mickey monroe, 51
As a teenager, Mickey Monroe modelled for designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and was a covergirl for Cosmo, Marie Claire and French Vogue.
But she turned her back on the catwalk in her mid-20s to carve out a career in fashion and retail.
However, just a year ago, as she marked her 50th birthday, Mickey decided it was time to return to the trade.
“When I turned 50, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something else with my life’.
“I was the commercial head of a handbag and accessory brand and, while I enjoyed my job, I started to take a look at myself.
“So I decided to go back to modelling.”
The mum-of-three, from Glagsow but now living in London, said: “I spotted a niche market for youngerlooking older women.
“I’m 51 but I still feel 21. I don’t feel ‘old’. And there’s a whole generation of women – and men – like me. “We’re not ready for the pipe and slippers yet. Just because you go grey, it doesn’t mean you’re invisible.
“We still want to be out there doing things with our lives, and achieving, not sitting back with our rollers in.
“That’s true of modelling. The grey-haired model is becoming mainstream.”
Mickey, who recently qualified as a yoga teacher and launched her own yoga clothing range Pada, added: “There’s a perception that women at 50 are going through the menopause and tend to slow down – but there is an alternative life to that – and I’m certainly living it.
“In fact, I feel younger and more alive in my 50s than ever. And hopefully I can inspire others to do the same.
“Of course, sometimes I see pictures of myself and realise I look a little older than I feel – but then I tell myself to be the best version of me I can be – and if I can manage that, I’m doing okay.”
I’m 50 but I still feel 21 and there’s a whole generation of women – and men – just like me