I got quite excited about a feature in today's Sunday Times Style magazine celebrating wrinkles and 'the rise of the over-60s beauties'. Helen Mirren, Charlotte Rampling and Jessica Lange are all mentioned; as well as Joan Didion for Céline and the Dolce & Gabanna's nonnas. But 'Read Between The Lines' made for disappointing reading. It's great that the fashion and beauty industries are finally realising the power of the Silver Spend; the use of older models and muses in advertising campaigns is a wonderful thing. But I'm disappointed because this is still seen as news. We shouldn't be surprised to see mature models but, as I mentioned in the Guardian, there's a fevered reaction every time a campaign is announced. And I'm disappointed because the beauty industry celebrates older women, just as long as they don't look their age. Helen Mirren may have refused airbrushing for the L'Oréal campaign but we all know that she's had work done. In the Nars advert, Charlotte Rampling looks 30-years-younger than she does in the current series of Broadchurch. And god only knows what Jessica Lange has done to her face, but it ain't pretty. Writer Edwina Ings-Chambers nails it with her final sentence, 'You see: stirring stuff. But then Cara Delevingne shaved off some of her hair and the beauty buzz moved on.'
The best thing about this feature is the quote from Sue Kreitzman, 'Older faces show more character and life. It is so much more profound than dewy, callow youth. Why spend money and stress trying to erase your real self? To me, it makes no sense. Live your life, enjoy every moment. There is an old-lady revolution happening right now and I'm enjoying every glorious moment of it, silver hair, wrinkles and all.'
I spoke to Sue about The Old Lady Revolution for my book Style Forever, coming soon.
