourney #SustainableFashion #FashionAndIdentity
@vestojco_op
@ageismisneverinstyle
@her_edit
@ageing_better

At Westminster today the assisted dying bill is finally being debated. Please show your support by going to the rally outside Parliament, between 9 am and 12 pm, even if only for ten minutes. Please do not be swayed by the arguments of the no supporters. Assisted dying is not about taking money away from the NHS! It’s a lie! Assisted dying is about choice, not coercion. It’s about dying with dignity.
#sayyes #assisteddying #dyingwithdignity

*** It has passed! We are heading in the right
direction! ***

@humanists_uk

Thank you @marianchen20 and your team for today’s shoot. Thank you also @rosselladmn for the great photos and @mrsrobinsonmgt for arranging it. Can’t wait for the end product! Shot at @istitutomarangoni_london
#olderwoman #oldermodel #notyet

These portraits of me and designer @francescaiaconisi were taken last month in Lecce at the atelier @silentedesign after a photoshoot styled by @silviadongiovanni with photos and videos by @antonio_cavallo__ and a great make up by @miriam_imbrogno_makeup_artist
It was a great experience to be photographed in Lecce’s ‘centro storico’ only a few yards from an old apartment my family had once occupied. I wore Francesca’s designs. Watch this space for more photos from the shoot. These are BTS, post shoot.
#fashionshoot #ecoresponsiblebrand #apulia #oldermodel #silverhair

My grandfather’s top hat has had another outing! Thank you @jennieblythephotography for these images. My grandfather’s top hat was made in the 1920s by hand and I am so proud to have inherited it!
#vintage #vintagestyle #modelling

I am absolutely delighted to share my podcast for @latebloomerliving on a number of topics dear to my heart. Thank you @latebloomerliving for inviting me to be your guest!
You can find the podcast on Podbean; here is the link
https://www.latebloomerliving.com/blog/episode-205-empowered-aging-a-conversation-about-life-death-and-dignity-with-alex-b
#podcast #modelandwriter #assisteddying #dignityindying

Last week I was in Lecce, Italy, guest of @stars_eu_funded and @d.e.m.o.group. It was a week of exchanges, meaningful connections and conversations about fashion sustainability with the Latvian partners. Head over to @stars_eu_funded account and watch this first reel with highlights of the meetings on day 1 - more to follow.
Thank you for having me!
#fashionsustainability #solidarityeconomy #southernitaly #latvia #fashionactivism

It’s always great to revisit a familiar place and uncover exciting new developments. Lecce, known as the baroque city par excellence, now has two fantastic new museums dedicated to modern and contemporary art: the Fiermonte Museum (@fiermontemuseum), previously known as MAMA, and the Fondazione Biscozzi-Rimbaud (@fondazionebiscozzirimbaud), both located in the heart of the centro storico.

Although different in their outlook and intent, both museums shine a light on the richness of modern and contemporary art with roots in Puglia, offering alternative narratives and perspectives. I spent a wonderful afternoon exploring their collections and chatting with Maura, the knowledgeable young woman in charge at Fiermonte Museum—her enthusiasm for modern art is truly contagious!
(The last shot is of a very artistic cactus)

Highly recommend a visit!

#Lecce
#BaroqueCity
#ModernArt
#ContemporaryArt
#PugliaArt
#ArtInLecce
#FiermonteMuseum
#FondazioneBiscozziRimbaud
#CentroStorico
#ArtLovers
#MuseumVisit
#ArtDiscoveries
#PugliaExperience
#ItalyTravel

I will be reading excerpts from my latest book Sustainable Fashion, Migrants, Embroidery. Ateliers of ‘social integration’ in a podcast on Substack. I will also be reading from my previous book, Contemporary Indonesian Fashion. Through the Looking Glass (2019) as some of the themes I explore in both books are connected. I hope you will join me on Substack and with your input - comments, suggestions - we can co-create this podcast!
#podcast #substack #conversation #conversationaboutfashion #model #writer #modelandwriter #fashionactivism #fashionactivismmovement

Thank you @stars_eu_funded for inviting me as a guest on your forthcoming podcast series, Green Dialogues, discussing my work in fashion and the two books I have published with @bloomsburyfashion , the first one on contemporary Indonesian fashion (2019) and the second, just out, on social tailoring and the economy of solidarity and sharing. I can’t wait to be sharing links!
#fashioresearch #fashionforsocialchange #podcastseries #writer #writersofinstagram #podcastersofinstagram ##fashionactivist #model
(Image courtesy of @stars_eu_funded)

The amazing Sylvia Gobbel @sylvia_gobbel! Together with Henrietta Allais - sorry I could not find the names of the other two girls - she was photographed by the great Helmut Newton for this famous dyptich which appeared in Vogue in 1982. It was such an iconic image! Back in 2010 the American photographer Stuart Bentley , who was visiting London, asked me to be in a remake of the ‘Naked’ picture - we had no clothes that would match the original haute couture of picture 1. It was meant to be a homage to the great Newton and to those beautiful models in the original. I felt rather nervous but I did it, the intention was good. Stuart photographed me in four different poses then joined the shots. It is what it is, a homage to the greats. I am such a fan of Sylvia and of Helmut Newton, it delights me to be able to share this picture (suitable censored) as a token of admiration.
#blackandwhite #greatphotographers #supermodelsoftheeighties #agencesilver #mrsrobinsonmanagement

I was in Bloomsbury today so I stopped by the @britishmuseum to view the Silk Road exhibition. It highlights the networks created by the ancients, the cultural exchanges that took place and which shaped our history beyond stereotypical notions of East and West. And yes, the British Museum is very crowded but not as crowded as the Paris Louvre where queues go round the block - I went there last Wednesday and gave up!
#silkroad #britishmuseumlondon #ancienthistory #networks #culturalexchange #exhibition

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