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| Elderly models pose for a group photo at the TSP Entertainment in Seoul. / Courtesy of The Show Project |
By Park Jin-hai
More than a dozen models in their various styles ― some in body-fitting glittering dresses and others in jeans or designer clothes with high heels ― gathered at a modeling school in southern Seoul. After listening to the feedback from their catwalk teacher for their last show, they lined up in a big circle and took turns doing twist turns on the small runway. To the songs of musical "Mamma Mia!" the teacher shouted "Please, pose more slowly, madams!"
These models are as passionate as ones at any other modeling school, but the only difference is their average age is north of 60.
With people aged 65 and older surpassing 14 percent of the population, Korea is one of the fastest aging societies. The steady rise in the maximum recorded life span enables people to expect to live a century. And with the help of media, portraying the older generations as being as active as young generations, people have begun to perceive aging as not "something to fight against."
The fashion market, where traditionally models reach the peak of their careers in their teens or even pre-puberty, is also seeing changes.
Elderly models with wrinkles and natural gray hair like Kim Chil-doo, a 63-year-old model who debuted last year as a fashion model, are making their ways in fashion shows. Kim, a gentleman with a beard, got into modeling belatedly, but the fashionista has shot to fame and is now a big name star.
"Many people love my image ― bearing the marks of age naturally. If I tried to become a fashion model earlier, when I was younger in my 40s or 50s, I don't think I could have been as successful as I am now," he says.
Like Kim, more senior citizens are venturing into the fashion modeling business, showing that age is not a curse and can be something cool. A senior citizens' modeling class opened recently in Songpa Women's Culture Center, succeeded in booking 30 applicants in their 40s to 70s within three days. They included 13 people in their 60s and three in 70s.
Jeong Young-ju, CEO of The Show Project, a model agency and catwalk academy, says the elderly started to enter the modeling business around eight years ago. Then many modeling academies soon mushroomed. "We used to call them silver models. The first-generation elderly models were those who attended modeling schools mainly for health concerns. They learned how to walk straight and have good posture like models. Some of them walked in fashion shows but they were mostly like one-time events without proper pay. Then the new term senior model replaced silver model to give a more positive image," he said.
He says many of his senior modeling academy students are women in their 60s and older. "Most of those elderly women are those who wanted to chase their long-lost dreams of becoming fashion models. While raising children they didn't have time, but getting older and having more time, they are trying to do something they couldn't afford to do when younger," he said.
Jung's modeling class for seniors is a two-year course. The six-month semester tuition for learning the catwalk, photo posing and acting is 1 million won.
As baby-boomers have aged, those elderly with financial freedom have emerged in the industry. They are called "active seniors" and are said to spend as much time on their hobbies and health as young people in their 20s and 30s.
Korea Health Industry Development Institute's data estimates that the local market targeting the elderly will grow to over 72 trillion won by 2020, from 27 trillion won in 2012.
Fashion is no exception, Jeong says. "While more houses were designed for newly married and young couples in the past, now the interior design market too is moving to become more senior-friendly. Likewise, in the economic sense, fashion is no longer the domain of the young generation. Many senior citizens show strong interest in learning how to age well in style. The fashion industry answers the call," he said. "Unlike younger models, where a strict diet and many other physical conditions are required, for senior models I think the image that they give is the most important. The image and aura that come from that person's life make up the senior model's unique character and style."
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| Elderly models talk on a runway at an event hall in Dongdaemun, Seoul. / Courtesy of TSP Entertainment |
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