There's a new "it couple" in the fashion world, and they're proving that you're never too old to try something new.
Marie-Louise and René Glémarec are 85 and 86 years old, respectively, and they're not your typical street style stars. But they've quickly become unofficial brand ambassadors for Egon Lab, a unisex brand launched last year, as originally reported by Vogue.
It all started when the couple's grandson, Florentin Glémarec, decided to create a clothing collection with his partner, Kévin Nompeix.
"When we announced that we wanted to launch our brand together, Marie-Louise and René pushed us to pursue our dream and do everything to make it happen," Nompeix told TODAY Style.
The Glémarecs have been Egon Lab's biggest fans from day one. And after watching the couple try on pieces from the collection with such glee, Glémarec and Nompeix knew they wanted them to represent the brand in style at Paris Fashion Week. So they outfitted the grandparents in coordinating printed coats and sent them on their way to take in the runway shows together.
"It was a really new experience for them," Nompeix said, recalling the overwhelmingly positive reaction the Glémarecs got from photographers and street style stars alike.
Fashion fans instantly fell for the darling duo, and were delighted to see the Glémarecs return in coordinating outfits just a few days later. This time around, the cute couple looked polished in plaid.
Each time the Glémarecs attend a show in a fresh new outfit, Nompeix says they're met with open arms: "They are welcomed like rock stars. The photographers shout their names, we can hear the crowd saying: 'Incredible,' 'Darling, it's gonna be us!' People scramble to have a selfie with them."
After one fashion show in Paris, security guards even had to step in to prevent onlookers from rushing towards the couple. "But it didn't seem to disturb René much. He loved being in front of the crowd," Nompeix said.
After Vogue posted a photo of the husband and wife sporting super edgy leather ensembles, the couple went viral, with Instagram users oohing and aahing in the comments. "Omg so cute 😍" wrote @_mryfkhr, while @pau.lamanuela commented "@johnnieheffer_ can this be us pls?"
Before becoming street style stars, Mrs. Glémarec previously worked in a post office, and her husband was in the navy. Now that they've become style sensations, the couple is simply enjoying the ride.
“We feel like stars, but we promise you that it won't go to our heads,” Glémarec told TODAY Style, while his wife added, "You know, at our age it no longer goes to our heads.”
As for the designing duo behind Egon Lab? They're truly humbled by the public's reaction to their fashion muses.
"To be honest with you, we didn't expect such a craze around them. We just wanted them to be part of our brand history. Today, we can never thank them enough for having contributed to the emergence of the brand," Nompeix said.