Elle Macpherson, the 61-year-old supermodel dubbed "The Body" by Time magazine in 1986, is making a bold statement with her return to the underwear industry. Instead of relying on a snake or other exotic props, Macpherson is posing for a Bonds underwear campaign, showcasing her confidence and charm with a simple smile and basic lace-trimmed bras and knickers. This move is a significant departure from the traditional approach to modeling, which often requires assistance from animals or other props. Macpherson's inner flex, as she calls it, is doing what feels right for her, and she's celebrating it. But here's where it gets controversial... According to Associate Professor Bernardo Figueiredo, positive ageing lead at RMIT Centre for Organisation and Social Change, Macpherson's outer beauty could be a problem. In his report, Ageist marketing as systemic exclusion: towards a framework for age-inclusive marketing, Figueiredo challenges conditional inclusion, where older adults must embody youthful standards of beauty. The key question is whether campaigns like this genuinely expand the range of ageing identities we see as desirable, or whether they simply reposition youthfulness in older bodies. The Bonds Bases Flex collection will be available from February 16, and it's a gentle-touch approach advocated by former Estée Lauder supermodel Paulina Porizkova and actor Pamela Anderson. Sydney-based model and age-positive ambassador Nadine Bush applauds the inclusive approach of the Macpherson campaign, saying that it's great to see the whole narrative around women's underwear evolve from being a way to shape, mould and contort a woman's body to look a certain way to satisfy the gaze of men, to letting us feel comfortable, supported, and free. So, what do you think? Is Macpherson's return to the underwear industry a positive step, or does it simply reposition youthfulness in older bodies? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
