Demand for older models grows

Caption Mature

By Monica Corcoran, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Until recently, a fashion model and a carton of skim milk had a lot in common -- not enough fat and a short shelf life. The average model's career typically expired at the age of 25. And, really, did anyone cry over such gorgeous spoiled milk? But a funny thing happened on the way to the model retirement home. Laugh lines became commodities. "The market for older models has exploded," says Ginni Conquest, co-director of the sophisticated women's division at Wilhelmina Models in New York. (Models who are 25 and older are often referred to as "classic" or "sophisticated.") "It's our fastest-growing area, and it's a first for the industry." Companies didn't suddenly become smitten with stretch marks. The trend is driven by the $2-trillion spending power of baby boomers -- born between 1946 and 1964 -- who make up 26% of the population. After all, what middle-aged woman wants to buy moisturizer from a model who's too young to order a martini? Or a cashmere cardigan from a coed? In September, J.Crew will introduce an online section within its Web catalog that features 58-year-old Los Angeles model Pia Gronning, left. The sundresses will be the same, but the styling will be more age-appropriate and sophisticated.

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Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

"We kept hearing women say, 'I'm not 25. I can't wear your clothes,' " says the preppy retailer's creative director, Jenna Lyons. "We did it for the women who wanted to see someone they relate to." J.Crew's mature model, a Danish stunner with a 27-inch waist, returned to modeling full time four years ago with L.A. Models as her booking agency. She had been working as a successful interior designer, collaborating with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and other notables. "I was seeing girls that I used to work with, and so I got back into it," says Gronning, who was discovered by Eileen Ford in 1974. "I am much more relaxed about it now, and I am doing amazingly well." Using models with some existential mileage makes sense for a few reasons. Baby boomers and thirtysomething Gen Xers see the best physical examples of their peers and glean hope that they, too, can age as well. They also covet the good life experiences that often come with good looks. "The aspiration in these ads has shifted to having a full, rich life. Open up any Vogue and you'll see models over 35," says John Caplan, president of Ford Models. "In the Rolex ad, you have Carmen Dell'Orefice, and she's in her 70s."

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Models 35 and older are in demand as boomers want to see someone they relate to. So familiar faces are back in front of the camera again.