Old is the new in fashion, grey is the new black

Grey is the new black. And having wrinkles has never been more on trend than now. Fashion pundits have announced that 60 is the new 20.  So, if you are looking for a lucrative new contract then it helps if you were born way back then - like say, in the 1950s. Or even earlier.

Let's look at the major events that kickstarted 2015. Within the first 10 days of the year, it was announced that two of the most prestigious brands -- YSL and Celine - were bringing out the big guns to launch their Spring campaigns.  Only in this case, it was folk music legend Joni Mitchell, at 71, and American author Joan Didion, at 80, respectively. Interestingly, these models were not applauded as bold, or revolutionary. Instead it was viewed as a sensible decision. Celine's creative director Phoebe Philo's choice of Didion was seen as a rightful fit for a brand which is widely regarded to be the choice of the thinking, albeit very wealthy, woman (have you seen the price tags on the Celine "mini luggage"  tote?). Hedi Slimane received the same kudos for shooting Mitchell, at her Bel Air home in California, as part of the Saint Laurent Music Project.  The same campaign also includes singer, songwriter & actor Marianne Faithfull, at 68.

Dolce & Gabbana had already followed suit. They used a trio of grandmothers to showcase their accessories for the coming season. Shot by Domenico Dolce, this Spanish-inspired collection has bullfighters and super models as well. But taking centre stage are the older women stealing the show complete with gold tiaras and red carnations in their hair.

What makes these images even more extraordinary is that they aren't air brushed or photo shopped into vacuousness. Every wrinkle, every line, every experience and every decade is celebrated.

It was as if a whisper had run through the industry. Which started quietly, only to reach a crescendo this year. As early as 2012, Lanvin's Alber Elbaz had used models from between the ages of 18 to 80 for his Spring/Summer campaign.  The image of the legendary Apollo Theater dancer and style icon Jacqueline "Tajah" Murdock - in a forest green peplum dress  -- is so striking that it stays with you. By 2015, the brand's artistic director had selected legendary models Violeta Sanchez, Pat Cleveland and Billie Rose Owen with their daughters for his Spring/Summer womenswear campaign.  While the images are youthful and energetic, it is clear that the younger women were only there because of their good genes. Joining the ranks soon after was Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci. While he may not have gone completely grey, he too looked to a nearly 50 year old for Spring. Androgynous and makeup free,  Julia Roberts at 47 looks better than most twenty somethings. Something cosmetic giant L'oreal already knew when they chose her to be the face of Lancome in 2010. Beauty companies have always been ahead of the curve, but last year it took it even further when Helen Mirren, at 69, was selected to be the new face of L'oreal Paris, Hollywood star Jessica Lange for chosen for Marc Jacobs Beauty, at 64 and English actor Charlotte Rampling, 68, by Nars.  Of course, MAC had already announced a collaboration with fashion maven Iris Apfel, three years ago, when she turned 90 years old.

In the UK, department stores like Marks & Spencer were already reflecting this change when in 2013 they included in their "Britain's Leading Ladies" campaign style guru  Grace Coddington and Helen Mirren. In 2014, it featured actor Emma Thompson and musician Annie Lennox.  For 2015, Selfridges renamed its Bright Young Things campaign to Bright Old Things where 14 fashion creatives between the late 40 and mid 80s worked with illustrator and director Todd Selby to create unique fashion, art and home accessories. They use the term "retirement renaissance" which basically refers to people who retire from one career to start another -- based on a creative talent or hobby.  

And while this seems like an endless list of notables, these are just a few examples. I could continue to add names of icons like Blondie's Debbie Harry, actor Catherine Deneuve, entrepreneur Linda Rodin….  So why is fashion having a senior moment? The obvious answer is the rub off of the celebrity's image. With a clever alliance suddenly the brand gets a whole new set of values that they couldn't get even if they sprung for the most expensive advertising.

Let us face it, who would you prefer as an ambassador for your brand? An erudite, outspoken, intelligent Didion or messed up, pot-smoking Rihanna who only knows how to drop clothes for effect. Sure, the singer is talented but since she has decided to hide it behind her predictably outrageous actions, her lifestyle isn't going to appeal to the intelligent.  

But what seems the more logical explanation is the fact that perhaps fashion imagery is finally in sync with its key spending demographic. Oddly enough even though the business is run by some of the savviest people they have clearly not figured out how to marry lifestyle with the actual customer.  Youth is wonderful for its carefully cultivated casualness. But by the time you have the money and discernment to be able to afford these brands, to become a loyal customer - you can see through that lie. And even if it were the truth you no longer buy into it. When Diesel launched its Be Stupid campaign in 2010, I actually gave away my denims. Even though the campaign changed subsequently I never went back to the brand.

On the other hand anything Helen Mirren endorses, I am on board. You don't really argue with the Queen. Or Julia Roberts. From Pretty Woman to Erin Brockovich to The Normal Heart, she is versatile, vital. The sum total of many parts. These women are celebrities in the true sense of the word. Their lives deserve to be celebrated.

However, not all brands buy into this logic. Take the case of Balmain. For its Spring / Summer menswear campaign it has used Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. In an interview to The Guardian, the 28-year-old creative director Olivier Rousteing raves about this pairing, "I love also that she (Kim Kardashian) is not a typical American. She has Armenian origins, she is with Kanye (West), who is black, and she has a mixed-race daughter. For me, that is how modern couples are." I am not sure what reality he is trying to reflect with these images that can only be held up as a perfect example of Photoshop on steroids. But I am sure the brand is laughing all the way to the bank. Truth be told, every time I see them it makes me throw up just a little in my mouth.