There has been no shortage of newsworthy ensembles from Paris Fashion Week, closing yet another Fashion Month with a bang following stops in New York, London and Milan. From
Olivia Wilde freeing the nip to Cole Sprouse taking the oversized trend to new extremes, Iris Law green-lighting scuba chic and Sydney Sweeney slaying in chunky sequin knickers (still not over her ‘fit, tbh), it’s not just been the celebrities in the FROW capturing attention.
The runways too, as well as informing on next season’s trends, have delivered some seriously iconic moments. We’re talking Julia Fox’s Yeti chic look to close the Pressiat show and Lila Moss transforming into Cookie Monster at Stella McCartney.
But easily the most prominent moment occurred during the Miu Miu autumn winter 2024 fashion show when 70-year-old Qin Huilan, a doctor turned social media style influencer from Shanghai, China, walked the runway.
Joining the likes of Gigi Hadid and Amelia Gray on Miuccia Prada’s catwalk and part of an age-diverse casting that saw Huilan joined by 63-year-old British actress Kristin Scott Thomas, Doctor Qin’s booking came about after her son set her up on Instagram just over a year ago. With a love of Prada and Miu Miu in particular, she began sharing her seriously stylish daily outfits and quickly accumulated a legion of followers, currently standing at just over 6,000.
Having received an invitation to join the Paris Fashion Week show via private message, an official invitation letter arrived just a few days later. Tackling an intense schedule and a language barrier, Doctor Qin shared her story and the reason for her determination, writing, “I took action to prove that age is not a problem!”.
Doctor Qin’s posts often see her wearing bright colour combinations, statement heels and eye-catching accessories, so there’s no question of her sartorial prowess. But the secret of her social media sensation lies in the fact her outfits challenge the traditional belief of how older women in China can present themselves. A pursuit that is surely close to Miuccia Prada’s heart given the designer herself is 74 years old and continues to influence and inspire at the helm of two of the biggest global design houses.
For confirmation of Doctor Qin’s notoriety, you need only look to Style Not Com. The fashion obsessive provided constant social media commentary throughout fashion week (standard practice for Beka Gvishiani, the 31-year-old behind the account) that included a sole post dedicated to Doctor Qin’s presence on the runway.
In a fashion season that has been heavily criticised for its lack of model diversity – with plus-size models in particular a rarity spotted on any of the AW24 fashion week runways – we couldn’t be happier to see Doctor Qin quite literally storming it and championing older women in the process. Even if we did have to wait til the final day of Paris Fashion Week to see it.
To quote Doctor Qin’s moving Instagram post following the Miu Miu show, “I also want to encourage everyone who is confused at a certain point, never give up on your dreams! Come on! Look! This is Paris! Look! This is Miu Miu’s runway! Look! This is 70-year-old Qin.”
