Written by The Strategy

Flip through any fashion magazine and you’re bound to be bombarded with premature poreless beauties and photoshopped Beibers alike. That is until now. This Spring, some major fashion brands are turning pages by shining the spotlight on older women in their spring/summer ad campaigns: Joan Didion for Céline, Joni Mitchell for YSL, and a trio of grannies for Dolce and Gabbana to name a few. Ironically, these women are bringing a fresh new wave to feminism with their wrinkles and grey locks, and we at The Strategy could not be more excited! 



Take 93-year-old, interior designer, Iris Apfel for example. This season, she nabs a seat on a park bench next to fresh faced Karlie Kloss (age 22) for Kate Spade Spring/Summer 2015, but Mrs Apfel is no stranger to the fashion scene. Just last month, Apfel sparkled as the face for Alexis Bittar Jewelry SS15. And as a woman with great style and a chic Manhattan apartment, it’s so obvious why she’s becoming one of today’s most sought after fashion icons. I mean, Iris Apfel in green trousers, polka dot socks, and chic oversized sunnies on a park bench – what’s not to love? 



So how do these women influence our lives? Only by completely changing the way we shop, and redefining the standards of conceptualized beauty. We can shop without feeling pressured to buy into something in order to feel more desired, sexy, etc. We can buy something simply for the fact that we like it. Quite honestly, I can’t help but feel these women are more influential than any woman before them for the sole reason that they’ve lived long enough to have stories to tell and share their secrets. They may not carry the same sizzle as a steamy Tom Ford campaign, but they do send an equally powerful message: one that says all women have a story to tell; that beauty comes in all shapes (and ages), and one that proves style only gets better with age. 



See the slideshow above for some of our favourite older fashionistas. 




Written by Shannon Sauder