Ian Somerhalder: "There's something amazing about aging"

Actor Ian Somerhalder from popular TV series The Vampire Diaries said he agreed with international magazine Vogue's move to put an age limit on their fashion models at his press conference for Penshoppe at the Peninsula Manila Hotel on May 23, PEP.ph reports. The question referred to the decision of 19 editors of Vogue from all over the world, who pledged to "not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder," according to an Associated Press article.

"It’s a very strange thing that you have a 14-year-old girl, maybe 5 feet 11 inches [tall], who looks like she’s 25, selling clothes—high-end clothes—to adult women," he is quoted as saying.

“So how does a 45-year-old woman, who’s agonizing over getting older—and to begin with [she's] already beautiful and wonderful—agonizing over why she looks so old, compare to this model?" Ian added.

The star said this sort of mentality is common in the fashion industry, but he urged people to challenge the system. "Maybe, we can be agents of change and sort of allow that to sort of organically segue into being a little more true to whatever brand you’re selling."

He even shared his views on how advertismenets edited in Photoshop affect individuals' perception of beauty. “I tell you what, Photoshop is what destroys us. I mean, how do you compete with that little mouse?"

Ian, who turned 33 this year, said he felt wonderful when he reached his 30th birthday. “I woke up on my 30th birthday and said, 'I’m it. I’m an adult. This is so cool.’ And I’m 33 now, and I have more energy and more ability to reason with myself than I had when I was 18 or 20. I just feel so much better about myself!"

He ended by saying, "There is something amazing about aging, and it’s definitely an American thing--for sure you feel it, this staying in this youthful age--and I think it does something to society that I think we can work on.”


(Photo courtesy of PEP.ph)