06-02-2010 Old gold: seniors find second life
in modelling
PARIS, France, June 2, 2010 (AFP) - Tall and dapper at 78, Yvon
Castaing is not your average grandpa: the Frenchman is a
professional model, a second career he stumbled on 15 years ago
after retiring from his first.
Photo: AFP
Advertising used to focus almost exclusively on the young, the
nubile, the energetic. But as Western populations age better and
better, models over 60 -- sometimes way over 60 -- have become
increasingly bankable.
Castaing is, well, straight from central casting, the perfect
gentleman in a blue-and-white striped shirt matched to his blue
eyes, and as crisp as his diction is clear.
"I am
a dandy, I admit it," he says disarmingly.
Born
into a large family in 1932, Castaing started his career with a
brief stint in the hotel business but found his calling selling
perfume at the esteemed French luxury house Hermes.
"I was
a good salesman," he said with a smile. "I guess that's why I also
like modelling -- you have to sell yourself."
His
new career started in 1994 after a chance encounter with Beatrice
Costantini, an actress who also heads Agence Di, a Paris-based
agency specialised in actors that offers a large selection of
seniors.
"When
I started my agency there was a demand for grandmother types --
little old ladies with grey hair, tiny grannies who made jam and
biscuits," Costantini told AFP.
"But
over the years the traditional grandma is no longer true to type.
People now want healthy dynamic seniors," explains Costantini.
Castaing had long flirted with the idea of becoming an actor, even
taking lessons and appearing in a few amateur plays. So when
Costantini asked if he wanted to cast for an advertisement, it
didn't seem like too big a leap.
Over
the next couple of years, he had walk-on roles in movies for Roman
Polanski, Martin Scorsese and French director Claude Lelouch, but
today he only does commercials and print ads.
Business is booming. Having wrinkles, it seems, is no longer a
taboo.
"There
is definitely a market for seniors today," said Costantini, whose
agency has more than 500 models on tap in its "Young Forever"
department.
Nearly
30 percent of people in France are over 55, demographically typical
of many rich nations. So old is becoming gold, and ads for stair
lifts and dentures adhesive just don't cut it any more.
Françoise de Stael, also 78 and one of the leading lights on
France's seniors modelling scene, has seen the profession become
far more competitive as brands look to corner the seniors
market.
"You
have to struggle every day to keep your place in this milieu," she
said. "There are a limited number of opportunities, and there are
more and more people showing up for senior castings, some of them
only 50. You need a lot of patience."
A
former fashion model, De Stael says that apart from the cash "it's
good for morale."
"We
remain young because we work with young people. That's what I
really love about this job."
But a
sunset-years career on the catwalk or in front of a camera can have
its perils.
"I did
a shoot on my 60th birthday in which they asked me to jump on a
trampoline," Castaing recalled. "I did it, but it wasn't easy and I
wound up with an acute inflammation of the knee."
"Sometimes they ask us to do very stupid things to give an image of
dynamic seniors, able to do the same things as youths", De Stael
said.
Paradoxically, working behind a camera well into their 70s has made
both models less self-conscious about their looks.
"I
used to be too narcissistic. But at some point, you really do
realize that beauty is only skin deep," Castaing said. "Being young
is all in your mind."
De
Stael says she won't invest in cosmetic surgery or rejuvenation
shots just to stay competitive.
Being
philosophical about looks doesn't mean letting oneself go,
however.
Castaing cycles and swims every day, and is careful about what he
eats. De Stael walks vigorously, and takes special care of her hair
and nails.
"The
engine gets tired but the bodywork's still OK," said Castaing.by
Zeliha Chaffin