The Cannes red carpet has long been synonymous with glamour, but in 2026, that glamour takes on a new meaning. The women capturing the most attention for their style are, for once, over 70.
Iconic Stars Over 70 Steal the Show
Joan Collins, aged 92, dazzled in a white sculptural strapless gown by Stéphane Rolland. Jane Fonda, 88, shimmered in a floor-length sequined Gucci dress. Isabella Rossellini, 73, turned heads in a striking patterned two-piece, while Catherine Deneuve, 82, exuded chic in forest-green satin and hoop earrings.
These women attended the festival to promote films or projects—Collins and Rossellini star in the Wallis Simpson biopic My Duchess, and Fonda was at a L’Oréal event—but their presence is celebrated as a sign of greater age diversity on the red carpet.
Industry Experts Weigh In
Alyson Walsh, founder of That’s Not My Age, a website dedicated to style beyond midlife, finds it fantastic to see much older women. She says, “Joan Collins looking super-glamorous, at the same age as my mum, is pretty incredible.”
Deborah Jermyn, associate professor in film and culture at Roehampton University and editor of Female Celebrity and Ageing: Back in the Spotlight, notes that this is a new development. “The whole point of the red carpet is ‘I want the spotlight on me. Look at me.’ We rarely see women of that age in that space.”
Fashion Industry Embraces Older Models
This shift mirrors a broader trend in fashion, an industry traditionally obsessed with youth. Brands like Chanel, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy have featured a notable number of models over 40 in recent shows. The 79-year-old artist Ming Smith walked for Carolina Herrera, the 78-year-old writer Joan Juliet Buck sat front row at Celine, and the late actor Maggie Smith starred in a Loewe campaign at age 88.
Rebi Merilion, co-founder of Mrs Robinson, a modelling agency specializing in older models since 2013, reports increased demand for models aged 45 to 60, with some in their 60s and 70s starring in fashion shoots. “Clients are becoming more aware that older women are influential and have spending power. There’s been a cultural shift—consumers respond positively to representation that feels believable and aspirational.”
Economic and Demographic Factors
An ageing population means older people will become increasingly influential, and the grey pound, valued at £320 billion in 2016, continues to grow. A House of Commons report from 2024 predicts that by 2072, 27% of people in the UK will be over 65, up from 19% in 2022.
Paradox of Ageing in the Spotlight
However, some argue that the older women on the red carpet and catwalk are there because they are exceptional. Walsh notes a paradox: “You’re allowed to be old, as long as you don’t look old.” Additionally, these women are predominantly white, thin, able-bodied, and gender-conforming. Jermyn points out, “The red carpet is a microcosm for a lot of Western culture. The marginalisation we see speaks to broader marginalisation.” She highlights women like Viola Davis, 60, and Angela Bassett, 67, who are maintaining careers that could see them on the red carpet in the future.
Hope for Broader Change
Jermyn hopes an ageing population might lead to wider changes in attitudes. “We’ve had a long history of thinking that reaching a certain age means retreating from public space. We’re pushing back on that in different ways. The red carpet is an extension of that.”
