Supermodel Shelflife

Model myths about age and expiry dates circulate in the industry every day: are these beliefs outdated now, or simply stating shelflife facts?

A Legacy continued: World renowned supermodel Kate Moss holding baby Lila in 2006, a later to be model child. Available via StyleBook ©.  All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement  intended. 

The article on whether a supermodel ever really expires. It's a common trend, speak to any model you know about their feelings on age in the industry and they are likely to feel the same pressure - ‘I am getting too old for this.’ 

From recently scouted models to those with industry experience,  Even Kate Moss, a supermodel with over 75 Vogue covers worldwide, stated in her recent interview with Bella Freud on the podcast ‘Fashion Neurosis’ that after doing her first Vogue shoot at age 18 her immediate reaction was ‘that's it, I’m out’, as she was past her ‘prime’. Little to her surprise she would still be attending shoots at 50 years old. Is this just due to her iconic fame, however, or are model myths about age truly ready to dissipate? 

Kate Moss is a supermodel who started as young as 14 in the industry. A defining beauty, she shaped lives and numerous covers, to even having a style of Louboutin shoe named after her - ‘So Kate’. This model’s legacy is a prime example of one which did not face a challenge with age. Shoots continued throughout the decades, proving age as a factor which fascinates instead of hinders: but it also continued through the vessel of her daughter Lila. The progressive continuity of the Moss legacy could highlight the lucky factor their fame has given them - perhaps supermodels need not worry about such factors. Their cultural relevance allows for an eternal advantage on the catwalk. Lila Moss has proceeded to debut her own Vogue covers, such as in 2022 when she shot a mystical themed spread for the British publication. 

It is almost as if a model's beauty has become objectified into something which is subjective and finite. Like food on a shelf, if you are no longer fresh, youthful - it's time to be discarded. This embedded belief is something that is certainly being challenged, not just by the likes of Kate Moss and her longevous career, it is throughout the industry. Brands which appeal to wider audiences often use models which reflect their customers, using older models to demonstrate this in campaigns becomes commonly accessible. Furthermore, multiple iconic Vogue covers feature ‘older’ women with an important cultural impact, reviewing recent archives demonstrates the diversity in age represented. When society is clearly shifting, beliefs still remain prevalent, perhaps due to the starting ground of modelling. Agencies and casting calls include sharp, cutthroat measures to peel back to the best of the best, perhaps planting seeds of doubt, fear and shame into many aspiring women.

Representations of age and culture could be tied into the success of certain models whose faces will never go out of ‘style’ as their presence has a profound cultural impact and therefore will always be of high demand and striking importance. It is easy for them to progress into their careers as well as into higher age ranges. When you consider the faces which have not yet made such a stunning impact, fears that they may carry due to the pressures of certain castings and agencies where they have not yet had their big break come to mind.  Beliefs such as being too ‘old’ stemming from constant setbacks and adjustments required at castings before you can even step foot behind the first camera pose and issue. Challenges of starting out and the rooted ideals, however, do not factor out the complex emotions which still do exist for those more esteemed in the industry. 

Take Bella Hadid, for example, age 28, who was the cover of June 2025 British Vogue. A supermodel from a young age, alongside her older sister Gigi; and former model mother Yolanda - this team of face cards have not had it easy. Bella’s double page spread interview in the issue opened to her raw and vulnerable insight to the complex emotions and body image complications that can come with being in the public eye and working long, tireless days as somebody's canvas. Bella often speaks of her emotional and spiritual world, keeping an open dialogue where she can, about modeling’s tolls on mental and physical health. Concerns about age, and other mindfields, perhaps are part of the package of the spectrum of emotions that come with being behind the camera, no matter how much of a head start you have had in the industry. 

Esteemed amounts of success in the  modelling industry may lessen the impact of fearing age, compared to the emotions faced by those in their early stages, but it is certain that even the most prestigious of models face fear and discouragement. The growing pains of just starting out are inevitable, the same with making headway in any career. Perhaps the most important thing to do in this case, whether you are an avid Vogue reader to an aspiring model yourself, would be to focus on the positive sides of how diversity is already promoted, instead of the adversity of ingrained beliefs pushed upon models in industry about age and expiry. The most sought after age range of a model is stereotypically between 16-21 in statistic terms, but with changing narratives towards diversity on a multitude of representations like body type and disability as well as age, there is a light of hope which seems to be only shining brighter as more and more campaigns and interviews are published. 

Starting out as a model comes with its self-image related risks, as does being a professional face of the catwalk. Efforts can be made to further debunk age myths: such as representations from the biggest names and catwalks in the industry, , as well as images we see in high-street stores promoting a more positive and age-diverse environment for the models.

Ultimately, being assessed for your body and face comes with fears and risks - but there are no limits to beauty, and it would be impossible to confine yourself into a box with an expiry date taped across it. Comparing models to something that can go out of date is dehumanising and denies the nature of beauty, which is something unlimited and not subjective to age, or the amount of pre-determined success you have in the industry.