Being attractive, slender, and most importantly, youthful, is crucial in the world of modeling and the beauty industry. If you don’t fall within any of those headings, don’t even bother trying.
Models now appear in all shapes, sizes, and colors because the beauty industry has learned to appreciate diversity in more recent years.
The idea that only young people should apply is also fading away as older men and women flaunt fashionable appearances and compete with 20-year-olds for jobs.
One agency chose to go against beauty and age standards even further as other modeling agencies began to add older models to their list.
Russian modeling agency Oldushka focuses entirely on booking elder talent, opting to represent models that are 46 years old and older.
Igor Gavar’s passion project to shoot the street style of Siberian retirees is where the modeling business got its start.
On his website, also known as Oldushka, he highlighted them. The name Oldushka is a combination of the term “old” from the English language and the usual Russian suffix “ushka,” which denotes compassion and affection for the person so named.
The portraits of older persons gained the most attention and great feedback out of all the portraits posted on his blog. He took images of common folks he encountered on the street who stood out for their fashion sense.
Gavar claims that he was able to convey “beauty, absurdity, honesty, and astonishment” in his initial subjects. He remembers, “Beauty—a it’s characteristic that grows more cherished with years.”
“I met some extremely interesting people, and I wanted to collaborate with them on a different project. It evolved into a modeling agency project.
True to its name, Oldushka takes pleasure in having a roster that includes people up to 85 years old, many of whom have wrinkles and gray hair.
In locations all around Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, and even Gavar’s remote Siberian city of Omsk, the agency represents 18 models.
The modeling firm seeks out candidates with personality, spirit, and a sense of adventure. Oldushka is more focused in displaying the age, experience, and wisdom of its models than height and weight.
The attractive Oldushka men and women, who each have their own distinctive flair, have been hired for a variety of campaigns, from avant-garde fashion to lifestyle photography.
They have appeared in fashion magazines and advertisements as well as on the runways of well-known designers.
Gavar is now contributing to the expansion of ingrained ideas about who and what looks nice. Oldushka models are not permitted to sign contracts with “anti-aging” products or services, and clients are not permitted to “photoshop out” wrinkles and gray hair, he even clearly stated in the agency’s professional agreement.
Oldushka is demonstrating that age is just a number and raising standards in the beauty sector.
Gavar stated: “The models portraying themselves is a tool to combat stereotypes. They provide hope by demonstrating that it is possible to look stunning and age well.
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