EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Peru has been a lingerie model since she was in her 40s and here she talks body confidence and tackling ageism and tokenism in the industry
What have you got to lose?’ beamed my friend as she suggested I pursue modelling professionally. I was working as a nursery teacher at the time, had recently divorced and had three kids to take care of – but I craved a change of scene.
But I pushed myself and the feedback I got from other women my age seeing the photos was overwhelming. It gave me a massive confidence boost.View gallery “From working in the industry, I can see that fashion has become more inclusive, but we have a long way to go when it comes to ageism. "Then I might not be booked again for another two years. We need to move away from this stigma that women over 50 become invisible and don’t want to buy clothes. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
I know many people believe that grey hair isn’t attractive, but I’ve found embracing my natural hair really liberating. “On my social media, I practise what I preach. I show up in my swimwear and lingerie. They’re not edited photos, they’re just me enjoying my life. “Obviously, there are days where I get backlash for being a confident older model. There’s a lot more judgement, particularly from women who are perhaps still stuck in that stereotypical narrative that you can’t wear certain things at a certain age.
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