MEET Ernestine or “Erni” Stollberg, the style guru who became an Instagram star at the grand old age of 95.

    From her fierce attitude in front of the camera, to her ability to rock a trend like a boss, Stollberg is quite literally taking social media by storm.

    Her street-cast potential was first spotted by the co-owners of Vienna concept shop Park. After exchanging friendly greetings with Stollberg for more than three years, the duo discovered by chance just how magnetic Stollberg was in front of the camera. “We discovered she is very brilliant in pictures,” Markus Strasser, Park’s co-owner and stylist, said.

    “We would have never grabbed an older lady off the street to do this. We got to know each other and to trust each other so we could start this very special collaboration.”

    Whether she’s modeling a classy dress or a more edgy leather jacket, Stollberg is equally at home in front of the lens. “If I put something very elegant on her, she immediately has an elegant pose,” Strasser continues. “If I put something trashy or something cool on her, her attitude changes immediately for that kind of look, and I almost don’t have to say anything.”

    Stollberg isn’t the only woman discovering her modeling ability later in life. In February last year Nicola Griffin became the oldest woman ever to appear in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue with her “swim suits for all” ad, in which she donned a bright gold bikini. She joins a growing gaggle of older-than-average models proving that age is no barrier to beauty, including Mercy Brewer, 57, who recently starred as the face of Lonely Lingerie’s autumn/winter 2017 underwear campaign, and supermodel Lauren Hutton, 73, who recently starred in a Calvin Klein lingerie campaign.

    With demand for older models on the rise, Moscow-based agency Oldushka only represents people over the age of 45 with the oldest model being 85. (SD-Agencies)