Martha Stewart and Helen Mirren: sexy, stylish and over 75 – from Stewart’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover and besties Kris Jenner and Snoop Dogg, to Mirren’s bright blue hair at Cannes

May 29 , 2023

Martha Stewart and Helen Mirren looking fabulous on the red carpet at recent events. Photos: EPA/AFP

A decade ago, actresses famously feared turning 45. Their roles dried up, they were relegated to mother-of-the-star parts, and on the red carpet they played second fiddle to whichever hot young thing was wearing the most revealing dress.

But – as events over the last few weeks have proved – the world has changed. In fact, two of the most headline-grabbing moments of the month have belonged to women over the age of 75.

Martha Stewart, 81, is the oldest woman to appear on Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue cover. Photo: Sports Illustrated/Zuma Press Wire/TNS

First up, Martha Stewart. Sports Illustrated cover stars are usually an age Leonardo Di Caprio would approve of, but at 81, Stewart breezed in as the magazine’s oldest-ever model, nabbing one of the much-coveted prime spots – and clearly had a ball doing so.

I was motivated by showing that a woman my age can still look good and feel good. I think all of us should think about good living not ageing, because the ageing thing is so boring

Martha Stewart

But then again, she has always defied expectations. Stewart is a wholesome all-American domestic goddess with a vast lifestyle empire that once combined Nigella Lawson’s penchant for comfort food and enviable kitchens with Gwyneth Paltrow’s ability to influence global cultural trends – and she did so decades before anyone else. She also holds a pretty eclectic friendship group, with besties ranging from Snoop Dogg to Kris Jenner.

So it should come as no surprise that as she reaches her ninth decade, Stewart hasn’t retired quietly. In the last few months, she has impressed her four million Instagram followers not once but twice with her sultry content – including one of her in an apron and what appeared to be nothing underneath – for a paid partnership with a coffee brand.

But nothing could quite prepare us for the Sports Illustrated spread, which shows her in an array of devil-may-care poses modelling nine different swimming costumes in the Dominican Republic. She looks confident, glowing and delighted with the gig – and as a result, women everywhere have been asking what her secret is.

At 81, Martha Stewart still looks a million dollars. Photo: Instagram/@marthastewart

“I was motivated by showing that a woman my age can still look good and feel good,” Stewart said on the Today show. “It’s a testament to good living. I think all of us should think about good living not ageing, because the ageing thing is so boring.”

Helen Mirren stood out in the best way possible on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet on May 16. Photo: EPA-EFE

Then, last week in Cannes, Helen Mirren arrived on the festival red carpet in a lavender blue corseted gown, custom made for her by Daniel Del Core. But most striking of all was the 77-year-old’s matching hair, which understandably graced the front page of various global newspapers the following day.

Turning the British stereotype of the “blue rinse brigade” on its head – where conservative elderly women attempt to cover up their greys with a diluted silvery blue tone – Mirren dyed her locks in L’Oreal Paris’ Colorista Spray in pastel blue, and had it styled in an elaborate updo that was somewhat reminiscent of Bridgerton.

British actress Helen Mirren attends the 1923 premiere in Los Angeles last December looking fabulous. Photo: AFP

It was bold, daring, and the very opposite of the simple (read, forgettable) outfits we sometimes expect from the older crowd. It also felt rather novel. And that is why, in many ways, Mirren’s look is more joyful than Stewart’s – the aim wasn’t to make her look younger or sexier, but to make her stand out.

British actor Helen Mirren arrives for the premiere of the film Golda during the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany on February 20. Photo: EPA-EFE

And maybe that’s why we always end up looking at Mirren on any given red carpet. She’s not subtle but she’s also never boring. Either way, both she and Stewart have proven that the best age to break a few rules isn’t your rebellious, anxious youth, but your confidence-filled old age.

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Fame and celebrity

Far from toning things down, Martha Stewart, 81, and Helen Mirren, 77, are having something of a moment, crushing stereotypes and living their best lives in the spotlight
Last year, Martha Stewart appeared on her Instagram wearing only an apron, and most recently became the oldest woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit edition