This Woman Started Her Modeling Career at 62—And She’s Totally Thriving
Janis Wilkins began her modeling career at 62 after a casting agent asked her to be in a ThirdLove lingerie campaign.
Now, at 64, she’s been featured in major publications and walked for New York Fashion Week.
She wants everyone to know that “it’s never too late to start anything new.”
As a professional photographer, over the years, Janis Wilkins has encountered her fair share of models. At 62, she never dreamed of being one. But when a casting agent randomly asked her to be in a ThirdLove lingerie campaign, she said yes. Two years later, her modeling career is flourishing.
The agent who started it all literally tapped her on the shoulder. “He said, ‘I’m a casting agent and we’re looking for different body types, and different ages,” Wilkins told Today. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, alright.’” At the time, she wasn’t looking for any gigs. “It happened so quickly,” she added.
Now, at 64, she’s been featured in Allure, New York Post, and recently modeled for Universal Standard. She has even hit the runway for New York Fashion Week. It’s definitely keeping her busy, but that’s why she loves it. “There’s not a routine to it, so it kind of stimulates a neuroplasticity, if you will,” she said. “It’s different every time you do it.”
As her presence online and in magazine centerfolds continues to grow, so does her mass inspiration. She’s challenging beauty standards in the modeling industry and opening doors for others like her. Because let’s face it, how many 62-year-old models do you know?
“When people say, ‘You inspired me,’ I’m just like, ‘That’s so great,’” Wilkins said. “Because really that’s the goal of life, is to just really feel at peace and feel love ... connecting with people and creating really good energy with people, strangers especially, I love that.”
Her work celebrates the beauty of getting older. “Aging is great because you have a deeper relationship with yourself,” she explained. Like Jane Fonda and Sharon Osbourne, Wilkins is totally fine with embracing her hair’s natural grey. She encourages others to do the same, and to participate in activities that promote self-connection.
“I think it’s great to not feel obliged to dye your hair. I love yoga and swimming, and that really helps cultivate a deeper self-love,” she said. “I feel more self-love and more self-acceptance now, and that is a great springboard to start new activities at the third 30 (years) of life.”
Wilkins added that she’s grateful to have made it to this stage in her life. “It’s a blessing to age,” she said. And most importantly, she wants everyone to know that “it’s never too late to start anything new.”
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