A gray-haired model claimed one of fashion’s most prestigious moments this week.

During Paris Fashion Week, Chanel opened its Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture show with a model whose curly hair blended dark and light shades of gray. Stephanie Cavalli stepped onto the runway wearing a sheer chiffon ensemble in a soft rose hue.

“I never imagined I’d open a Chanel show,” Cavalli told Vogue. “It was completely unexpected, especially at my age.” While her age has not been officially confirmed, the South China Morning Post reports that she is 49.

Chanel’s decision to cast mature models stood out in an industry where gray hair—or any visible sign of being older than 25—rarely takes the spotlight in luxury runway shows.

Cavalli first walked for Chanel at the brand’s 2025 Métiers d’Art show, but this marked her debut opening a Paris runway for the fashion house. She said artistic director Matthieu Blazy selected her during her first couture fitting.

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“He told me he was inspired by me and wanted me to open the show,” she said. “Of course I was happy, and also a bit nervous, because opening such a major show is a big responsibility. But I did it.”

The show also featured several other older models, including 52-year-old Laura Ponte and 59-year-old Christina Chung, a mother of seven who began modeling in her fifties.

Cavalli said she only stopped dyeing her hair a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was exhausted from constantly coloring it, and sometimes it looked good, sometimes it didn’t,” she said.

Letting her gray hair grow out wasn’t easy at first, but she said the change quickly paid off. “Once I realized it was improving both the health of my hair and my career, I committed to it.”

She began her runway career in 2023, already in her forties, and has since modeled for brands such as Miu Miu and Lacoste.

“I didn’t wear my hair this way to make a statement about gray hair,” Cavalli told Vogue. “But somehow, it turns out that it does anyway.”