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Old fashioned! Ditmas Park seniors strut their stuff on the runway

Old fashioned! Ditmas Park seniors strut their stuff on the runway
Photo by Jordan Rathkopf

Geriatric fashionistas strutted and rolled down the Caton Park Nursing Home’s runway during the Ditmas Park elder care facility’s annual fashion show on June 16.

The event has given Brooklyn’s most venerable an opportunity to let loose and have fun for more than 20 years, and is a perennial favorite amongst the residency’s chic seniors, according to one of the show’s main organizers.

“The residents love it,” said Caton Nursing Home recreational aide Marilyn Antoine. “They feel like they’re somebody. It lifts up their esteem, and it makes them happy.”

During Ditmas Park’s premier fashion event, the wizened runway models sported snappy looks from bygone days, usually with items either donated by staff or family members to ensure the residents appeared even more trendy than usual on the big day.

“We look for clothes like if you’re going to a wedding,” said Antoine. “Fancy clothes.”

Organizers judged the snazzy seniors, many of whom are in their 90s, on criteria including style, natural beauty, and charisma, and at the end of the day, they selected models Beverly Gordon and Norman Lovell respectively as Queen and King of the show.

Lovell, who described himself as “25 or 26 years old,” said he was “not really excited” about receiving the honorific title, but that the show was “good” nonetheless.

For his prize, Lovell received a number of useful items, including soaps and hand creams, according to Antoine.

When asked why he believed the nursing home awarded him the prestigious title, Lovell — who took to the catwalk in a purple shirt, purple tie, and a cream-colored suit — professed uncertainty.

“It’s hard to say,” he said.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4505.