Ever since Rosa Saito broke into the modeling industry, she has become the ultimate proof that age is just a number. The 73-year-old Brazilian model has walked the runway, starred in marketing campaigns, and graced the covers of fashion magazines. But most surprisingly, she has only done this for about five years—she first pursued a modeling career after her 68th birthday.
“No one had commented on my appearance until I reached 67, when people suddenly started to notice me,” Saito told The Guardian. It all began when photographers and casting agents in her hometown of São Paulo began stopping her in the street to compliment her looks and suggest she became a model. “It was very strange, but being spotted made me realize I could still achieve something for myself at this stage of my life,” she continued.
Known for her long, silver hair and elegant poses, Saito has tackled all kinds of fashion projects. Since we last checked in on her, she has starred in a Mother’s Day campaign for fashion brand IDA, modeled jewelry for TROIS, appeared in ELLE Brazil, and even became the face for a line of beauty products by O Boticario.
Although she seems like a natural due to the elegance she emanates, it wasn’t always easy. “At my first casting they asked me to act like I was just getting home from a nightclub, but I have never done that before,” she recalled. “I didn’t get the job, but I started to see how modeling is about inhabiting a character and performing. It was a challenge that began to excite me.”
The rejections only made her want to try harder. By turning past experiences into knowledge, she knew what photographers and other models would need to make a shoot work.
On top of the grace she brings to the industry, her attitude towards aging has turned her into a role model. For her, it’s important to show the fashion world that women like her exist and should be represented.
“I don’t feel old and I don’t think about getting old, since it’s a gift to be doing this in my 70s,” she says. “I have plenty of dreams for the future and milestones I want to achieve, but the real beauty of maturity is knowing that anything is possible, at any age.”
Ever since Rosa Saito broke into the modeling industry, she has proven that age is just a number.
The 73-year-old Brazilian model has walked the runway, starred in marketing campaigns, and graced the covers of fashion magazines.
Surprisingly, she has only done this for about five years—she first pursued a modeling career after her 68th birthday.
Known for her long, silver hair and elegant poses, Saito has tackled all kinds of fashion projects.
Over the last year, she starred in a Mother’s Day campaign for fashion brand IDA, modeled jewelry for TROIS, appeared in ELLE Brazil, and even became the face for a line of of beauty products by O Boticario.
On top of the grace she brings to the industry, her attitude towards aging has turned her into a role model.
For her, it’s important to show the fashion world that women like her exist and should be represented.
“I don’t feel old and I don’t think about getting old, since it’s a gift to be doing this in my 70s,” she says.
“I have plenty of dreams for the future and milestones I want to achieve, but the real beauty of maturity is knowing that anything is possible, at any age.”
Rosa Saito: Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Rosa Saito.
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