What is Beauty?

WHAT IS BEAUTY?

By Charlotte Marshall

WHAT IS BEAUTY?

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OLD AGE AIN’T NO PLACE FOR SISSIES.

-BETTE DAVIES

CHARLOTTE MARSHALL N0441573 ILLUSTRATED ESSAY

What is Beauty?

‘We perpetually tell ourselves beauty is youth and youth is beauty, and fashion is about beauty so it must be for the young’ Yet Winter 2012, saw Fashion icons such as Grace Coddington and Iris Apfel grace the covers of i-D magazine and Dazed and Confused, the catalysts to what is now being referred to as the ‘Old Age Trend’. (Ditum, S. 2012)

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WHEN YOU DON’T DRESS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO THINK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. -IRIS APFEL

Linda Rodin Shot by Kava Gorna Inspiration can be taken directly from these women for it is their ‘sense of personal style and freedom’ that embodies beauty for Cohen, founder of Advanced Style blog. He goes on to say ‘Older people wear their clothes with confidence. I see [the most] beauty in them. These pictures are not just images. Each one tells a story.’

It is this story we seek to capture in our images.

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“Until recently, age was discussed in the context of social welfare, with a heavy emphasis on fragility and decline.”

(Twigg, J. 2013) Now it is discussed in terms of admiration and envy.

The women featured in Advanced Style, all talk of the compliments they receive from younger women, jealous of their confidence and sense of self.

Our Inspiration for the shoot came 3

from Channel Four Documentary ‘Fabulous Fashionistas’.

With a “don’t wear beige, it’ll kill you” attitude (Kreitzman, S. 2013). Four extraordinary women talk of how “bracingly unapologetic” they are about their love of clothes and how clothes make them feel. It is a documentary about attitude, acceptance and appetite for life.

Ari Seth Cohen began his blog ‘Advanced Style’ in 2008, and now with his website hits reaching 10 million (Smith, T. 2013) the Old Age Trend is truly established.

In Spring 2009 Yohli Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester and Agnes B, all sent male models down the catwalk, each using a handful of over 50’s, ‘handsome old guys, their faces a road map’ Tim Blanks wrote, about Yamamoto’s show, referring of course to the knowledge and worldly demina they demonstrate through their appearance. A Quality highlighted by Branda Polan, director of programmes at the London College of Fashion ‘There are advantages to maturity. It is not just wrinkles and a bit of sag. Your mind becomes more interesting and it shows in the face.’

(2010)

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I FIND THEM MORE INTERESTING BECAUSE THEY ARE OF AN AGE WHERE THEY DON’T HAVE TO IMPRESS ANYONE AND CAN WEAR WHAT THEY WANT. -COHEN

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It was our emotional connection to these women that made their stories all the more profound. When Cohen writes about the women and gentlemen he meets, he writes about them with sincerity and respect. Who are the elderly people we respect the most, our grandparents. They were the obvious choice for our portrait of beauty.

“Modern media culture is intensely youth-oriented.

We are surrounded by representations and images in which the body is presented in a youthful, idealised form” writes Julia Twigg in Fashion and Age: Dress, the Body and Later Life (2013) Yet with parliament releasing statistics forecasting a 5.5 million persons increase in the next twenty years, on top of the 10 million over 65’s that make up Britain’s population, never before has the “Old Age Trend” been more relevant.

(Cracknell, R. 2010)

Our research corresponded with Tim Walker’s launch of ‘The Granny Alphabet’ in which he reminisces about his own two grandmothers. He talks of childhood scolding’s from his ‘Gamma, ..others called [her] Louie.’ He talks of smells he associates with these memories, of ‘fur coats..Silk Cuts… and stories of Captain Hook and Tiger Lily’ His granny next-door sensitivity is one we hoped to portray with a less cliché aesthetic and one more apt for the fashion and beauty critics conditioned to believe societies idealised form.

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I researched into the society’s views of age and beauty. There was a recent conference held at London College of Fashion. Mirror Mirror hosted guest speakers such as Dr Margret Morganroth Guelle, age critic and activist and Professor Julia Twigg, professor of social policy and sociology at the University of Kent.

Representations and Reflections on Age and Ageing were discussed by bloggers, performers and the Fabulous 7

Fashionistas. “We are living in an ageing society and as a result society is changing profoundly… to look at age through the lens of fashion and art is very important’ Dr Hannah Zeilig, Senior Research Fellow, LCF states.

