Where were the Classic/Mature Models at London Fashion Week 2018
Hi all.
For those of you that don’t know me and there will be many of you, my name is Debi. I’ve been a model for many years on and off. Life stepped in from time to time, but I recently re-visited my past and once again hit the studios and catwalks. I was never a “famous” model or a “big brand” model, but I did my bit, thoroughly enjoyed it and met some great people. Still am in fact.
When I was invited back to #modelling, 6 or 7 years ago, I thought it was a joke. Who on earth would want to see pictures of an old “has been” flying around. Surprisingly, once I got over my confidence issues and nerves, I began getting more and more work. I was invited to walk in a few fashion shows and yes, even London Fashion week two years ago for a lovely designer who has now become my friend.
I work full time and sadly have never been in the position where I could give that up, so I was constantly shooting at weekends. However, over the last 18 months things have been tough with me hitting #menopause and the loss of my Dad.
This year I have taken a little back step to sort myself out and lose the dreaded weight I’ve gained before stepping in front of the camera again. So, for the first time ever, I went along with my good friend Jayne to some shows at this seasons London Fashion Week (#LFW2018). I have to say, I was impressed. We saw some fantastic designers showcasing their work with the help of some amazing models. It was great!
Only one thing, well, a couple of things, marred it for me.
Where is all this diversity I’ve heard about in these shows? I didn't see one classic model! I don’t remember seeing one curvy or plus size model - I don’t want to seem like I’m trying to be controversial here, but hang on. Real women wear clothes too. Real women want to look as good as they can. We also want to see what the clothes look like on people like ourselves - Newsflash…. Women (and men for that matter) come in all shapes and sizes.
Now, as I said before, I’ve put on weight since I hit the dreaded menopause, along with many other symptoms. I work out regularly as I always have. But to lose the weight I’ve had to totally change my diet. It’s coming off slowly. But my body has completely changed. Nature cannot be defied and I refuse to go under the knife. I don’t want to get too thin as my face would look even more haggard than it does now. Plus… I quite like having a little meat on me. it’s certainly warmer this time of year.
So why are we being written off? Why isn’t there more opportunities for ladies like myself?
I know there are many of us out there. Some are friends of mine. We work hard, we take care of ourselves and our appearance is important to us. Gravity and time isn’t always kind, but you know what, God willing, we will all grow old, and I want to do it gracefully and with style. Just because I am now 53 doesn’t mean I can’t wear a leather jacket, white tee shirt and a nice pair of jeans. I don’t just wear flat shoes and floral dresses. I wear what I feel is not only comfortable, but suits me and fits me well.
I’d rather fit into a size 16 than starve myself to get thin so that i can fit into a size 10. Being a size 10 would not suit me. Think Zelda from the Terror Hawks!!!!
Designers! I promise you. If you use the odd “classic” model, or curvy model, it won’t ruin your business. I reckon your business will soar.
As we get older, our mortgages are often paid, we have more disposable income, and we know what we want. We want to look stylish and feel special in our clothes. We’d love designer clothes that are unique and available to us. They don’t even have to be in pink and pale blue or beige. We can still wear vibrant colours. We can still funk it up if we want.
It’s 2018. The world has moved forward. So come on, who’s with me? Let’s get some of us Foxy Ladies and Distinguished men strutting our stuff in your designs along the catwalks of the world. Let’s show them that growing old doesn’t mean getting boring. Having a few curves doesn’t mean you don’t want to dress well and can’t look good. We can all look good.
Give us a chance to show it!!!!
Debi J Classic model
