Among the many demographics that could use a representation boost in fashion, mature models—that is, women ages 40 and above—are noticeably sparse. On the runway and in fashion ads last season, mature models were hard to spot, with fewer than 20 total appearances on the runway. But in the editorial space, Vogue Italia is making moves this month, dedicating its latest issue to women over the age of 60, WWD reports.
Called the Timeless Issue, Vogue Italia's latest focuses on women who are major trailblazers in their respective fields and just so happen to be older than the usual subjects we see in magazines. Actress and model Lauren Hutton stuns on three different covers—and at 73 years and 11 months, she's the oldest woman to cover any of Vogue's global editions, ever. Also in this issue: Benedetta Barzini, Vogue Italia's first-ever cover model; Instagram star Baddie Winkle; supermodel Iman; and Maye Musk, the just-announced new face of CoverGirl.
For Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief Emanuele Farneti, an age-inclusive issue of the fashion magazine aligns with similar shifts in advertising campaigns and runway castings. “The question to ask isn’t 'Is old age having a fashion moment?'—the answer, in fact, is yes," he told WWD. "Rather, we think that it is about inclusive diversity, the real challenge of today. This relates to gender, ethnicity, and religion, and it is also true for age —no one feels excluded.”
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Despite her record 27 American and 13 international Vogue covers, Hutton agrees that the Timeless Issue is particularly special: "This is a cover that can change society, because it shows a woman who is vibrant, attractive, who still laughs, and who for the first time is a woman my age,” she said to WWD. Hutton's Vogue Italia shoot disrupts antiquated notions that older women can't be perceived as sensual and seductive. (On one cover, she poses in a sexy sheer bra.) Steven Klein, who shot the editorial, said he wanted to portray her in a different manner than we're used to seeing older women. "A huge reason why I wanted to shoot the cover of the Age Issue was to be able to show a new take on how a woman over 70 could look," he shared with WWD. "That is why I was so excited to shoot Lauren Hutton for the cover. She is [73] and still sexy. She also embraces her age."
While the Timeless Issue is Vogue Italia's first age-themed edition, it fits in with an inclusive, politically active message that the magazine is known for, largely thanks to the work of its late editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani. During her time at the title, Sozzani published editions charged with diversity, such as the Black issue in 2008 and the Curvy issue in 2011; both were among the first moves by a major fashion publication to present a decidedly inclusive vision. They weren't perfect executions of these ideas (the Black issue especially drew ire from some publications for styling supermodels in looks that conformed to white beauty standards), but they were monumental for the industry and received overwhelming responses from readers. (The Guardian reported that the Black issue sold out on arrival in the U.K. and U.S.; meanwhile, the Curvy"issue received praise for promoting fashion for women of all sizes and combating anorexia in fashion.)
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Vogue Italia's age-inclusive issue comes on the heels of a few notable efforts to include older women in fashion and beauty imagery. We've seen brands like Gap and Zara use models over the age of 40 in their ad campaigns. Allure's September issue featured actress Helen Mirren, age 72, on the cover, and included an announcement that the magazine would no longer write about "anti-aging" products.
Clearly, Vogue Italia's Timeless Issue is another step in the right direction for age inclusion. But it'll take more than one special edition of one magazine to push the needle for women of all ages.
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