60-year-old model Mukta Singh is a crusader of good old self-love with a dash of swag

As Mukta Singh walked the runway for Amit Agarwal at Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI last month, her metallic gown shone as resplendently as the silver of her hair. 

The fashion extravaganza featuring Agarwal’s 2024 pret collection titled 'Core', is the latest feather to the hat for Singh—an artist, writer and mom—whose tresses are no less à la mode than the radical world of fashion she “chanced upon” in 2021, at age 58.

And it all began with her relationship with her hair.

“I started greying at 15,” Singh tells HerStory, “By the time I turned 30, I had so much grey hair that I looked way past my age. I also didn’t have the conventional good looks — fair skin, silky, straight hair and the like,” she says.

Singh started using henna, which she says resulted in “a mop of auburn mess.” She then switched to dyeing, which soon became a ritual ruling her life, right from a young age. 

“I’d be going to the salon every now and then, switching from one colour to another. I went from orange to dark brown and black,  and as new hair grew, this cycle repeated,” says Singh, 60. 

Challenges in life a few years ago—her mother’s battle with cancer and her dog’s paralysis—meant she couldn’t indulge in self-care. “Amid all this adversity, I felt like I had given up on myself,” she says.

However, Singh's love for classic rock led her to start painting portraits of her favourite musicians; Steve Tyler —“whose iconic flowing tresses set him apart”, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Thom Yorke, The Beatles. 

“My Budhhist practice and my art came together cathartically to help me express myself wholly and creatively to the world,” says Singh.

Her Instagram handle @mukta.singh, which she created nine years ago, became the world’s window into her life, the challenges she faced during her recent battles, and eventually the platform where she was discovered by the clothing brand Akaaro. 

She currently has more than 8,000 followers on the platform.

“I saw my niece wearing one of their sarees and loved it so much, I decided to style myself and wear it to a family wedding. That day, the number of compliments I received fuelled me to post my photograph in the saree online and tag them,” says Singh. 

Akaaro, in turn, received an overwhelming response, which inspired it to do a full-fledged shoot with Singh—an opportunity she saw to reclaim and embrace herself fully after years of being at odds with her appearance.

“I can now say that it’s a decision that changed my life forever. I’ve experienced more solidarity and love in the fashion industry than anywhere else,” says Singh. “Everyone—especially young people—I meet are excited to meet and collaborate with me.”

Since that first gig, Singh, who is based out of Gurugram, has gone on to model for the mindful design-led brand Nicobar, fashion designer Shweta Kapur, and fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar—among others—all of whom find that her treasure and strength lies in how she owns her flowing greys.      

Delhi designer Amit Hansraj, who has also worked with Singh, says featuring older models is more an exception than the norm in the Indian fashion industry. “Tarun Tahiliani, for instance, has showcased older models. But usually, we don’t see a lot of people beyond 40 or 50 years getting featured in fashion,” says Hansraj.

“Personally, what made me resonate with Mukta was the fact that she owned her age gracefully and nonchalantly. As someone who became a designer late in life at the age of 40, I found myself rooting for her to follow her dreams,” he adds.   

Singh is now eyeing the international fashion scene and says she’s going to start looking for opportunities. 

While seniors in India do find opportunities to model, they are mostly restricted to ad films on healthcare, insurance and household product companies. Among the few popular senior models walking the ramp are 58-year-old art aficionado and businesswoman-turned-model Feroze Gujral and 67-year-old doctor and model Gita Prakash who entered the fashion scene at 57.

“I think in many ways they started seeing me the way I started seeing myself after I stopped dyeing my hair and embracing it as an important part of my growth and resilience,” says Singh. “Life is in the greys, and so is wisdom. I hope everyone with the years showing on their heads sees this too.”