After Dries Van Noten, Amber Valletta Speaks on Age Diversity

“Diversity” is a catwalk catch phrase, but it’s not just about skin tone. As models like Candice Huffine and Ashley Graham hit the Prabal Gurung catwalk, they represent the beauty (and purchasing power!) of larger-size women. And with Marc Jacobs’s inclusion of several trans women this season, binary gender lines were dissolved via shearling jackets and miniskirts.

But “age” is still a dirty word in an industry fueled and financed by what’s new, and that’s why today’s Dries van Noten show was so epic. A celebration of his 100th fashion show (!), the Belgian designer remixed his most memorable prints, then sent former muses such as Kirsten Owen (age 46), Carolyn Murphy (age 42), Liya Kebede (age 39), and Kristina de Coninck, a favorite from his very first show in the ’80s.

“Listen, I’ve always done little [runway] bits here and there,” said model Amber Valletta, who’s also been spotted on runways for H&M, Versace, and Michael Kors this season. “But there’s a new movement to authenticity and individuality. That’s about age. It’s about gender. It’s about race. The world is begging for us to be who we are and use our voices and express the true nature of the world as it is.”

“I was proud to do it,” added Caroline de Maigret, the French model and Chanel muse. “The first time I walked for Dries was in 1996. There were drummers from Burundi on the runway, and they were playing this very awesome piece of traditional music. It was amazing, because I walked between the drums, and the music and the colors seemed to come together.”

De Maigret called her experience on the runway today “very emotional, like coming home to family,” citing the mix of generations as a new kind of camaraderie among models. “It’s always fun to walk in a fashion show. But this was even more than fun.”

“We are multicultural, we are of all sizes and financial backgrounds, and we are of all ages,” Valletta added, “and the future [of fashion] depends on women who understand and have experienced the past.”

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