Older people in China strut for a fashion contest
STORY: The Beijing Middle Age and Senior Modelling Contest is in its 36th year and some like Wu Di, leader of the Modern Sunset Model team are regulars. She says modeling for the older population is necessary for them to keep up with fashion and trends and changes in society.
65-year-old participant Li Jianshe said the older population is "extremely marginalized" but modeling allow them to "come out and just have fun".
The participants are between the ages of 55 to 80 and apart from dressing up in outlandish costumes, they say they enjoy the camaraderie the experience creates.
Organizers said 62 teams or nearly 2,000 participants signed up for the contest where participants are graded on their performance on the catwalk which includes the choreography as well as costumes.
