I met this stunning woman at a Jazz concert with my parents in San Diego. Her shocking red hair and long eyelashes reminded me of a mix between Ilona and Carol Burnett!

I have been keeping this secret for a while, but now I can reveal that Advanced Style’s Jacquie Tajah Murdock is one of the latest stars of Lanvin’s Fall/Winter 2012 campaign! I helped cast Jacquie and another Advanced Style model in the campaign and can’t wait to see the photos in print.

Jacquie has even more to celebrate with her 82nd birthday approaching next week. 

Jacquie told me,”This campaign is a dream come true. I grew up in Harlem always wanting to be a model, but in my day there were very little opportunities for women of color to work in fashion. At 18 I went from agent to agent looking for jobs, even as a hand model. I have finally made it and I will never give up. Hopefully some day I will get to Paris!”

One of the best things about starting Advanced Style has been seeing so many opportunities open up for these amazing older women. For the last three years,Lina Plioplyte and I have been filming the Advanced Style ladies for our upcoming documentary. I can’t wait for you to see more of Jacquie’s story including her first visit to the Lanvin casting. For more information about Jacquie CLICK HERE and watch the videos below:

I am in San Diego for a little while to visit with my family and capture a bit of California’s Advanced Style. Yesterday I caught up with Sally Thornton at Thornton Winery. I have admired Sally’s fantastic style since I was a little kid. My mom and I would see her shopping at Neiman Marcus all the time and always enjoyed seeing her wonderful outfits. Although I am based out of New York City its great to see that there are people with Advanced Style in every city!

 I saw this woman walking her dog near Madison Avenue and loved her fresh and fun summer look. The Advanced Style ladies know how to look their best for any season.