This October, we reported that Fyodor Golan, the new label made up of designing duo Fyodor Podogrny and Golan Frydman, used mature model Valerie Pain on their S/S catwalk.

But why did the pair choose 70-year-old Pain alongside a selection of younger, more classic models?

This is what the designers had to say: “This s/s we were looking for the essence of a woman. We wanted to show her journey through our story and how with her struggles she accepts herself for what she is. We wanted to show her sexuality, strength, melancholia and beauty. We admire women of all ages and believed it was crucial for our story and to portray our thoughts to have a mature woman that will encompass the qualities we admire so much.

“When we met Valerie she gave us so much drive and energy. She is a very unique woman and she told our whole story with one look. The layers and depth of her life and character swept us into her world and we knew from the start that she was who we were looking for.”

So there we have our answer; Pain, who you may recognise from the All Walks Beyond The Catwalk campaign, was ‘crucial in portraying the designers’ thoughts on the catwalk, and we think she did just that.

Not only do the team here at Talent Management admire Pain for her confidence and inspiring nature, but also Fyodor Golan for their inclusive and refreshing attitude that often lacks in emerging designers.