Old and Gold: Making Room for Older Persons in Fashion

Eiko Kobayashi, 77, is the founder of Be-Japon, a non-profit organization based in Tokyo, that repurposes antique 19th century kimonos into modern pieces. Her enterprise revolves around the concept—“Costumes that Wear Memories” [1, 2]—where the boundaries between past and present blur, as she injects new life into memory. Promotional poster for the 24th edition of the Miracle Age Fashion Show, an annual fashion showcase featuring older adults in Japan. Courtesy of the Miracle Age Fashion Show organizing committee and Be-Japon, Tokyo. More information about the event can be found here: https://bejapon.com/mafs/. The inclusion of older adults within the fashion scene is gaining traction, as countries such as Singapore [4], Kyrgyzstan [5], and Australia [6] have organized similar shows. Of broader significance, Eiko-san's work occupies a distinctive position within the landscape of fashion. While other shows featuring older individuals are often singular events framed as celebratory acts or forms of resistance, she has developed a resilient yet adaptable model. Unlike tokenistic approaches to diversity and inclusion, Eiko-san's work integrates older adults into its routine operations of fashion production and presentation, thereby shifting inherent boundaries. Reuben Ng designed the study, wrote the paper, and acquired the funding. Chloe Ang co-wrote the paper. We gratefully acknowledge support from the Commonwealth Fund's Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy and Practice awarded to Reuben Ng, PhD. The funder had no role in the writing and decision to publish. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.