FOn her 68th birthday in 2019, Rosa Saito decided to give herself an unusual gift. In the past year, photographers and casting agents approached her three times on the streets of her hometown of São Paulo, Brazil, each time telling her she should consider becoming a model. At first, she was dismissive of the flattery, but after months of careful consideration, she changed her mind.
“No one commented on my appearance until I was 67, when people suddenly started to notice me,” she said. “It was weird, but being discovered made me realize that at this stage of my life I could still achieve something for myself. I had raised three kids and now I wanted to see what I could do on my own. What if Not now, then I never.
Contacted one of the agencies that had previously approached her and she was immediately added to their list and sent out for casting. “When I was first cast, they asked me to act like I’d just come home from a nightclub, but I’d never done that before,” she laughs. “I didn’t get the job, but I started to understand how modeling creates characters and performs them. It was a challenge that excited me.
It would be another year before Saito found her first job. She attended dozens of auditions but was often rejected without explanation or feedback, determined to view these experiences as opportunities to practice her posture and walk in front of other professionals. “These rejections only made me want to get a job more,” she said. “I’m used to facing difficulties in life, so these are minor setbacks compared to everything else I’ve been through. I’m ready to move on.
Saito, 22, became the sole caregiver for her mother who suffered a stroke and learned to be strong at an early age. After her husband of 20 years passed away in 2000, she raised three children alone. She has always been passionate about naturopathy and plant medicine. “I think that’s the most important thing that helps me look like I do today,” she said. “I am a natural person, I have never had any surgery. I have used nature to take care of my body all my life.
In 2020, 69-year-old Saito’s persistence paid off, and she finally found her first modeling job with a Brazilian cosmetics brand. “I walked into the photography studio and I was very nervous, especially because I was the oldest person there,” she said. “But as soon as we started, the experience I had gained from all the casting started to kick in and I relaxed. The production team asked me where I was hiding because they said they had been looking for older women like me for years. It really made me I feel accepted.
Saito also found herself unknowingly becoming a role model for the young women in the shoot. “I got a lot of compliments from other models and it made me realize that my presence showed them that you can grow old without fear,” she said. “It’s important to show the fashion industry that we exist and that women of all ages deserve to be represented.”
Saito, 73, has modeled for clothing brands, cosmetics and magazine editorials, and her highlight was making her debut at São Paulo Fashion Week in 2022, becoming one of the oldest models on the catwalk. “I don’t feel old or think about getting older because being able to do this in your 70s is a gift,” she said. “I love modeling because every job is a unique challenge and it pushes me to do my best. It makes me more confident in all aspects of my life.
While her children support her work, Saito ultimately finds joy in doing things for herself and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “I feel like I’ve given so much to other people and now it’s my time,” she said. “I have a lot of dreams for the future and a lot of milestones I want to achieve, but the true beauty of maturity is knowing that, at any age, anything is possible.”
