I can think of a lot of women clients of mine who are well into their 50s or 60s who are still quintessentially very elegant.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
There is a phenomenal amount of pressure on women in this industry: they are considered vintage by the time they hit their mid-30s.
You don't have to conform to a very specific aesthetic today, whereas 1950s women definitely had to.
Reluctant as I am to regard myself as a style icon, I would love to think I could inspire older women to make the most of themselves.
I actually like the sort of industrial, working-class woman like Rosie the Riveter, so I'm kind of like the sort of street style of the '50s.
There are some strong female performers out there. But the industry's pre-occupation with the packaging of how a woman looks has gone completely the other way, back to almost the 60s, early 70s.
When I decided to get married at 40, I couldn't find a dress with the modernity or sophistication I wanted. That's when I saw the opportunity for a wedding gown business.
I love older lady style. They dress for themselves everyday.
It is not possible for a man to be elegant without a touch of femininity.
I look at the people's careers who I want to emulate, like Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Bernadette Peters... They've all found the key to longevity in this business, and that is diversifying, doing as many things as possible to keep yourself relevant, and so hopefully I'm on the same track as all those amazing women.
I am firmly of the opinion that women who make a lot of effort to hang onto their looks in middle age (unless they are beauties, entertainers or prostitutes) are rather sad, as one should surely have something more substantial to recommend one by this time, such as kindness or cleverness.