PR:OUD

We’re all getting older every day. Till one day, we’re old.

Browsing through all kinds of media, ‘old’ generally comes in two simple flavours: One, wizened and grey with a crooked back and walker, staring sadly out the window. And two, a lively spirit with a full head of hair and a pearly white smile enjoying the view from some lush mountaintop.

We’re all getting older every day. Till one day, we’re old. Browsing through all kinds of media, ‘old’ generally comes in two simple flavours: One, wizened and grey with a crooked back and walker, staring sadly out the window. And two, a lively spirit with a full head of hair and a pearly white smile enjoying the view from some lush mountaintop.

PR:OUD

The visual messaging is loud and clear: Growing old is a dreary process only escaped by maintaining a youthful appearance and an athletic body. With PR:OUD, Micaela and I wanted to change the image of old age in a world obsessed with staying young. Because why have we collectively decided that “being old” is bad when studies show that, on average, we are much happier after the age of sixty? Why do we start assuring our friends that they look so young for their age the minute they turn thirty? And why do we love vintage furniture and finely aged bottles of wine but feel bad when we’re getting up in years?

Why do almost all of us want to GROW old, but no one wants to BE it?

PR:OUD shows a different reality of what it means to be old by focusing explicitly on the power, the beauty and the charisma of people who have lived and grown for many years. Since January 2021, I have been meeting and portraying older people who are living their past, present, and future to the fullest. Makers, thinkers and doers of every colour and background. Strong characters who showed in every conversation we had: being old doesn’t get old.

To capture the colourful experiences that come with their years, I shot this series digitally. Each portrait is built on hours of conversation. Before I even considered picking up my camera, I visited the role models in their own homes with PR:OUD’s initiator Micaela and our stylist Richard to see them move through their space, but most importantly, to go through their closet. Every role model was shot wearing their own clothes, and thus, styling was more important for PR:OUD than it has ever been in any of my previous series. Browsing through vintage jackets and extensive hat collections, we found treasures with stories sewn into the fabric.

PR:OUD launched as a luxurious coffee table book on March 11th with the ambition to become a movement, while it grows older.

To capture the colourful experiences that come with their years, I shot this series digitally. Each portrait is built on hours of conversation. Before I even considered picking up my camera, I visited the role models in their own homes with PR:OUD’s initiator Micaela and our stylist Richard to see them move through their space, but most importantly, to go through their closet. Every role model was shot wearing their own clothes, and thus, styling was more important for PR:OUD than it has ever been in any of my previous series. Browsing through vintage jackets and extensive hat collections, we found treasures with stories sewn into the fabric.
PR:OUD launched as a luxurious coffee table book on March 11th with the ambition to become a movement, while it grows older. The visual messaging is loud and clear: Growing old is a dreary process only escaped by maintaining a youthful appearance and an athletic body.

With PR:OUD, Micaela and I wanted to change the image of old age in a world obsessed with staying young. Because why have we collectively decided that “being old” is bad when studies show that, on average, we are much happier after the age of sixty? Why do we start assuring our friends that they look so young for their age the minute they turn thirty? And why do we love vintage furniture and finely aged bottles of wine but feel bad when we’re getting up in years?
Why do almost all of us want to GROW old, but no one wants to BE it?
PR:OUD shows a different reality of what it means to be old by focusing explicitly on the power, the beauty and the charisma of people who have lived and grown for many years. Since January 2021, I have been meeting and portraying older people who are living their past, present, and future to the fullest. Makers, thinkers and doers of every colour and background. Strong characters who showed in every conversation we had: being old doesn’t get old.