Age No Barrier For China's Senior Catwalk Models

Wearing a bright floral ensemble with her short hair dyed blonde, Chinese model Ma Yinhong struts a Shanghai catwalk with a style and swagger that belie her 56 years

Shanghai, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Jan, 2019 ) :Wearing a bright floral ensemble with her short hair dyed blonde, Chinese model Ma Yinhong struts a Shanghai catwalk with a style and swagger that belie her 56 years.

She made her modelling debut just two years ago and is already in demand, working for leading fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabbana.

Ma is one of a growing number of older models sought after by Chinese and international labels trying to court the country's growing faction of "silver spenders".

She seems to embody this target market of older Chinese who are spending more on themselves.

"I never go out without dressing up and getting made up. I never let myself look like an old granny," Ma told AFP at a recent show for Uooyaa, which used a mix of younger Chinese and foreign models, as well as seniors.

Once confined largely to life insurance and healthcare ads, today glamourous Chinese seniors are in demand for high fashion.

"They save me as 'best for last' in fashion shows after young models, so I am quite visible," Ma said.

By 2050, one in three people in China, or 487 million people, will be over the age of 60 -- more than the population of the United States -- according to the official Xinhua news agency.

This greying population, combined with rising incomes and living standards, means an explosion in consumption by China's elderly is forecast in coming decades.

Once expected to selflessly stay home and mind the grandchildren, seniors -- particularly women -- have become a coveted market for products like clothing, fashion accessories, cosmetics and travel, according to consumer research firm Mintel.