Older, Curvier Models on the Runway?

Are older, curvier models becoming fashionable?  According to this article in the Huffington Post, the answer is yes.  For his Fall show, Calvin Klein used gray-haired, 45-year old Kristen McMenamy.  He also had Stella Tennant, 40, and Kirsty Hume, 34, on the runway.  Elle Macpherson, now 47, walked for Marc Jacobs and Prada had a handful of girls in their 20’s (not old I realize but old for runway!).

Are we seeing the end of designers using painfully thin 14-year olds to sell us clothes?  It’s probably too soon to tell but this is a very positive trend.  The fashion world is always looking for new and fresh and, “seeing clothes on post-pubescent bodies didn’t look fresh”, says Nian Fish, creative director at KCD, a major player in the fashion show world, in the article.

“Kate Moss”, now 36, has grown up”, says Francisco Costa, creative director for Klein.  “Now she’s the woman I wish to wear my clothes.”

Granted, I don’t even vaguely resemble Kristen McMenamy- 

But she is much more relatable to me than this girl –

It would be unrealistic to think we’ve seen the end of the very young, heroin-chic, orphan look on the runway but this trend is definitely heading in the right direction.  Let’s hope it continues!