Runway Monday: Senior Fling (PR 11:6)


On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were instructed to show their aesthetic while designing fashionable, age-appropriate looks for senior citizens. While we were watching the episode, Tom asked if I had any “senior” dolls. I do have a Mattel grandmother, and I also have Rosie O’Donnell, who’s a little older and fuller-figured than my usual models. Then Tim reminded me that I have much older models who I was forgetting.

He’s right! Twilight’s Rosalie Hale will be NINETY-EIGHT this year.


Not bad for a senior, huh? In human+vampire years, that is. In only human years, she’ll always be eighteen, the age she was turned from human to immortal. It’s appropriate that I should feature Rosalie since this happened this past weekend.

On to my design. First of all, when I think of anyone ageless and timeless who also has impeccable fashion sense, I think of designer Carolina Herrera, who’s seventy-four and amazing. Rather than taking my inspiration from her work, I wanted to pay homage to the designer herself. No tattered princess look from me this time; I wanted the design to convey class and elegance.

I kept Rosalie’s jewelry, created for her by Mattel.


I think the belt was manufactured by Spin Master for LIV dolls, or else for Moxie Girlz by MGA Entertainment. But Rosalie’s shoes, chosen to match the belt even though we can’t see them, are Mattel’s for the Model Muses.

I hope you agree that whether coming or going, the undead can look fabulous. See you next time on the runway!

To see previous designs from this season:

Episode 5: A Little Bit Country (A Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll)
Episode 4: The Ultimate Hard and Soft
Episode 3: Surprise Me
Episode 2: Spin Out
Episode 1: There Is No I In Team

10 thoughts on “Runway Monday: Senior Fling (PR 11:6)”

    1. Thank you so much, Rob. I was a bit appalled by some of their designs, to be honest. Being older doesn’t mean dowdy, and being high-spirited doesn’t mean wacky. I also believe the wrong person went home–though his design wasn’t anything to cheer about.

        1. She has a point of view, and she’s done a couple of things that I liked, but now she’s devolving to costumes. I mean, I LIKE costumes, but that’s not what they’re looking for on PR.

  1. About 10 years ago, from a halmark store, I gave my parents a palm-sized picture frame of a faux-colorized-from-black-&-white of a senior couple in a yellow convertible with the top down with a caption saying, “it’s not the age, it’s the attitude.” I was expecting a “normal” evening gown or beach wear, but I’m guessing the designers were drawing on their grand parents’ tastes (which is why I gave that picture to my parents). I do like the colors of your model, but I felt the challenge was not well defined. Sure , design stuff for old people. They might as well have said: design stuff for a dog, and critcisized the designers for designs for the wrong dog.

    1. I think they tried to understand their clients, but in most cases, the garments were so poorly constructed that no one could have rocked them–though a trained model can help hide flaws. (Props to the ladies, though–they were confident on the runway and loyal to their designers!)

      These outfits had too much fabric, or fit poorly, or were cut and sewn badly. The losing design–that poor woman couldn’t move in that dress! If they’d have asked her to lift her arms, the garment would probably have ripped apart. Even the winning design had some construction issues.

      At least they didn’t have to make anything as teams!

  2. I actually admit I brought Breaking Dawn 2 at a special discount price yesterday. Now I’ll be able to watch Part 1 (that I bought last year but did not watch) and 2 as a weekend double feature.

  3. Oooh! I love this! I can totally see Meryl Streep wearing this to the Oscars. She too conveys class and elegance.

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