Good afternoon, Thursday.
As most of you know, my focus on this blog has shifted to something more of the moment or at least the current moment I'm in.
I believe strongly that ageism has become a front and center conversation because of some awesome trailblazers who refuse to be defined by their age. Ad folks all know Cindy Gallop and how much of a pioneer and reinventrix she is. And my friend Irma Zandl is a national treasure when it comes to still knowing what's cool, and teaching us how to be fiscally responsible so we too can go into 50+ land in any way we want. And then, of course, I stumbled upon the cover of In Style for September, where the very beautiful Amber Valletta is rocking that iconic Versace safety pin dress like the badass boss she is. I can't handle it. In a good way.
So it was with great pleasure I got to work on a launch with my friends at StriVectin, the skincare brand I regularly work with, to address ageism head-on, with an absolute icon. Ladies and gentleman (for the one man reading this ;), I give you Lauren Hutton, who they boldly chose as the new global ambassador of their brand.
And here's the thing. What I love about Lauren besides her insanely iconic American effortlessness and her gorgeous gap-toothed grin is her moxie. She can rap like Ferlinghetti on a hot tin roof or speak with great candor about the ground she broke when she became the first model to secure a million-dollar contract with Revlon. And what's even more fabulous is- ya. She's got a real face. A beautiful real face but a real face nonetheless. It's got lines and roadmaps to a life well-lived. I love that she looks how she has always looked, and even better. For me, I support style expressions of all kinds, but Lauren knows what suits her. She always has. And she hasn't turned to caftans or prints or wacky glasses. She shows up in a white tee-shirt and a navy blazer and some killer shoes with that amazing vibe and it's game over, kids. She's magical. Truly. I also love that her hair, a signature, is medium length and beautifully sun-kissed in terms of its hue. She's not going gray and that's a-ok. Because that's the point- as a woman who's aging, you have choices. You can color your hair or let it all go. You can get the botox or skip it in favor of some great products. You can look at your accomplishments and realize you're not nearly done yet. Also, she's wrestled an alligator and came face to face with a snake that looked like Joan Didion. I mean...thank goodness for women like Lauren.
And I think Lauren had the right idea all along. She worked to fund endless adventures to far-flung climes. She's unapologetically sexy and is not afraid of it. It was so cool to work on this project and I love how the compass is calibrating to a more thoughtful and authentic conversation around age. And inspirational to boot.
So Lauren, Lauren, Lauren. All day. Since it's Thursday, here's some throwbacks. But I particularly love how she looks now. She continues to show what it means to be a true, natural woman. More power to her and more power to us all for owning who we are. Oh and bonus points for loving hats. They are a girl's best friend. Know that.
And that's what's up this change is in the air kind of Thursday in the 212. Never be afraid to be exactly who you are. What could be more beautiful than that? XO