Friday is a feeling | Why our society is so comfortable with the invisibility of our elders, especially in fashion

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Fri 24 Mar   People my age are seriously going to struggle with ageing. In fact, I would argue we already are. And when I say “people my age” I’m referring to those born in the late 1970s and the 1980s — those of us who grew during the burgeoning of plastic surgery, liposuction and Botox. We watched as Michael Jackson and his siblings went from flat noses to pointy ones. The 1980s were as much a great time for Dolly Parton’s music as they were for her expansive bosom. My generation watched as people augmented reality and their features and this has led us to believe we could outrun getting old. But it’s not just cosmetic interventions that are making us feel as if we’re winning the war on ageing. We’re juicing everything from spinach to turmeric, dipping our faces in ice water daily, using infrared spas and more of us are having children in our late 40s than in previous generations. Now, I don’t mean to sound like Debbie Downer, I’m really glad we’re defying age stereotypes and changing how people see “the middle ages”. But, unfortunately, that hasn’t changed how young people see us. Yet, the older I get, the more I realise I know nothing about life. Increasingly, I find myself wanting to have long conversations with older people because I realise how much maturing I still need to do. The one thing I always get into conversations with older people about is how they live with regret, if they do. But, Some mistakes are the gift that keeps on giving. This is why I jumped at Elvis Kachi’s pitch on doing a feature on Nigerian creative Malik Afegbua. I had seen his work on social media and had no clue it was all done by artificial intelligence — I was simply amazed that there was a brave designer willing to use geriatrics to model a runaway show. In the future we would like to launch a newsletter for Friday — a 26 year old arts and culture publication. Show us your interest by signing up [here](. Lerato Tshabalala | Friday Editor [@LeratoTJ]( Premium [Development billions promised to Ingonyama Trust ‘go missing’]( A European ‘investor’ was meant to have made an initial transfer of R12  billion into the board’s South African Reserve Bank account This article is only available to subscribers. [View subscription options]( If you are already a subscriber, login here. [// Read more]( Articles labelled as Premium are only available to subscribers. [CLICK HERE]( to subscribe Already a subscriber? [SIGN IN HERE]( Premium [Mashatile: We’re not shielding Ramaphosa on Phala Phala]( The majority had made a decision and that was how democracy worked, the deputy president told the National Assembly This article is only available to subscribers. [View subscription options]( If you are already a subscriber, login here. [// Read more]( [Obviously]( [ANC silent on Putin arrest warrant, EFF says Russian leader welcome in SA]( Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has vowed to protect Putin from arrest, should he visit South Africa [// Read more]( Recommended Reads Premium [Electricity costs add to miners’ woes]( Companies are also grappling with a decline in commodity prices and weaker global demand This article is only available to subscribers. [View subscription options]( If you are already a subscriber, login here. [// Read more]( [Artivists deserve to be funded meaningfully … this is why]( Black artists and activists have to jump through too many hoops to get resources that could help them do their best work and change the world [// Read more]( [Nersa to begin unbundling Eskom]( The national energy regulator will decide whether the National Transmission Company South Africa will get a licence [// Read more]( [20 years to be added to Koeberg’s life]( The nuclear plant will continue operating beyond next year, despite concerns over waste disposal [// Read more]( Premium [EFF shutdown wasn’t a total failure, says analyst]( But the party’s ‘aspirations of chaos’ must be curbed and it alienates mostly peace-loving citizens with rhetoric that borders on ‘warmongering’ This article is only available to subscribers. [View subscription options]( If you are already a subscriber, login here. [// Read more]( Pic of the day Earthquake survivors visit the graves of their loved ones on the Ramadan eve and pray in Kapicam Cemetery on March 22, 2023 in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Kahramanmaras province was struck by two successive earthquakes in early February, resulting in widespread damage and more than 50,000 deaths between Turkey and neighboring Syria. (Photo by Mehmet Kacmaz/Getty Images) [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa