On the eve of London Fashion Week, models with a combined age of 700 will make history today (18 February 2016) as they take to the catwalk in the first show to use a full cast of models over the age of 50.
Led by the oldest working model Daphne Selfe (87) and former Vogue cover girl Marie Helvin (63), Fifty Plus Fashion Week is an industry first, celebrating fashion and style without age limits.
Launched by JD Williams and in association with the London College of Fashion, the show will see Marie Helvin and Daphne Selfe join 10 models over the age of 50 to showcase student designs and pieces from the JD Williams AW16 collection, styled by fashion expert Caroline Baker (70).
Ed Watson, spokesperson for JD Williams, comments: “Age should be no barrier to style and we’re breaking convention with our cast of fabulous 50+ models.”
The show is a collaboration with the London College of Fashion whose second year design course students undertook an industry project which required designs to be specifically tailored to the 50+ woman, taking both market research and physical changes that result from ageing into account.
Shortlisted to a top 20 that will show at the event, the students were then whittled down to a group of 5 finalists, with the winning student decided on by the retailer and London College of Fashion.
The winning piece, a trend-led coat that can be worn in a massive 30 different ways designed by Meng Wu will be put into production and sold online at JD Williams for AW16. The winner will also be offered an internship with the retailer.
Ed Watson continues: “Partnering with the London College of Fashion for Fifty Plus Fashion Week allowed us to combine the best emerging talent the UK has to offer with some of the most experienced and inspirational models of our generation.
“JD Williams has led the charge for championing the 50+ woman for over 140 years and this collaboration will allow the next generation of designers to do so too.”
The partnership is a first for the retailer and for the college students, who until now have focussed their work on traditional sample size and younger models - and hadn’t explored the mind-set of a 50+ shopper.
The top five students and the looks created are listed below. These will join 15 other pieces on the catwalk on Thursday the 18 February.
- The 30 Way Coat – Menge Wu
- Floral Boho Dress – Oliver Lamoury
- Oversized Poncho – Huong Nguyen
- Patchwork shift dress with fur sleeved coat – Rita Cardoso Dos Santos
- Retro printed jacket with bejewelled batwing dress – Sarah Shaw
Meng Wu, winning student from the London College of Fashion comments, “The JD Williams customers have varied needs and tastes. They want formal, casual, neutral, colourful, long, short, comfort. They also want clothes that flatter and enhance their figures. I designed my ‘30 ways to wear’ coat with these needs in mind. My coat is also warm, easy to clean, waterproof and durable.”
Marie Helvin and Daphne Selfe will star in the first ever 50+ Fashion Week on the 18 February at Café Royal, Regents Street.
The show will also launch the second 50+ Fashion and Body Image report with findings that include, 55% of women over the age of 50 are lacking in body confidence, 58% feel that their generation is forgotten by the high street and 72% feel underrepresented in advertising.
ENDS
