A 60-year-old model has starred in a stunning, unretouched lingerie campaign — making it clear that there truly is beauty in aging.
Mercy Brewer posed in sheer lingerie ensembles for Lonely, a swimwear and underwear brand based in New Zealand.
The model, who is originally from Scotland, began her career in London in the 1980s — and has previously modeled with Kate Moss, now 44, and Naomi Campbell, 48.
Mercy moved to New Zealand in the early 2000s with her husband and has kept working as a model.
The gray-haired, 5'10'' model previously worked with Lonely for a campaign unveiled in March last year.
Lonely decided to feature her again as part of a bid to give more visibility to people who aren't always featured prominently in mainstream media and ad campaigns.
'I was really, really flattered,' Mercy said on Radio New Zealand's My Heels Are Killing Me podcast, as she recounted the first time Lonely decided to feature her.
The model has also walked in runway shows, including in August this year during New Zealand Fashion Week.
For her new campaign, Mercy modeled a see-through, nude-colored bra and matching panties stitched with yellow flowers, as well as a green lingerie set with mesh.
Other shots see her posing in a black lace bra and coordinated, high-waist panties, with her hair pulled back away from her face.
Overall, Mercy said she has received 'great feedback' about her career, but told Radio New Zealand she once had a shocking experience while walking in a runway show.
'I'd been booked for a fashion show and it was one of these open-air ones. And when I walked out, there were a few young blokes, maybe mid-twenties. A little bit drunk, they were laughing,' she said.
The podcast included some of the insults Mercy received on that day, when the young men called her 'Grandma' and said she was 'disgusting'.
But Mercy said that the very next table in the audience was entirely occupied by women around her age, some of them several years younger than her, who clapped and looked thrilled to see a 60-year-old model in a fashion show.
Eventually, another table started clapping and other people joined in, until the cheers took over.
'Up and down the street, people applauded when I walked past,' Mercy said.
Nowadays, Mercy says that working as a model doesn't feel much different compared to when she did it as a younger woman.
'If anything, there's less pressure. I'm booked for what I am,' she told Radio New Zealand.
'I'm not worried about: "Am I starting to get wrinkles, is my mouth not as big and lush as this girl's mouth?" I am what I am and that's why I've been booked.'
This article has been adapted from its original source.