She believes it was important to host the event at LCF, as the lead fashion institute in the country. ‘We’re proud, we have a message and we’re making a difference’ (Kreitzman, S. Fabulous Fansionistas.)

‘No one, for me, looks more like a woman than an old woman.’

Cohen states, referring to ‘Advanced Style’; a homage to the Gentlemen and Women of New York. We looked at Cohen’s own inspiration, people such as Mimi Weddell and Llona Royce Smithkin and Jane Schmitt, who featured in Lanvin’s H&M

campaign in 2010.

We used Street style to gather our own inspirational ‘Silver Stylistas’, with a less creative haul than that of the streets of New York, Nottingham still managed to produce a handful of stylish individuals willing to talk about the clothes they’d chosen to wear and how they feel they express them.

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We wanted to give our images a profound feel, to create an image with substance and meaning; To create a portrait inspired by age with a recognition of beauty and character.

Whilst researching we came across many texts and poems that were suited to the message we were aiming to convey. The Art of Worldly Wisdom, was a text written in 1658, and famous for its relevance today.

XX A MAN OF THE AGE

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THE RAREST INDIVIDUALS DEPEND ON THEIR AGE. THINGS HAVE THEIR PERIOD; EVEN EXCELLENCES ARE SUBJECT TO FASHION. THE SAGE HAS ONE ADVANTAGE: HE IS IMMORTAL. IF THIS IS NOT HIS CENTURY MANY OTHERS WILL BE. -GRACIAN, B (1658)

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This passage perfectly

embraces the spirit we plan to convey through beauty presented in those whose century is deemed over, yet through beauty of spirit lives on. Merriman writies ‘There is no other known work that compares, and is as relevant today in the twenty-first century as it was in the seventeenth.’

(Chadwick, I. 2013) Other life guiding chapters include, xlviii Be Thorough, II Know how to Choose well, xi To Excel in what is Excellent.

We contacted our grandparents, asking for photos of them in their twenties, a similar age to us and of an age considered commercially beautiful.

Immediately these photos sparked stories and memories which we shared as a group, and realised then how ‘important [it is] to show that storytelling aspect, as well as their vitality’ (Cohen. A, 2012) and their connection to us in our work.

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Mother / Daughter: Julie, 61 & Isabelle, 32 years old by Ulric Collette

Ulric Collette is a photographer and graphic designer who works with unique compositional portraiture and recently completed a series of work on genetics.

These powerful pieces are heavily reliant on post-production and demonstrate the power of genes and genetic makeup. Viewing the images through an ‘age is beauty’ lens, the beauty passed on from mother to daughter and Father to Son is undeniable. We wanted to portray the spirit of beauty in people, our grandparents, that are no longer deemed beautiful in our ageist society and how their spirit and beauty is passed on to the next generation.

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ALL I WANTED WAS TO PRESENT A PICTURE OF AGEING THAT’S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MEDIA - TO SHOW CREATIVE, VITAL OLDER PEOPLE AND TO ILLUSTRATE THAT YOU DON’T LOSE THAT AS YOU GET OLDER, AND IN SOME WAYS IT BECOMES MORE ADVANCED,” (2012) -COHEN

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Our aim was to create a series of photographs, copying the lighting and pose of the headshots sent over by our grandparents, demonstrating without distraction or distaste, our similarity.

Initially our aim was to copy the photo exactly and source clothes that resembled those worn in the original images, but with sincerity and sensitivity in mind, we decided against this.

We chose to use bare shoulders in the shot as a representation of the raw genetic beauty we were aiming to portray

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Practice shots allowed us see how successful the outcome would be. During our shoot we were able to direct each individual portrait based upon the practice shots. The angle of our portrait we were aiming to capture and use was already decided during the pre-shoot..

Patrica Davies’ upper face was used and blended with Chynna’s lower face. With we focussed on Chynna’s chin throughout the shoot and were meticulous in our execution, focussed on angle, lighting and camera level.

To effectively execute our images we needed to accurately copy the lighting of the original images. We used a white background to ease post production. When shooting Tori Baldwin, replicating the lighting of Margret Robinson at the angle she was shot required lighting from the right of the frame at mid level and from the top left corner of the shot. It was important that the light wasn’t too harsh, so that clarity and detail of our portrait wasn’t lost.

