Woman Begins Modeling At 70 After Viral Instagram Post, ‘I’m Able To Represent Older Women’

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There are some things in life that are generally perceived as 'young.' It's a societal thing; we only put young people in certain roles, so we assume that older folks can't achieve the same. This is applicable to many areas of life, but perhaps the largest is the concept of beauty.

People seem to resign themselves to thinking that you can only be beautiful in youth or that there's no attractiveness in aging. Thankfully, this belief is being challenged, one beautiful senior at a time.

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Too Little Too Late?

Anne standing outside in fall wear, looking off to the side.
Instagram / @acamodels
Instagram / @acamodels

You'll often hear stories of people starting a certain career, hobby, or another new line of interest later in life and finding success. These stories remind us all that no matter how old we get, we can always start something new. We always have the power to change our own lives!

This story is similar, though different, in that the change in this woman's life happened by complete chance. It just started with one random conversation with a stranger...

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An Unexpected Encounter

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A close shot of Anne looking off to the side wistfully.
Instagram / @acamodels
Instagram / @acamodels
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Anne Flanagan, a 70-year-old woman from Ireland, never knew what her life would become when photographer Christopher Ward approached her in January 2024. Ward runs an Instagram page called Model Strangers, where he approaches people he sees on the street and takes model-quality photos of them, showing that everyone has exceptional beauty in their own unique way.

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Flanagan was yet another subject, and once he showed her his account and what it was all about, she agreed to let him snap a few pictures of her.

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Not What She Expected

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A greyscale image of Anne with her hands together, resting her chin on her thumbs.
Instagram / @acamodels
Instagram / @acamodels
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"I saw someone coming towards me with a camera," Flanagan recalled when talking to SWNS. She also said she had assumed he was a tourist coming to ask for directions.

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Instead, he would be the one to open a new door for her, one she never expected. His post containing her photos went viral, filled with comments lauding Flanagan for her elegant and exceptional beauty. Many women her age also said they felt empowered by her photos, as few people celebrate the natural beauty of the senior population.

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International And Local

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Anne standing in front of some greenery, smiling confidently at the camera.
Instagram / @acamodels
Instagram / @acamodels
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Not only did she get some attention online, she also started being recognized in person! "I was stopped in a coffee shop, and this lady said, 'are you Anne?'," Flanagan recalled. "They love seeing an older person being given a platform."

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It wasn't long before the fame of her photos landed her an offer she never once thought she'd ever receive. As she described, she was "quickly snapped up by a modeling agency, a clothing brand, and a shopping center fashion show."

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TIme For Some Fun

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Anne standing outside, looking off to the side, a hand on her cheek.
Instagram / @acamodels
Instagram / @acamodels
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Flanagan is retired but has worked as a career counselor, social security officer, and corporate services director. After her retirement, her two daughters urged her to do something more fun with her newfound free time.

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That first came when a local boutique asked her to model their clothes, her first modeling gig. "The day of the shoot, I felt so sick and unprepared," she said. But still, she went, she focused on simply being herself, and she "enjoyed [the experience] enormously."

"That was my very first foray into this bizarre world."

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A Rising Star

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Anne smiling with a hand on her chin.
Instagram / @acamodels
Instagram / @acamodels
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She's since been booked for other gigs and, as mentioned, signed to a modeling agency, ACA Models.

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Flanagan says her favorite part about all of this is proving to herself that there's still so much life to live, even at 70 years old. "It's not over as soon as you hit 70," she said, "I've been absolutely overjoyed by the amount of older people who stop me and say things to me. They say it's 'great to see someone our age, who’s been spotted for standing out.’"

She's overall so grateful for the experience, saying, "The photos taken of me give me a boost. If I'm able to represent older women, I’m thrilled with that.”