By Tony Case
It grabbed our attention and dominated headlines earlier this year when a marketing campaign heralding the relaunch of fashion stalwart Donna Karan New York hit social media and magazine pages.
What was notable wasn’t just that it featured a constellation of runway royalty, but that the ad—conceived by longtime DKNY collaborator and creative director Trey Laird and photographed by Annie Leibovitz—represented an impressive diversity of age groups, featuring the likes of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Carolyn Murphy, and Karlie Kloss.
“When we had the idea to bring all these different generations of women together, I knew this wasn’t just another seasonal ad campaign,” Laird told Interview magazine. “It needed to be captured in a way that was iconic… This was really an epic moment.”
It was also an anomaly.
For evidence, look no further than the top fashion magazines, where ads for Chanel, Gucci, Guess, and Valentino peer out at you, predictably, through the gaze of seductive, stylish—and very young—models.
As for their respective covers, call it the “28 Club.” There, fronting Vogue, is Kendall Jenner (28), while Dua Lipa (also 28) strikes a coquettish pose for Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar sports Emma Corrin (who is, you guessed it, 28). (W’s back cover—or “cover four,” in publishing parlance—is a deviation from the trend, featuring octogenarian icon Diana Ross for Saint Laurent’s spring collection.)
For an industry renowned for its audacity and avant-garde spirit, fashion finds itself shackled to an outdated ideal. While championing diversity and inclusion, the business still clings to the notion that style and desirability are fleeting privileges reserved for the young.
While an older model or celebrity may grace the occasional ad campaign—and gets loads of media attention when she does—it can come off like stunt casting or a calculated marketing ploy versus a genuine attempt at inclusivity.
Which begs the question: In an era where diversity and representation are recognized as non-negotiable and where people 55+ have never been more vital, culturally impactful, or economically powerful, why does the fashion industry continue to sideline older consumers?
The answer lies in a complex reality of deeply ingrained societal biases, industry inertia, and a fundamental misunderstanding of the modern consumer.
The Myth of the Youth-Obsessed Consumer
A prevailing misconception is that consumers, perpetually chasing the mythical fountain of youth, are drawn to images that reflect their aspirations or their fantasies rather than their reality—an assumption that is not only reductive but demonstrably false.
A study last summer of 1,101 people between ages 13 and 73 by marketing strategist Sonia Thompson found that when people were asked which areas were most important to see themselves reflected in via marketing campaigns, age ranked second (with 45% of those surveyed saying it was important), behind only gender (46%), and beating out variables like body type (38%), race/ethnicity (25%), and parental status (21%). For those 50-64, meanwhile, age was the single most important factor (63%).
Yet when they go looking for themselves in those magazine pages or TV ads, they can end up disappointed. “As an older woman, I often feel like I’m not important when I see ads or social content about products and services,” said one person in the survey. “Most of them are geared toward younger women and don’t appeal to me.”
“As marketers, when is the last time you saw a general market brief that wasn’t 26-55?” asks Jeremy Ekes, Senior Director, Client Strategy and Service at the media agency and consultancy January Digital, which works with brands like Carhartt, Kendra Scott, and Steve Madden. “We generally think younger adults have a lot more buying power than they actually do.”
The fact is, consumers 55+ contribute billions to the global economy, a substantial share of that earmarked for apparel and accessories. It is a demographic that is far from invisible; it is financially empowered, digitally savvy, and increasingly influential in shaping cultural trends.
In the meantime, it is an oversimplification to suggest that older consumers want only to see younger versions of themselves in advertising. Above all else, every person—regardless of age—expects marketing messages to first reflect authenticity; a reported 70% of consumers say they will spend more money with brands that are authentic.
“I believe many CMOs and CEOs are working from outdated playbooks from a prior big media era that was overly demographic-focused, especially around age,” says Derek Yarbrough, former CMO at J.Crew and Madewell. “To characterize massive swaths of the
population with labels like Gen Z or millennial and assert that they behave the same way or share the same values is absurd.”
The Perpetuation of Ageism and Its Consequences
In fact, the fashion industry’s obsession with youth has created something of a catch-22. By casting young models in ads, brands reinforce the perception that aging is a bad thing. The result: a pervasive stigma against aging—particularly for women—within the fashion ecosystem, even as the industry purports to celebrate age.
Wrinkles, a silver coif, and other natural markers of time may be embraced elsewhere as a testament to wisdom and lived experience, but in the domain of fashion, they tend to get treated as imperfections to be erased. Such ingrained ageism is not only detrimental to the self-esteem and representation of older people but represents a missed opportunity for brands to connect with a vitally important consumer base.
“There is a long-standing youth obsession in culture, where younger models are seen as more appealing to a broad audience,” explains Natalie Silverstein, Chief Innovation Officer at the agency Collectively, which counts among its clients Coty, EOS, and Sephora. “Our culture has traditionally equated youth with beauty, which has made it tough to shift this perception. Moreover, today’s advertising is incredibly niche and hyper-targeted. Brands often focus on younger demographics because they’re perceived as more active on social media and more influential in setting trends.”