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The success of our image depended heavily on postproduction. The age of the original images meant adding grain, noise and tonal value to our newly shot portraits.

We each edited our own image in Photoshop. Using tools such as warp I was able to create coherent facial matches and proportional balance. It was important that proportionally the eyes, nose and mouth were of the same size. I had to slightly alter the feature levels so that eyebrow matched eyebrow and jawline lined up. This was not a daunting task as the similarity between my grandpa and I, after undertaking this brief I realise, is more apparent that I first thought!

Tonal value was key to not only matching the original image with our portrait but was vital in creating a series of consistent exhibition pieces. We played with both sepia and black and white tones, and decided that black and white flattened our images. Sepia added the softness that enabled us to add grain to our portraits and lessen the quality of them. By adding background noise and grain to our headshots, they began to resemble the aged aesthetic we required.

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We experimented with layout, using different techniques of blending and combing the images. We trailed digital merging, but could not achieve the level of quality we desired. We used straight line image layering, folding one picture and placing it on top to create a less perfect aesthetic.

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We sort inspiration in Paolo Roversi’s work for Wallpaper’s September Issue (2013) photographing Saskia de Brauw and using a torn postproduction layering technique. We also looked at Marcia Treiger and her portrait of her Mother, where Tregier had used the same torn effect but had placed the ripped paper dirctly onto the model and not editted it in after.

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A similar technique was used for an Etro Fall/Winter 1999-2000 photographed by Michael Woolley, where double shots were taken with the same image was held in front of the exact composition using distorted colour and colour blocking to distinguish between the two images within the one shot.

We decided to edit both images to achieve a matching colour gradient and then rip our head shots, place these on top of the original images and then scan back into the computer.

It took several attempts for before we achieved the desired rip.

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Iwan Davies (b.1929) Grandfather of Charlotte Marshall (b.1992)

Edith Fairey (b.1927) Grandmother of Isobel Ludbrook (b.1994)

Margaret Robinson (b.1927) Grandmother of Victoria Baldwin (b.1992)

Patricia Davies (b.1942) Grandmother of Chynna Davies (b.1993)

We choose to feature our series of portraits in The GentleWomen.

We felt the magazine truly ‘celebrates modern women of style and purpose.’

Editor Penny Martin in an interview with Kate Finnigan (2013) spoke of her favourite cover to date, Angelia Lansbury. ‘To have a woman of her age on the cover of a magazine when it’s not an ‘Age Issue’, it clearly spoke to a lot of people.’ It was The Gentlewomen’s readership median age of 32. (Saletti, A. 2013) This distantly older reader is one interested in content and context. In an interview with the Telegraph she speaks of the tone of voice of the magazine, and the conversational tone she captured that perfectly replicates the way women talk to each other, a key feature of the magazine success.

The Readership age demominations: 22% .........................18–27 years 61% ........................ 28–46 years 11% .........................47–55 years 6% ...........................56+ years 25

Gentlewomen have a library of the inspirational women they have used, women selected for their achievements, not the way they look. Women who have graced the cover include, Beyonce; ‘The incandescent Megastar’, Tilda Swinton; ‘The Phenomenal Oscar-winning Scottish Actress’ and Isabel Marant; ‘Fashion Designer’.

Thegentlewomen.com features fifty-five biographies of women they believe to be ‘inspirational women [with a] distinctive combination of glamour, personality and warmth’. It is this ‘fresh and intelligent’ perspective focussed on bringing ‘depth, and purity back to fashion journalism’ (Aleleksander, I. 2013) I believe our images reflect the depth and purity that makes The Gentlewomen the globally successful publication it is.

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REFERENCES Aleksander, I. (2013) Penny Martin Promises A New Yorker on the Next ‘Gentlewoman’.

[Online] ELLE.com. Available at: http://www.elle.com/news/fashion-style/pennymartin-promises-a-new-yorker-on-the-next-gentlewoman-41818 Blanks, T. (2008) Yohji Yamamoto, Spring 2009 Menswear. [Online] Style.com. Available at: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2009MEN-YJIYMOTO Chadwick, I. (2013) The Art of Wordly Wisdom, Scripturient: Blog & Commentary.

