In the world of modeling, being young is highly prized. But as we’ve seen in the past, just because you’ve got gray hair or wrinkles doesn’t mean you can’t make a splash in the world of beauty and fashion. Senior models are proving that they can rock stylish looks at any age and give those in their 20s a run for their money. In more conventional modeling agencies, you’ll find the sexagenarians and septuagenarians peppered among the youths there. One company, however, is choosing to specialize in booking the older generation; called OLDUSKA, it’s a modeling agency exclusively for seniors based in Russia.
Photographer Igor Gavar is the founder of OLDUSKA. For the past year and a half, he has booked a small but good-looking group of men and women ranging from 45 years old to their early eighties. Each has their own distinct look and models for an array of campaigns from avant garde fashion to lifestyle photography.
OLDUSKA began organically. Gavar never intended to start his own agency, but it sprouted from a passion project—photographing the street style of retirees. “I met some very interesting faces,” he recalls, “and I wanted to do a separate project with them. A modeling agency became that sort of project.”
Now, Gavar is helping to expand our long-held notions of who and what looks good. “[The models] appearing as themselves is an instrument to fight stereotypes,” he explained. “They are an inspiring example to show that it is possible to look beautiful and be your age.”
Based in Russia, OLDUSKA is a modeling agency that is exclusively for senior models.
Olga Kondrasheva, 71 years old
They are helping to expand our standards of beauty and show that age is only a number.
Victor Sosnovtsev, 73 years old
Valentina Yasen, 62 years old