BOOBS - Sexism ✔️ Ageism?
- Grey Model Agency
- Mar 2, 2022
- 3 min read
When the production company approached Grey Model Agency for relevant model suggestions to take part in their upcoming documentary, Boobs to be screened on Britain’s Channel 4, there was only one choice: Frances Dunscombe age 89.
Frances only took up modelling at age 82. She attended the Grey Model Agency scouting casting ahead of the agency’s launch along with her daughter, Tineka. Frances had such a natural grace and modest elegance that I made a bee-line to her and signed her immediately.
Frances’ first booking was for London Fashion Week a month later for Chinese fashion designer Youjai Jin. Frances Dunscombe was the oldest model that year to walk the runway in London and news travelled around the world from Milan to Sydney and featured in China Telegraph
Bearing in mind this was only the start of Grey Model Agency and the rise of the silver model!
Quickly following her runway show, Frances was snapped up for a Prada fashion feature by Hunger Magazine in a first-of-it’s-kind editorial. The fashion feature showcased models over 50 years old in an age-positive powerfully edgy way - I Was A Teenage Anarchist.
Frances modelling career over the past seven years has been well documented across the world. A quick Google search shows.
As the media’s gaze began to focus on mature models and the concept of being exceptional and old, Frances (along with the late Dilys Price OBE - also a Grey model) was commissioned to appear on the Secrets of Growing Old documentary for launching a modelling career age 82
Many fashion and advertising campaigns have followed with Frances being the face of Zalando - the companies rebrand
and their Christmas campaign.
Predominantly a fashion model, Frances took the front cover of UK Harpers - alongside Jan de Villeneuve:
and has featured in The Violet Book, appeared in campaigns for Boden, Saga fashion features and flew to Tokyo to be the face of Sunstar.
Frances modelling career has been phenomenal over the past seven years - and GROUNDBREAKING.
Sorry to shout but this elegant beautifully-ageing woman is willing to take on momentous challenges in the spirit of trying something new. She is BRAVE!
Josh Redman is a sculptor turned photographer. As a photographic agent to some of the world’s most renowned portrait photographers, I know a thing or two about great images (even sat as judge on the Taylor WessiNg Photographic Portrait Prize in 2003). Josh was interested in the sculpture of skin- it’s texture, it’s hue and it’s naked beauty. This study was not voyueristic nor was it fetishisation of wrinkles. No, this study was pro-ageing AND age-inclusive.
Grey Model Agency collaborated with the artist providing models diverse in age, gender, ethnicity and size, yet this was not the point to box tick, this was a study of all the beauties of skin - a concept much missed by commissioners!
Frances image was entered into th NPG London John Kobal Photography Awards and it won. Not only that, but it also won the NPG’s Peoples Vote (by the general public visiting the National Gallery)
Interestingly, Frances received some backlash from a few people in her neighbourhood, who crossed the road rather than congratulate her on her success. Modest and demure to the end, Frances was confused by this reaction as her natural response would have been to approach and congratulate if the shoe was on the other foot! “That,” I told her, “is why you shine and they do not!”
Okay, okay you say, so be done with the aggrandisement already! What is your point?
While tits-and-arse always attract an audience, Boobs job was to confront stereotype, question the concept of nudity and assess how opinions have changed over the years.
The main reason Frances was suggested to be included in this documentary was to highlight the above from the perspective of a 90 year old (this year), and posing nude.
So, why was it not mentioned?
Why was Frances depicted as an ordinary old woman who did a bit of modelling?
Why was her significance within the documentary not clarified in this weekend’s coverage in Stella Magazine?
Did the documentary-makers feel that Frances nude would not be favoured by their audience? Did they also cross the street?
We understand that programs can only cover a snapshot of related issues, but I think failing to cover nudity in age was a considerable oversight.
Grey Model Agency has been in the business of smashing stereotypes for over six years now; specifically age but also beauty, fashion, ethnicity and disability.
In 2022 it seems we still have a high mountain to climb.
Let us know your views!
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