feminist marketing

Lonely Clothing Hires Gorgeous 56-Year-Old Lingerie Model Because Screw Ageism

Mercy Brewer for Lonely lingerie. Photo: Harry Were/Lonely Lingerie

New Zealand’s Lonely clothing brand has a new ad campaign that’s turning heads. Fifty-six-year-old Mercy Brewer is the star of the brand’s SS17 lingerie presentation, making ageism the latest taboo for the indie label to break. Lonely is known for its inclusive marketing, from its retouch-free autumn/winter 2016 campaign to its Instagram feed of customers wearing their lingerie in everyday life.

Co-founder and designer Helene Morris said, “The beauty and fashion industries are so obsessed with youth, but the reality is we are all aging, and there are so many wonderful things about growing older. So often the primary message around age is intervention, which is a frustrating response to such a natural, inevitable process.”

Brewer, a former punk rocker who modeled alongside Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, added, “I believe we are in a moment in time where older women’s beauty has been a startling revelation. If we don’t recognize it, we, every one of us, deny ourselves a future to look forward to.”

Or, as Brewer simply told i-D, “Forget stereotypes, if someone looks good in your gear, shine a light on them.”

Mercy Brewer/Photo by Harry Were
Mercy Brewer/Photo by Harry Were

Update: This article has been updated to reflect that this campaign is for the SS17 season.

Lonely Clothing Hires 56-Year-Old Lingerie Model