[Online] Available at: http://ianchadwick.com/blog/the-art-of-worldly-wisdom/ Cohen, A. (2010) Freedom of Expression.[Online] Advanced Style.com. Available at: http://advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/freedom-of-expression.html Cracknell, R. (2010) The Ageing Population, [pages 44-45]. Key Issues for the New Parliament. House of Commons Research. [Online] Available at: http://www.parliament. uk/documents/commons/lib/research/key_issues/Key%20Issues%20The%20 ageing%20population2007.pdf Ditum, S. (2012) How old age became a fashion trend. [Online] The Guardian.com.

Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/19/fashion-oldwomen Gracian, B. (1658) The Art of Worldy Wisdom. Trans Jacobs, J. (1892). Kessigner Publishing.

Kreitzman, S (2013) As Quoted in: Fabulous Fashionistas. Channel 4. Aired: 17th Septemebr 2013.

LCF News (2013) Mirror Mirror: Representations and Reflections on age and aging. LCF News.

Kreitzman, S. Fabulous Fashionistas. [Online] Available at: http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/ fashion/2013/11/15/mirror-mirror-documentary-now-online/ LCF News (2013) Mirror Mirror: Representations and Reflections on age and aging. LCF News.

Zeilieg, H. [Online] Available at: http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/fashion/2013/11/15/mirrormirror-documentary-now-online/ Martin P. (2013) Interviewed by Kate Finnigan for Getting to know Penny Martin, The Gentlewoman [Online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/ columns/kate-finnigan/Getting-to-know-Penny-Martin-The-Gentlewoman.html 27

Nicholson, R. (2013) Fabulous Fashionistas: TV Review. [Online] The Guardian. com Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/sep/18/fabulousfashionistas-tv-review Polan, B. (2010) Interviewed by Tanya Gold for London Fashion Week: On Trend… after a fashion. [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8011081/ London-Fashion-Week-On-trend...-after-a-fashion.html Saletti, A. (2013) The Gentlewoman: Media Kit 2013. London: The Gentlewoman. P.3-4.

Tamsin, S. (2013) BBC Radio 4, Women’s Hour. New York Older Women’s Style.

[Podcast] Aired: Thursday 4 Apr 2013. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ p01782g3 Twigg, J. (2013) Fashion and Age: Dress, the Body and Later Life. London: Bloomsbury Acedemic.

Walker, T. Harvey-Hesketh, K. Mynott, L. (2013) The Granny Alphabet. London, Thames & Hudson

PICTURE REFERENCES 1.Bark, J. [Online] Dazed and Confused, Iris Apfel. 2012. Available at: http://www. dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/14901/1/dazed-confused-november-issue-theart-issue 2. Bark, J. [Online] Dazed and Confused, Iris Apfel. 2012. Available at: http://www. dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/14901/1/dazed-confused-november-issue-theart-issue 3. Bark, J. [Online] Dazed and Confused, Iris Apfel. 2012. Available at: http://www. dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/14901/1/dazed-confused-november-issue-theart-issue 4. Gorna, K. [Online] Refinery 29, Linda Rodin. 2012. Available at: http://www. refinery29.com/denim-day-style-legend-linda-rodin 5. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style: Best of 2010. 2010. Available at: http:// advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:0005:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 6. Nicholls, H. [Online]. Jean Woods. 2013. Available at: Henry Nicholls/SWNS.com.

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7. Cohen, A. [Online] Golden Girls. 2012. Avaiable at: http://advancedstyle.blogspot. co.uk/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2011-0101T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 8. Madeira, M. [Online] Style.com. Spring 2009 menswear, Yohji Yamamoto.

2009. Available at: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/powersearch/ slideshow?designer=design_house95&event=show1742&iphoto=20&origIphoto=20 9. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style: Best of 2010. 2010. Available at: http:// advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:0005:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 10. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style: Best of 2010. 2010. Available at: http:// advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:0005:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 11. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style: Best of 2010. 2010. Available at: http:// advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:0005:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 12. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style: Best of 2010. 2010. Available at: http:// advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:0005:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50 13. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style. Ilona in Princeton. 2010. Available at: http:// advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/ilona-in-provincetown.html 14. Walker, T [Online] The Granny Alphabet. 2013. Available at: http://www.amazon. co.uk/The-Granny-Alphabet-Tim-Walker/dp/0500544263 15. Bourne. S [Online] The Guardian. Meet the Fabulous Fashionista – in Pictures.

