STOP DRESSING YOUR AGE

Ageism is (happily) out of style

“STYLE IS AN ATTITUDE – NOT A NUMBER.” IF ANYONE SHOULD KNOW, IT’S BRIGITTE WARNE, CO-FOUNDER OF SILVERFOX, A MATURE-AGE MODELLING AGENCY THAT BELIEVES STYLE AND BEAUTY ARE AGELESS. “WE’RE SEEING LOTS OF CHANGES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY WHEN IT COMES TO AGE. BRANDS ARE REALISING THE IMPACT IT CAN HAVE AT A COMMERCIAL LEVEL BY CORRECTLY ADVERTISING TO THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE.” WARNE’S PASSION FOR FOSTERING A MORE AGE-POSITIVE CULTURE IS PART OF AN ADMITTEDLY SLOW-MOVING GLOBAL MOVEMENT TOWARDS AGE DIVERSITY ON THE RUNWAY. BUT WITH DESIGNERS INCLUDING DRIES VAN NOTEN AND SIMONE ROCHA HIGHLIGHTING THE VERSATILITY OF THEIR DESIGNS BY CASTING MODELS WHO WEAR THEIR LAUGHTER LINES AS WELL AS THEIR NEW-SEASON COATS, THE SHIFT IS GAINING MOMENTUM. “I THINK PEOPLE CAN USE OLDER MODELS AS A GIMMICK OR THEY CAN GENUINELY WANT TO SEE DIVERSITY IN FASHION,” SAYS DESIGNER THOMAS PUTTICK, WHO LAUNCHED HIS FASHION LABEL AT AUSTRALIAN FASHION WEEK THIS YEAR BY ENLISTING 15 “MUSES” AGED 23 TO 63, INCLUDING SILVER-HAIRED SRI LANKAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR NADINE BUSH, WHO IS REPRESENTED BY WARNE. IT’S THE WAY FORWARD FOR PUTTICK, WHO WORKED FOR DESIGN STUDIOS IN LONDON AND NEW YORK FROM AGE 18 BEFORE RETURNING HOME TO RECALIBRATE. “I HAD TO STEP AWAY [FROM FASHION]. I DIDN’T REALLY LIKE WHAT THE INDUSTRY WAS SAYING, SO I COULD EITHER CHANGE INDUSTRIES… OR CHANGE IT FROM THE INSIDE. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SEE GROWTH, SO I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.” WHILE PUTTICK’S DESIGNS ARE DEFINED BY RESTRAINT, VAN NOTEN’S CELEBRATED VIVID COLOUR AND PRINT AND ROCHA INDULGED IN DARK ROMANCE, PROVING FASHION TRULY HAS NO BOUNDARIES. WE’RE TOSSING AWAY THOSE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF WHAT IS DEEMED APPROPRIATE FOR WOMEN OF A “CERTAIN AGE” AND EMBRACING FASHION FOR WHAT IT’S MEANT TO BE: EMPOWERING, EXPRESSIVE AND, ABOVE ALL, FUN. BECAUSE, AS WARNE SAYS, “STYLE IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR MOOD AND PERSONALITY. IT’S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPY, CONFIDENT AND BE APPEALING TO YOUR OWN EYES.”