"Chic Grandmas" debut at the Dingshu Intangible Cultural Heritage Week in Yixing, East China's Jiangsu Province in December 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Long Wu

 

"Chic Grandmas" debut at the Dingshu Intangible Cultural Heritage Week in Yixing, East China's Jiangsu Province in December 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Long Wu

Several elegantly dressed grandmas wrapped in neatly pressed traditional damask cheongsams complemented by exquisite makeup and permed gray hair, gracefully walk into the live broadcast room's spotlight. 

The influential team "Chic Grandmas," with over 20 million fans on various online platforms, begins their livestreaming session this way. 

Featured products, including jewelry, clothing, and nutritional supplements cater specifically to the "silver age." In addition to broadcasting from their indoor studio setup, the livestreams transform into art exhibitions or cooking sessions. Typically scheduled before 10 pm, the livestreams aim at respecting the early bedtime of the elderly. 

Sixty-two-year-old Wu Shuhua is one of the silver-haired grannies who never thought she could join in such a "magic" team after retirement, sharing her beauty and positivity with millions of people online.

Wu's husband passed away at the age of 49, leaving her to bear the family's burden alone. After retirement, she had the opportunity to join the "Chic Grandmas," and found "the true freedom of living for herself." 

"We have all sacrificed so much as wives and mothers [in our past lives,] so in this second half of our existence, it is important to dedicate more time to ourselves, doing things we love, finding pleasure and making the later part of our life shine. I hope that with my vitality at 60 years old, I can influence more people around me through my positive mental attitudes towards life," Wu told the Global Times.

Timely recognition

As the aging population in China grows, the elderly are emerging as an undeniable consumer force. According to CCTV, the current "silver economy" in China is valued at around 7 trillion yuan ($982 billion), approximately 6 percent of China's total GDP.

China's State Council on Monday unveiled a series of measures to promote the "silver economy," marking the first policy document specifically addressing the future needs of a growing aging demographic at the national level. It includes various services related to elderly culture, sports, and health as per Xinhua News Agency.

This official release has further validated the persistence of He Daling, a post-90s woman and founder of "Chic Grandmas." She believes her efforts have been vindicated. 

Four years ago, the elderly people were largely overlooked on the internet with few elderly Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) and live streamers also neglecting their needs. However, this untapped demographic presented great potential for exploration.

In June 2019, she founded "Chic Grandmas" and released its first video on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), which gained over 40 million views within one day and quickly topped popularity rankings. She anticipated this trend, understanding that an IP representing this demographic satisfies major desires of scarcity and representativeness in cyberspace.

'Wonderful life'

She told the Global Times that her original intention to set up the fashionable grandma group was to break the stereotype surrounding Chinese senior citizens and lead them to embrace a more refined lifestyle. Meanwhile, the team remains dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese culture worldwide.

"I hope the 'Chic Grandmas' can encourage all middle-aged and elderly women to no longer be defined and bound by age, but have the courage to express themselves, appreciate themselves, and live a wonderful life."

During the Dingshu Intangible Cultural Heritage Week in the creative and cultural ceramic avenue in Yixing city, East China's Jiangsu Province in late 2023, around 300 chic grandmas with an average age of 65 (the oldest being 88) showcased China's intangible cultural heritage through costumes featuring Suzhou embroidery and traditional Chinese painting.

She said that the content of "silver family" promoting the intangible cultural heritage through fashion shows has garnered attention from both domestic and foreign tourism bureaus, and these chic grandmas are expected to appear at the London Fashion Week in 2024 wearing their elegant costumes. 

From an initial team of only 4-6 grandmas, her efforts have paid off, attracting widespread interest, with many senior citizens expressing their desire to join the team.

While making friends with the grandmas, she also encountered many difficulties. Many of them had worked in areas that had nothing to do with fashion before retirement, so they lacked confidence.

"Most of the grannies joining in the team are not doing it for money, but to have something to do and prove their value," she said, noting that most elderly people feel lonely after retirement and some even suffer from mild depression. However, after joining the team, they made many like-minded friends, and gradually gained confidence and happiness, and even recovered from illnesses. 

"In a word, we hope to create a new image and concept for the elderly in China - no matter how old they are in life, they should be full of curiosity about the world, maintain a positive attitude toward life and embrace love,"  she said.

After seeing these positive grandmas shining in their later years, 30-year-old she said she is not afraid of getting older. On the contrary, she looks forward to her retired life. "I will continue this career until I become a 'chic grandma' myself," she said.