The Undeniable Power of Authenticity and Experience
Again, the inclusion of older models can bring a certain authenticity to campaigns, ad industry insiders contend. As Stefanie Gilmore, Head of Strategy for North America at Design Bridge and Partners, who has worked with brands like Diesel, Marc Jacobs, and Nike, put it: “Older models can often look notably more stylish than younger models in the same look because they have more life experience and gravitas.”
Indeed, campaigns of recent years featuring models of a certain age—like Celine’s striking portraits of Joan Didion, or Saint Laurent’s edgy images of Joni Mitchell—were met with wide acclaim, proving that style transcends a number. Yet those campaigns, as well as more
recent ones—among them, Maggie Smith for Loewe and Charlotte Rampling for Massimo Dutti—are the exception rather than the rule, a reminder of the industry’s deeply entrenched biases.
“These are unique and original individuals whose career and work speaks to a certain iconic status in the culture,” says an executive with a luxury brand who did not want to speak on the record. Yet the norm, the exec added, tends toward “a bias to book super young models for runway and fashion editorials based on fit, body type, etc. It ultimately comes down to aesthetic and casting choices of the designers and creative directors who want to work with the hottest and newest faces that drive trends.”
Yarbrough believes some of the most memorable fashion moments of late have been those that have had older women as their focus: Gwendoline Christie walking the Paris runway for Maison Margiela, a makeup-free Pamela Anderson fronting a Proenza Schouler campaign—and, he adds, he’s “utterly obsessed” by the image of an 89-year-old Maggie Smith in that Loewe campaign. While admitting he may be biased, Yarbrough points to the number of “powerhouse women” featured in campaigns when he was at the helm of J.Crew—among them, Diane Keaton, Lauren Hutton, and Tracy Ellis Ross.
Bridging the Gap: Recognizing the Power of the 55+ Consumer
The reality is that the 55+ demographic is not just relevant—it is essential to the fashion industry’s future. These are not merely consumers; they are trendsetters, influencers, and increasingly the faces of a new generation, redefining what it means to age gracefully and stylishly.
So, how can the fashion industry—even if it were inclined to—begin to dismantle outdated perceptions and move toward a more inclusive and representative future? It starts with education.
First off, many advertisers have yet to truly grasp the economic power and influence of the 55+ demo. Compare that to brands that got the memo a long time ago, including Donna Karan, J.Crew, and L’Oréal—all of which have featured older models and reaped the rewards. These are marketers who serve as powerful case studies, proving that age diversity can enhance brand image and drive sales.
It’s not just about showing older faces, however; it’s about showcasing them in a real way. Consumers, regardless of age, are drawn to brands that reflect their values and experiences. Featuring older models in campaigns that celebrate their individuality, their stories, and their unique sense of style, can resonate deeply with a broad audience.
Beyond Tokenism: Embracing Real Change
While inclusion is a positive thing, brands should steer clear of being gimmicky when it comes to casting—in becoming more schtick than chic.
“Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton are fabulous and beloved, but they feel tokenistic at this point in time, which can do more damage than good for a brand,” Gilmore cautions, adding, “Fashion brands and marketers need to stop defaulting to youth and open their eyes to a broader spectrum of 30-to-60-year-old models for their campaigns and content. They need to normalize the inclusion of women in the middle… There are so many incredible, stylish women in the middle who could do wonders for brands if they’d only give them the spotlight.”
Such a thing requires a fundamental shift in the industry’s perspective, of course—and that means moving beyond stunts and toward genuine, multilayered portrayals of people, presenting a diverse range of ages, body types, ethnicities, and personal styles that reflect the vast spectrum of their audience. It also means amplifying voices 55+, providing platforms for older models, influencers, designers, stylists, and fashion icons to share their stories, perspectives, and expertise.
Finally, it requires empowering consumers to actively engage with, and champion brands and marketing campaigns, that prioritize age diversity, sending a message that true style is ageless.
When it comes to flipping the script, marketers can lead the charge, offers Yarbrough. “Archetypes are a much more productive framework for modern marketers—defining subsets of your target customer base that share common traits such as personal passions, aesthetic preferences, or core values,” he says, adding, “The aim of marketers should be to show people who authentically embody the ethos, aesthetic, and values of their brands, regardless of age, color, or size. Prioritize psychographics over demographics.”
Fashion prides itself on being a trendsetter and a driving force for cultural change and self expression. It now has the opportunity to live up to that reputation and embrace the beauty of aging authentically.
Tony Case has written about marketing, media, and the culture for Adweek (as executive editor), Digiday and Variety. He and his work are cited by New York Magazine, the New York Post, Business Insider, and others. He regularly appears on CNN, MSNBC, and ABC’s Good Morning America.
