“Wearing pearl necklaces, cardigans and little granny glasses has become very interesting.” fashion revolutionizes its codes.

Paris, March 5, 2024, welcome to the Miu Miu show, one of the most anticipated of Paris Fashion Week. However, in his autumn-winter 2024-2025. The wayward sister of the Prada house once again presents a wardrobe that is much more feminine than feminine. Welcome to adulthood! “This collection is about life, experiences expressed through clothes. There’s a whole space between childhood and adulthood that fascinates me, explains Miuccia Prada in her spotlight post. That’s when character is formed.”

Actresses Angela Molina (68 years old) and Christine Scott Thomas (64 years old) attract attention on the podium. There’s also Chin Huilan, a Chinese doctor and longtime Prada customer who has become a social media influencer. This 70-year-old one-day model is ultra-stylish. “I’m out to prove that age is not a problem,” she wrote on Instagram.

Powerful femininity

Yes, age is no longer a concern this season. It has even become a theme highlighted in most autumn-winter shows. According to leading fashion site Tagwalk, 70% of the top 20 brands included older models (30 and over) in their castings this season. New York-based Batsheva opened the show by featuring only women over 40. Some caused a sensation with their gray hair, white nail polish and expressive lines.

At Michael Kors, Max Mara, Giorgio Armani, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, Marine Serre, Balenciaga, Mugler… a few “grandmasters” also infiltrated the catwalks. At Sixteen at Vetements, among others, actress Marcia Cross (age 62), aka Bree Van de Kamp. Desperate Housewives which closed the parade. At Balmain, 20 of Olivier Rousteing’s 57 models were over 35 (read page 102), with Axel Douen (70), Christina de Koninck (63), Estelle Levy (51) or Marie Seguy (47) standing out;

First there was Phoebe Philo. The English designer, who was awaited as a messiah by all the many philosophers (his fans) after leaving Celine in 2018, made him return to the fashion industry in October 2023, opening his own brand. To personify his cerebral art with minimal chic, he took forty-year-olds as muses: model Daria Werbowy and Sandra Huhler, a one-of-a-kind actress.Anatomy of a Fall. “These women are grounded, they are charismatic, they embody social, economic and cultural status,” analyzes Carlin Creative stylist and trendsetter Thomas Zilberman.

“We see that they will not be manipulated easily. This hint of powerful femininity is far more realistic for a forty-year-old than for a small, diaphanous creature under 20.” But this mature, self-confident woman also attracts new generations. “With the rise of feminism, we are interested in different careers than girls our age,” says Alma, 24, a stylist. Even for us, it is very enriching to see older figures, women with experience and life on the podium. It gives us hope, we tell ourselves that in a few years we can be like them, just as beautiful and inspiring.”

Quadra fashion for everyone

Maturity on the catwalks is not just a superficial illusion, it is also reflected in the collections. According to Tagwalk, the Y2K trend (from the early 2000s), the Gen Z icon of the cropped shirt or low-rise jeans, is clearly on the decline in favor of the current. lady a reflection of the elegant, well-mannered bourgeoisie, a bit vintage. Alma confirms this particular appetite. Pearl necklaces, cardigans and even tiny granny glasses have become very cool to wear. We’re having fun with these stereotypes that are fun and raunchy for young girls.”

Another strong current trend for midlife is tailoring. 25-year-old journalist Tess confirms. girl boss à la Lena Mahfouf. I, who was more of a total jog look, started wearing structured suits and pointy pumps.” Instagram It girls with millions of followers have also ditched their sexy mini skirts for more grown-up outfits. 27-year-old Hailey Bieber likes to age in beige or gray off-the-shoulder jackets. Gigi Hadid, too, who wears Bermuda shorts or pants, seems to go to Wall Street every day.

“We get the impression that these girls have just come out of a meeting with their lawyer or agent,” laughs Thomas Zilbermann. Previously, there was an offer for very young people, and another one for more professionally integrated women, with some boring offers, he continues. This season, sartorial offerings are migrating towards less linear fashion on both sides and revolving around a kind of ideal age, 40.”

Moreover, on the red carpets and front rows of the most famous fashion shows, it is no longer young premieres who embody French glamor and luxury, but people over forty (Marina Fois, Virgin Efira, Leila Bekhti, etc.). Catherine Deneuve also agrees. “Rapper Nicki Minaj’s look is a bit done,” Alma continues. I have a feeling, but maybe it’s because I’m getting older that we’re going back to the chic, understated and elegant look…

Even Zara plays a more classic role with suits and button detailing in more colorful colors. muted (muted, Editor’s Note), rather than the neon palette of recent seasons.” More elegant, less provocative, fashion prefers the essentials and refinement: a beautiful coat, a midi skirt, a suit, a bag that reflects the image of an accomplished lady or a powerful woman.

Is youth on the verge of extinction?

“We feel like the mature woman has taken a backseat to body positivity this season,” says Alexandra Van Hout, founder of Tagwalk. Because the latter is clearly declining on the podiums. No more lost women, the praise of age reigns supreme. An open mind that closes another. “I see it rather as an offshoot of this inclusivity, which first advocated the acceptance of all bodies, then of all ethnic groups,” analyzes Sarah Bannon, professor of fashion theory at the French Institute of Fashion (IFM).

Women’s representation has finally diversified in fashion, as if we need to break free from the imperatives, and in this new, more diverse era, we’re talking about aging. But age has long been a stigma. Take the movie for example barbie, which represented all kinds of dolls, round, black, or small, but there were no wrinkles. Age, the last taboo has finally been broken in fashion.

No more branches with baby faces!

On catwalks and collections, we are now telling other stories, where life experiences and experiences become appeals and attitudes. So Undercover’s Watching a Working Woman fashion show highlighted the 40-year-old single mother’s day with a poem by Wim Wenders. Last April, Isabella Rossellini’s (72) radiant appearance at the closing of Pucci’s Spring-Summer 2024 show also caused a stir on social media. The artistic director of the Italian label, Camille Micelli, is delighted.

“I think that all women have projected themselves into Isabella,” he analyzes. Personally, she makes me dream more than a girl who spends her life at the cosmetic surgeon, and she’s very funny on social media. This youth, which is constantly imposed, is a lead barrier. I believe that today, regardless of our age, we all want to return to more reality…”.

Marie Adam-Lenaerdt, a young Belgian designer who caused a sensation during the last Paris fashion week, is in the same state of mind. His favorite model. Sweden’s Silke Golding (age 57), silver hair that perfectly matched her plunging neckline, cardigan and wool skirt ensemble. “I almost feel like I see myself in Silke,” explains the 27-year-old designer, who has the same hairstyle as his muse. I project myself into him. I don’t really care about having 16 year old daughters. I prefer to show women who have something to say beyond their looks and it reflects in their personality. Youth is finally experiencing a way out.

“Fashion is also a reflection of society today, which seeks to promote accomplished, autonomous, independent female figures, heroines who embody success and know why they got there,” concludes Thomas Zilberman. So shall we finally rid ourselves of time travel instructions? Another way to embody this female liberation so dear to the new generations.