Mia Maugé is a walking, posing, real-life beacon of timeless beauty and purpose driven living. At 58, Mia’s career as a model, which began at the age of 54, defies convention and celebrates the rich tapestry of ageing. Her entry into modelling came at a time when many might feel their best years are behind them. Yet, for her, it was a moment filled with profound purpose. Mia is of Afro-Caribbean descent but lives in the UK, and began her writing career back in the ’90s as a music journalist when she interviewed the likes of Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and D’Angelo. Since then, writing became a consistent theme in her work in PR, marketing, and social media. Not once did she imagine she’d pivot into modelling – let alone while in her 50s.
Ageing, particularly for women, often comes with immense societal pressure. While men are revered and often described as “silver foxes,” women face scrutiny over their appearance and relevance. “There really wasn’t anything aspirational about being middle-aged or over 40, so I had a deep-rooted fear of ageing,” says Mia. Encouraged by her two teenage daughters, Mia started to address this disparity head-on, beginning with a small act that would eventually unlock a whole new identity and career. “I’d been dyeing my hair dark for 20 years, and my daughters encouraged me to let my roots grow out, thinking that it would be cool. Although I agreed, I was hesitant because of what I felt it meant for society,” she says. Mia started her transition, which she admits was not the easiest journey. “My daughters were supportive and encouraged me through that period. By 2020, I was fully grey.”
Then came the next small act of the domino effect. “I decided to go public with my previously private Instagram page. I had transitioned to letting my grey hair grow, and at this point was a full silver fox.” In 2020, many found themselves unable to get to hair salons to colour their roots due to the pandemic. Forced to start the transition, they looked to Mia for encouragement and inspiration. She was scouted by a modelling agency that same year. Excluding a shoot she did at four years old for Biba, a London fashion store that was popular in the ’60s and ’70s, her first real fashion shoot as a 54-year-old model was for Vestiaire Collective, a retail company that lets users buy and sell pre-loved luxury brands. Since then, she’s made history as the first model over 50 to be booked by the major, multinational British retailer Marks & Spencer for a lingerie campaign. Modelling also led to her being cast as a mermaid in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which was released in 2023. She’s done modelling work with high-end beauty brands like Vichy, among others, is a content creator and public speaker, and is set to release a new book about her story.
By making her journey a public one, the 58-year-old model joins a movement that is a worldwide call-to-action for her generation to be visible and vocal. For Mia, beauty transcends age, and in her view, there’s only one kind of beauty, and that is timeless beauty. “It’s about the confidence you exude and the contentment you find within.”
