DILFs were the real stars of Fashion Week

For years, the emphasis on youth has been the focal point of the fashion industry. Models with a "baby face", often minors, have been at the center of runways and ad campaigns, and brand ambassadors have often been chosen for their ability to embody the trends of younger generations. However, the SS25 Fashion Week brought a new generation to the spotlight: middle-aged men, present on the runway and in the front rows of the most followed shows of the season. The renaissance of the so-called “silver fox”, those attractive and mature men, is rewriting the rules of a traditionally ageist industry. A new era, following the trends of the “baby girl” and “hot rodent boyfriends,” has seen actors like Willem Dafoe, Daniel Craig, and Jeff Goldblum take center stage in the fashion world, drawing the attention of the media and the public, thanks to their ability to reinvent themselves. Willem Dafoe, at 69 years old, gracefully closed the Miu Miu show. Perhaps the midlife crisis is no longer addressed with a sports car but with a total look by Loewe?

The change not only involves the presence of mature men in the fashion world but also their ability to collaborate with vibrant and innovative brands. Daniel Craig, after leaving his role as 007, redefined his image by transitioning from the impeccable suits of James Bond to a more relaxed and contemporary style. In his collaboration with Loewe as the protagonist of the FW24 campaign, Craig sports a look far from the traditional English gentleman: bright colors, tousled hair, and a mood that makes him appear relaxed, almost the antithesis of the secret agent. Similarly, at 71 years old, Jeff Goldblum continues to strengthen his role as a fashion icon, both as a model and a regular at fashion weeks. For SS25, sitting in the front row at Loewe alongside Anna Wintour, Goldblum wore a pair of baggy jeans and an oversized leather jacket, proving that fashion can be playful and relaxed at any age. At Balenciaga, Kyle MacLachlan, after being a key figure in several David Lynch projects, at 65 years old, has become the ultimate “baby girl,” with his social media posts showing him singing songs by Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. After a brief stint in fashion 30 years ago during his relationship with supermodel Linda Evangelista, when he was featured in an editorial for Vogue Italia in the September 1994 issue, the American actor reconnected with the fashion industry at Prada’s FW22 fashion show, where he opened the show, and Jeff Goldblum closed it.

Overall, recent fashion weeks have increasingly embraced age diversity – both on the runways and in the front rows. During the SS25 season, Sunnei, celebrating the brand's 10th anniversary, exclusively featured middle-aged models, demonstrating through a truly diverse casting – not only in terms of age – that “10 years feel like 100.” Similarly, by FW24, 70% of brands had included at least one model over 30, which was once considered the retirement age in the fashion industry. Ferragamo for the AW24/25 campaign, also chose to feature Peter Saville, the iconic graphic designer born in 1955, as the lead model. If once it was common to see angelic faces of 15-year-old models on the runway, it seems the fashion industry is increasingly going against the grain of a self-imposed tradition. Beyond being a viral and “shock factor” strategy, this phenomenon is also a great marketing model to attract and represent luxury's main target audience. Miu Miu had already done so for the FW24 collection, showcasing top client Qin Huilan, who, after a long medical career in Shanghai, at 70 years old walked the runway for the first time during Paris Fashion Week. Loewe, while popular among younger generations, does not attract the same purchasing power audience, having a less renowned history in the years when Boomers and Gen X were young. Even Miu Miu's decision to close the show with Willem Dafoe in a business casual suit – for a womenswear brand – was a clever move to capture the attention of a target audience that, until recently, had not realized they were potential customers. It seems that the charm of gray will prevail in the upcoming seasons, and not just on the clothes.