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This modeling agency only signs models age 45 and older, and that’s awesome

This modeling agency only signs models age 45 and older, and that’s awesome
This modeling agency only signs models age 45 and older, and that’s awesome

While all of the hype in the fashion industry may be surrounding this new, young crop of supermodels, many of whom have barely reached the legal drinking age, it seems that the fickle tides on the runway are beginning to turn. Of course, fashion will forever be obsessed with courting youth, but more and more it seems they’re also looking towards an older generation as well, finding new ways to incorporate a very different age demographic of women into this once hyper-exclusionary market. And now thanks to Russian modeling agency Oldushka, we might be seeing even more baby boomers taking the catwalk by storm next season.

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True to its name, this new agency is catering to the perimenopausal set and up, representing models exclusively above the age of 45, with their oldest client having celebrated 85 years of life. For founder Igor Gavar, this business was a logical extension of a photography project he started, capturing the images of retiree’s street style and featuring it on his blog by the same name.

As Gavar told Vogue, “Beauty—it’s a quality that becomes more valued with years,” adding, “Appearing as themselves is an instrument to fight stereotypes. They are an inspiring example to show that it is possible to look beautiful and be your age.”

Of course, Oldushka is hardly the first to take advantage of this 45+ trend in the fashion industry.

Just in recent months, Lauren Hutton made her return to the catwalk, modeling for Bottega Veneta alongside new face Gigi Hadid. Mercy Brewer, 56, broke new ground, landing a role posing in her bra and underwear for Lonely Lingerie.

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Even Elon Musk’s mom Maye Musk, now 67, has been consistently working as a model for the past five decades, not to mention everyone’s favorite fashion grandpa, 80-year-old Wang Deshun, who recently signed on as the latest brand ambassador for Reebok. As Jay Z might say roughly thirty years from now, “80’s the new 20, baby, I’m so hot still.”

This article originally appeared in InStyle by Emily Kirkpatrick.