Antony Fitzgerald is a classic model and the founder of New Silver Generation, a community he created to champion older models and talent, particularly older people of colour. In this episode, he reflects on coming into modelling at 50 years old, after earlier careers in PR and teaching and he speaks about his view of how the industry was shaped by his father and sister who had both modelled before him.
He talks about the lack of visibility he noticed when he first started for older models of colour who did not fit a narrow commercial stereotype. Antony explains why New Silver Generation was created, not as an agency, but as a space to be seen in a more individual and expressive way.
This conversation also looks at how older models are often boxed into limited roles, and why age should not be treated as a restriction in casting. Antony speaks about confidence, personal style, personality and life experience, and challenges the assumption that older talent should only be shown in quiet, grey or “grandparent” roles. He also discusses the importance of international visibility, how working in different markets helped shift how he was seen, and what agencies, brands and clients may be missing when they fail to look beyond age, statistics or stereotypes.