The latest fashion season stood out for two opposite trends, almost no size diversity on the runway, but a major leap in age inclusion. In late January, 50-year-old model Stephanie Quayle, with gray hair, opened Chanel’s haute couture show, as creative director Matthieu Blazy used mature women to project fashion that “real women” can identify with. European media described it as a taboo-breaking moment for couture, and Chanel was not alone.
Miu Miu closed its fall-winter 2026 show with 57-year-old actor Gillian Anderson, while 51-year-old Chloë Sevigny and 61-year-old Kristen McMenamy also walked. Michael Kors marked the brand’s 45th anniversary by having retired supermodel Christy Turlington, 57, close the show. Kate Moss, 52, closed Demna’s debut Gucci show in February in a glittering fitted dress. Similar gestures appeared at Tom Ford, Alaïa and Carolina Herrera. According to Tagwalk, only one of the 20 leading brands used plus-size or fuller-figured models, but all of them included an older model.
The article says 2026 is shaping up as the year age becomes an asset, with the industry rediscovering the appeal of maturity, charisma and presence. It offers five main explanations: money, as luxury brands recognize older women as powerful consumers; a post-pandemic backlash against youth obsession; greater credibility, since mature women make clothes feel usable in real life; the natural fit between heritage brands and longevity; and image management, because the move makes labels seem socially aware and current.
Still, the piece notes the change is incomplete. Most older women given covers, runway slots or campaigns this year are famous actresses or iconic models, and they remain thin, wealthy and able to afford elite aesthetic treatments. The author concludes that fashion has not suddenly discovered older women, but finally understood they are not on the margins, they are central to the market, even as true inclusion remains far off.
