China’s senior models in demand as fashion labels woo ‘silver spenders’
- Ma Yinhong walks tall among counterparts in an industry where demographics and growing disposable income for seniors mean maturity is the next big thing
Wearing a bright floral ensemble and her short hair dyed blonde, Chinese model Ma Yinhong struts a Shanghai catwalk with a style and swagger that belie her 56 years.
Ma is one of a growing number of older models sought by the Chinese and international labels that are trying to court the country’s growing number of “silver spenders”.
Ma seems to embody a target market of older Chinese who are spending more on themselves. She made her modelling debut two years ago and is very much in demand, working for brands such as Dolce & Gabbana.
“I never go out without dressing up and getting made up,” she said. “I never let myself look like an old granny.”
Once confined largely to life insurance and health care ads, today glamorous Chinese seniors are in demand for high fashion.
“They save me as ‘best for last’ in fashion shows after the young models, so I am quite visible,” Ma said.
