Ageism: Is Gucci Giving it the Boot?

Barbara Alberti modeling for the Gucci 2018 Cruise campaign | Gucci

Ageism: Is Gucci Giving it the Boot?

Diversity is a topic at the vanguard of discussion within the fashion industry — enough so that I dedicated the entirety of my senior thesis to it.  I wrote of the negative effects that the perpetration of colorism had on working models, and explored the benefits that genuine and sustained inclusion would have on both the industry and its audience.  In this context especially, the term “diversity” is commonly conceptualized in a couple of ways; namely, as racism and sexism.  It invokes images of all-white runway shows, or ad campaigns that overtly sexualize their female models.  But, Gucci’s Cruise 2018 campaign foregrounds another, lesser-discussed subsection of diversity: ageism.

 

Flipping through the December issue of Vogue, I imagine that many paused, as I did, at Gucci’s adverts for their 2018 Cruise campaign.  The first featured a model perched against a luxurious headrest and with her distant expression, she coolly embodied the rich lace cardigan and exquisitely embroidered Gucci bag that she showcased.  The photograph was striking not only because of the bag, but because of its model as well — her name is Chiara Mastroianni, and she is 45 years old.

 

Chiara Mastroianni modeling for the Gucci 2018 Cruise campaign

Chiara Mastroianni modeling for the Gucci 2018 Cruise campaign | Gucci

 

On the page adjacent to Mastroianni’s, Marina Cicogna (83), too, seemed to meld with fashion itself.  Her expression was vaguely stern, mirroring the authority that her structured jacket exuded.  Standing with a straight back, her natural elegance further coordinated with the jewels that decorated her fingers, ears, and handbag.

 

Marina Cicogna modeling for the Gucci 2018 Cruise campaign | Gucci

Marina Cicogna modeling for the Gucci 2018 Cruise campaign | Gucci

 

Photographed in various Roman-style apartments, the campaign’s #RomanRhapsody theme aims to highlight the models’ candor.  Gucci’s website describes its campaign: “Unfolding as a series of compelling portraits of real people in real places, the Cruise 2018 campaign is shot by iconic British rock star photographer Mick Rock.  The cast—friends of creative director Alessandro Michele—celebrate the genuine non-conformists and eccentrics.”  Their three pages in December Vogue featured Chiara Mastroianni, Marina Cicogna, and Silvia Calderoni and for the sake of Gucci’s intentions, it is worth noting that they are 45, 83, and 36 years old, respectively.  The campaign aims to “celebrate eccentrics,” and the fact that mature models fulfill this requisite is indicative of an underlying issue: the fashion industry is one that overwhelmingly values youth.

 

Paige Morgan, a member of Model Mayhem’s expert community, chimes in on the standard for models.  “If you are under 5’8″, above a size 4 dress, or over the age of 20, your chances of getting signed by a major market high fashion/runway agency is as likely as winning the lottery and getting attacked by a gang of ninjas in the same 24 hour period,” she writes.  With the majority of models falling between the ages of 13 and 16, Gucci’s use of models that are more than twice the average age is a statement.  But, their Cruise 2018 campaign isn’t the first to make strides toward this type of inclusion.  A year ago, New York Fashion Week hinted at the trend.

 

2016 NYFW was one that was, in terms of age, noticeably more diverse.  “In fact,” Véronique Hyland of The Cut writes, “Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s turned up more this New York Fashion Week than during any season in recent memory — and, refreshingly, it wasn’t always as the “token gray-haired model” sprinkled into the show like so many salt-and-pepper highlights.”  So, the designers in 2016 NYFW predated Gucci in their use of mature models — does this mark the beginning of a more age-friendly inclusion?  Though it’s hard to predict whether the development will ultimately be more than a shock-value fad, Gucci participating in its propagation signals a more sustained movement.  With a high-profile brand on board, maybe the trend is here to stay.

 

Undoubtedly, inclusion in the fashion industry is, for many, an issue that is ethical in nature.  It is important to include a variety of representative models because doing so validates the identities of those who look like them.  And inversely, the exclusion of certain types of models implies that those who look like them don’t have a place in the industry.  But aside from the moral element, inclusion is a smart business move.  In her article for The Cut, Hyland sums it up: “It makes sense, especially for luxury brands — a customer of means isn’t necessarily a spring chicken, so why shouldn’t she see the clothes on a woman her own age? Take it from Lobo and Martin: ‘Models should reflect the women who are out there buying the collections and supporting your brand,’ they say. ‘The clothes should be the fantasy.’”    

 

 

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