Vogue USA - 04.2020

110 APRIL 2020 VOGUE.COM

G eneration

Next

Move over, millennials.

Meet the new wave

of style stars proving

that real influence

has no expiration date.

By Akili K ing.

K aren Williams

After a nearly 30-year hiatus from modeling, Karen

Williams made a counterintuitive return to the

industry to “disrupt outdated notions about aging,”

she says. Fashion has undergone a drastic shift

around representation and body positivity since

Williams got her start at 13, notes the 54-year-old.

Still, she says, age nonconformity is the last frontier

for true inclusivity—“especially with regard to women

of all colors.” The Washington, D.C.–born beauty,

who was raised between Toronto and Jamaica, is a

vocal and visible advocate for the cause, appearing

alongside her 80-year-old mother for H&M, as well

as in makeup artist Riku Campo’s upcoming book,

which celebrates women 40 and over. Changing

the narrative is key, says Williams, who hosts “I AM

Conversations,” a web series dedicated to her

demographic. “Our thoughts determine how we feel,”

she adds, “which determines how we look.” PAUL INNIS