Lauren Hutton Makes History as the Oldest Woman to Appear on a 'Vogue' Magazine Cover
NO AGE-BARRED: For the first time, Vogue Italia is dedicating an entire issue to women over 60. And who best to front the three covers? Lauren Hutton, who at 73 years and 11 months is the oldest woman ever to appear on the cover of any Vogue magazine in the world. The record was previously held by Tina Turner, who appeared on the cover of Vogue Germany in 2013 at the age of 73 years and four months.
Vogue Italia’s “Timeless Issue” hits newsstands Thursday. “The question to ask isn’t “Is old age having a fashion moment?” — the answer, in fact, is yes,” said editor in chief Emanuele Farneti. “Many runway shows and advertising campaigns already offer proof of this. Nor is it the nagging question about whether Millennials or the Baby Boomers who age gracefully, and who are flush with cash and eager to shop, will save fashion. Rather, we think that it is about inclusive diversity, the real challenge of today. This relates to gender, ethnicity and religion, and it is also true for age — no one feels excluded.”
Hutton, who has a record 27 covers of American Vogue and 13 other Vogue covers, believes “this is the most important.” It’s the cover that “has made me feel most useful. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but it took Vogue Italia’s courage to make it true. This is a cover that can change society, because it shows a woman who is vibrant, attractive, who still laughs, and who for the first time is a woman my age.”
Klein said it is “important that a cover be more than just a photograph, it needs to reflective of our times and challenge and inspire. A huge reason why I wanted to shoot the cover of the ‘Age Issue,’ was to be able to show a new take on how a woman over 70 could look. That is why I was so excited to shoot Lauren Hutton for the cover. She is [73] and still sexy. She also embraces her age. She has had no cosmetic work done to her face or body.” Klein said the shot of Hutton wearing a bra has a message for our “ageist society: You can be sexy at 70, too.”
Vogue Italia’s focus on social matters continues under Farneti. His predecessor, the late Franca Sozzani, famously dedicated issues of the magazine to plastic surgery, the Gulf BP oil spill, drug addiction, domestic violence or the “Curvy” and “Black” themes.
With the “Timeless Issue,” the magazine celebrates other trailblazing women such as Iman, 62, who poses for a special photo shoot dedicated to Christian Dior’s resort 2018 collection, and Benedetta Barzini, the first model to appear on the cover of Vogue Italia in November 1965. At 74, she is photographed in one of the fashion features of this issue.
Peter Lindbergh, on the eve of his exhibition at the Rivoli Castle outside Turin, explains how he has restored his muses’ pride in their age: “Not touching up faces is an ethical as well as an aesthetic choice,” he states. There is also an article on Tracey Norman, 66, the first transgender model in history, and Juergen Teller photographs gallery owner Suzanne Tarasieve, 68, in Hydra. The issue features interviews with Marina Abramovic; Inge Feltrinelli; Amanda Lear; model Maye Musk, mother of Elon, the founder of Tesla, and a conversation on feminism between Lynda Benglis and India Munuez. There is also a focus on Instagram and social media stars aged more than 70, from Baddie Winkle to Sciuragram.
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