More mature models — some even in their, gasp, 40s — were stars at the previews of fall styles. And in the fashion world, that's a radical turn from the use of models not old enough to drive a car, let alone wield a credit card.

"I wanted something different," said Francisco Costa, creative director for the Calvin Klein Collection. "I wanted a cast that really represented a customer I design for, and that's not really a 16-year-old."

Costa hired gray-haired Kristen McMenamy, who also appeared at Viktor & Rolf, as well as '90s sensations — and now mothers — Stella Tennant and Kirsty Hume.

Kristen McMenamy wearing a design from the Calvin Klein fall 2010 collection
during Fashion Week in New York

Marc Jacobs, widely considered the most influential American designer, cast 47-year-old Elle Macpherson in his Louis Vuitton show, along with Bar Refaeli and Alessandra Ambrosio. Trendsetting Miuccia Prada used Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, Doutzen Kroes and Miranda Kerr — all best known as voluptuous Victoria's Secret models and all in their mid-20s, a relatively advanced age for runway models.

47-year-old Elle Macpherson wearing a creation by designer Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton
as part of his fall 2010 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented in Paris





Alessandra Ambrosio wearing a creation from the Prada women's fall 2010 collection,
during Milan Fashion Week in Italy

It's a smart move by the fashion industry to make itself more relatable to consumers. Costa acknowledges that the tough retail climate has helped force design houses to speak more directly to their customers.

"The woman who puts my clothes on needs a certain level of sophistication," says Costa. "We wanted to acknowledge women who have always worn our clothes, women with their own identities, have full lives, have kids."

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