Culture(18 OCTOBER)
Who Walks, Who Buys
The runway is young and very thin. The clients who keep luxury alive are older, richer and wear real sizes. Here is the gap in numbers, and the few SS27 shows that closed it.
- Published
- Read
- 1 min
- Nº
- 14
- Format
- The Fold's Read
One detail, closely read
A trench at 83
Full look 
Closer, a second photo of the same look - What
- A classic beige trench, collar up, worn over a striped shirt by Naty Abascal, 83.
- How
- Nothing is styled young. Sunglasses, a striped shirt, the belt tied. It is the coat as its real client wears it.
- Why
- This is who buys a trench like this. For once, the runway shows her.
Gucci · SS27 · Look 10 · Photo: Gorunway.com
The runway is mostly very young and very thin. The clients paying for it are not. Every body is fine. This is about a business picturing one person and selling to another.
Meet the VIC
VIC means very important client. The few people a house knows by name, invites to the show, calls when the new bag lands.
And money sits with age. In the US, people 55 and over hold three quarters of all household wealth.
- Under 40 6.5%
- 40 to 54 19%
- 55 to 69 41%
- 70 and over 33.6%
Share of total net worth, 2026 Q2. · Source: US Federal Reserve, Distributional Financial Accounts
SS27: the runways that cast her
A few shows last season put older women in the main lineup.
Naty Abascal, 83 Gucci, Look 10, Milan 
Helena Christensen, 57 Richard Quinn, Look 45, London. Closed the show 
Olivia Colman, 52 Miu Miu, Look 24, Paris. Her runway debut 
Erin O’Connor, 48 Roksanda, Look 30, London. Closed the show Photos: Gorunway.com
Four looks out of thousands. Exceptions, not the rule. But they show it works.
Who buys: size and age
Runway samples are made in one small size. Since 2017, Kering and LVMH have banned size 32, so 34 is the floor. Real women look like this:
- 38 or smaller <20%
- 40 to 44 ≈50%
- 46 or bigger ≈33%
Women aged 18 to 70. The runway sample, a 34, sits inside the smallest group. · Source: IFTH, national sizing campaign CNM 2025
- 15 to 24 13.3%
- 25 to 39 20.9%
- 40 to 54 22.1%
- 55 to 69 22%
- 70 and over 21.7%
Highlighted: 40 and over, 65.8% in total. · Source: Insee, population on 1 January 2026
- Under 30 £13.70
- 30 to 49 £20.90
- 50 to 64 £20.10
- 65 to 74 £13.70
- 75 and over £9.70
By age of the household reference person. Average of April 2022 to March 2025. · Source: ONS, Family spending, tables A12 to A16
Why the gap lasts
Who it hurts
Then everyone watching. When almost every picture shows one body, every other body feels like the exception. Even when it is the rule.
What changed
- May 2017 Medical certificate France: models need a doctor’s certificate. BMI is part of the check.
- Sep 2017 Kering and LVMH charter No size 32 for women. No models under 16 for adult shows.
- Oct 2017 “Photographie retouchée” French ads where a body was slimmed or widened must say so.
- SS27 A few older women walk Gucci, Miu Miu, Richard Quinn, Roksanda.
- Next Our read · Cast the VIC Older and curvier models in every main show, not just a one off.
Our read
Luxury runs on a few loyal clients who are older and wear real sizes. The runway keeps casting someone else. Cast the people who pay. Make samples in a 40. From the front row to the fold of the crowd at the back, let the room see itself.
So, honestly: would you buy more from a house whose runway looked like its best clients?
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