Carolyn
“Being a woman gives you choices, especially today. That was not the case with my mother’s generation. They were discouraged from even pumping their gas or balancing a bank account, Today is a glorious place for a woman. You can actually BE!”
Carolyn is a pioneer in the fashion world, who began her modeling career in her early 70’s. She is inquisitive, inspired, and attentive to any task at hand, diving head first into her interests and pursuing them whole-heartedly. Through her journey in the fashion industry, she has endured discrimination, including instances of ageism and racism; however, her determination to provide representation on the runway has never wavered. Her resilience and drive are helping to redefine beauty ideals and provide visibility for women everywhere, encouraging designers and brands to broaden their scope of inclusivity. Meet Carolyn. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
C: Carolyn Doelling, 75 years old. Live part time in California, New York and North Carolina.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
C: I began a career as a fashion model at age 72. I’m challenging the conventional wisdom in the fashion industry as to what a Model should look like. My message is that a Model, by definition, should represent the real thing. I cherish authenticity, e.g “Dresses advertised for mature women should be modeled by mature women”, eh? "A 70 year old who purchases Gucci should also be able to model Gucci on the runway if she wants, eh? I am encouraging designers and commercial artists to broaden their representation as to who can represent their products. Just asking to be included as I am confronted with heightism, colorist, hairism, ageism and racism daily.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
C: My favorite thing about myself is my sense of wonder, curiosity and confidence. I love learning new things. Even as a young child I spent numerous afternoons reading the World Book Encyclopedia while other neighborhood children were happily playing softball or jumping rope. I missed out on many of the team sports but I could not have been happier anticipating the next edition of the encyclopedia.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
C: I was divorced 18 years ago and have been living alone since then. My adult children have their lives and I have made my own life as well. It’s truly amazing how adaptive we are as humans. Love my alone life now -gives me flexibility of choice. I am constantly alone but constantly moving towards the next project.
K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
C: After a certain age you realize that all of the insecurities you had in the past, especially about your physical appearance, just do not matter. I have spent countless hours wishing for a smaller shoe size, wishing for straight hair, longer eyelashes. Spent three quarters of my life perming my hair to get it straight, dyeing it to keep it black/brown for a youthful look. Worrying constantly about my weight. Ridiculous! You are who you are! Love it!!!!
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
C: What a great question. Being a woman gives you choices, especially today. That was not the case with my mother’s generation. They were discouraged from even pumping their gas or balancing a bank account, Today is a glorious place for a woman. You can actually BE!
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
C: Believe it or not, I am most inspired by my 35 year old daughter. She is an Intellectual Property attorney for a major tech company in California. Incredibly smart, with a great sense of humor, wry wit and singularly focused on her future with long term investments in mind. She works extremely hard to make sense of our social media world as a positive influence for all of us and is one of the most generous people I know — always standing ready to help a friend. She also has a natural flair for fashion understated but elegant which I depend on when styling an outfit.