On the catwalk, after 35 years
The eighth edition of Cardinalia, held at the end of October, brought together collections by renowned names in the Romanian fashion world
Ana-Maria Cononovici, 03.11.2026, 14:00
The eighth edition of Cardinalia, held at the end of October, brought together collections by renowned names in the Romanian fashion world, alongside 37 models, men and women over the age of 35. This stems from the experience of Adina Cotigă, the founder of the Cardinalia project, who began her own modeling career at 45; she has made it her mission to shift perceptions regarding beauty, aging, and what it means to be a model.
Adina Cotigă, founder of Cardinalia and Cardinalia Models, and a financial director, explained the origins of the project: “I’ve had a passion for modeling since high school. Although life took me down different paths, that passion remained in my heart. Exactly five years ago, I decided it was time to pursue modeling, driven, in part, by a desire to show that age shouldn’t be a criterion when selecting models for the runway. After all, a model could go on to become a financial director, provided they have the right qualities, so why couldn’t a financial director become a model, if they wish to and possess the necessary attributes? Now, five years later, I have many shows under my belt and a community of models, women like me, as well as a few courageous men. These are individuals, men and women alike, who have established careers and significant achievements, yet they also harbor a desire for self-expression through modeling.”
We asked Adina Cotigă what qualities a model needs, qualities that do not lose their relevance as time goes by: “It depends on what we want to do and where we want to do it. I started out by looking for beautiful women and men, people with a great attitude and compelling life stories, and eventually I established a professional modeling agency. Through this agency, I place models in various roles, including in international fashion shows and other beauty and fashion-related assignments. In this sector, the expectation is to have well-proportioned measurements from top to bottom. Furthermore, for fashion shows, including professional and international ones, there is a height requirement, much like in traditional modeling: generally, a height of over 1.70 meters is expected, and being a size XXS is a huge plus! In my view, while certain criteria should remain, age should not be a deciding factor provided one possesses the qualities of a professional model”.
Until what age can one work as a model? Adina Cotigă: “I don’t believe there is an age limit. I have a few examples from the international modeling scene, two models I follow who are in their fifties and aren’t part of the ‘supermodel’ category. We already know of supermodels approaching 60 whom we still see on the runway, but there are two other models who started out just like I did, they are 50, as am I, and they are only now gaining recognition. I don’t think there should be any age limit at all. It’s like saying that a 70-year-old woman is ugly. If she has the right attitude and presence, and there are so many people with such presence whom we regard with immense respect, why couldn’t she be a model on the runway? In fact, here in Romania, there is a woman named Ema Drăghici, I believe she’s over 70, who models for a Romanian brand; she walks the runway and appears on their website, and this is truly extraordinary. I’m so glad that this has started happening in Romania.”
What is the Cardinalia event? Adina Cotigă is here with detials: “It is a professional fashion show featuring 37 models, individuals from the business and entrepreneurial worlds, who want to show that they can step onto the runway as models. These are new faces joining the show, alongside models from the Cardinalia Agency; they will be wearing outfits created specifically for the event by 11 Romanian designers. These include Romanița Iovan, a highly respected figure and an extraordinary businesswoman, and Ellida Toma, a well-known personality, including from her television appearances. There is also Idyllic, a Romanian designer I have been working with for a very long time; Alexandra Catrangiu, a designer and stylist; and Laura Draghici and Nicole Badea, new designers I’ve begun collaborating with. Then there is Simona Bușoiu, a designer just starting out, whom I encourage to pursue this path, as well as Alexandra Constantinescu and Claudia Georgescu; I believe that covers everyone. Raluca Soare is another very well-known designer, particularly in Bucharest, and she features in all the shows.”
Concluding our interview, Adina Cotigă shared a message: “We’ve grown accustomed to seeing only young women on the runway, but we aren’t looking to compete with younger models. On the contrary, I firmly believe that ‘mature’ modeling and ‘young’ modeling actually complement each other!”
Fashion, beauty, and eternal youth! (LS)