Bridget Sojourner. 2013. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/ gallery/2013/sep/17/fabulous-fashionistas-in-pictures?picture=417400323#/ 16. Bourne. S [Online] The Guardian. Meet the Fabulous Fashionista – in Pictures. Sue Kreitzman. 2013. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/gallery/2013/ sep/17/fabulous-fashionistas-in-pictures?picture=417400323#/ 17. Bourne. S [Online] The Guardian. Meet the Fabulous Fashionista – in Pictures. Jean Woods. 2013. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/gallery/2013/ sep/17/fabulous-fashionistas-in-pictures?picture=417400323#/ 18. Alyson. [Online] that’snotmyname. Talking Fashion and Agine. 2013. Available at: 29

http://thatsnotmyage.blogspot.co.uk/2013_11_01_archive.html 19. Wunsch, R. [Online] Telegragh – Fashion. 2010 Available at: http://fashion.telegraph. co.uk/article/TMG8104512/Lanvin-for-HandM-first-look.html 20. Johnston, J. [Online] Guardian. Hats Off. 2008. Available at: http://www.theguardian. com/global/2009/oct/15/mimi-weddell-obituary 21. Unknown. Margret Baldwin. [date n/a] 22. Unknown. Edith Fairey. [date n/a] 23. Unknown. Iwan Davies. [date n/a] 24. Unknown. Patricia Davies. [date n/a] 25. Ulric, C. [Online] Portraits Genetics. Father / Son: Denis, 60 & Mathieu, 25 years.

2013. Available at: http://genetic.ulriccollette.com/ 26. Ulric, C. [Online] Portraits Genetics. Girl/Father: Ismaelle, 10 & Ulric, 32. 2013.

Available at: http://genetic.ulriccollette.com/ 27. Ulric, C. [Online] Portraits Genetics. Mother/Daughter: Julie, 61 & Isabelle, 32. 2013.

Available at: http://genetic.ulriccollette.com/ 28. Cohen, A. [Online] Advanced Style. 2013. Available at : http://www.pinterest.com/ pin/230176230928271736/ 29. Marshall, C. [Own Image] Backstage Photography. 2013 30. Ashmore, A. Chynna Davis. 2013 31. Ashmore, A. Charlotte Marshall.2013 32. Ashmore, A. Victoria Baldwin. 2013 33. Ashmore, A. Group Editing Composition. 2013 34. Roversi, P. [Online] Fashion Gone Rogue. Saskia de Brauw Poses for Paolo Roversi in Wallpaper’s September Issue. 2013. Available at: http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/ saskia-de-brauw-poses-for-paolo-roversi-in-wallpaper-september-issue/ 35. Trieger, M. [Online] Family #9. 2012 Availabe at: http://www.marciatreiger.com/ portfolios/family-9/

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36. Woolley, M. [Online] Etro 1999-2000. Available at: http://styleregistry.livejournal. com/236747.html 37. Unknown. [Online] 2011. Available at http://ladyglencoe.tumblr.com/ post/10434149967 38. Iwan Davies (b.1929) Grandfather of Charlotte Marshall (b.1992). Own Image. [2013] 39. Edith Fairey (b.1927) Grandmother of Isobel Ludbrook (b.1994). Own Image. [2013] 40. Margaret Robinson (b.1927) Grandmother of Victoria Baldwin (b.1992). Own Image. [2013] 41. Patricia Davies (b.1942) Grandmother of Chynna Davies (b.1993). Owm Image.

[2013] 42. The GentleWoman ‘What is Beauty?’ Cover. Own Image. [2013] 43. The GentleWoman Layout 1. Own Image. [2013] 44. The GentleWoman Layout 2. Own Image. [2013]

BIBLIOGRAPHY Gracian, B. (1658) The Art of Worldy Wisdom. Trans Jacobs, J. (1892). Kessigner Publishing.

Morganroth Gullette, M. (2004) Aged by Culture.London. The University of Chicago Press, Ltd. Morganroth Gullette, M. (2011) Agewise: Fighting the New Ageism in America. . The University of Chicago Press, Ltd. Twigg, J. (2013) Fashion and Age: Dress, the Body and Later Life. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Walker, T. Harvey-Hesketh, K. Mynott, L. (2013) The Granny Alphabet. London, Thames & Hudson

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AGE IS BEAUTY