What Lies Beneath...  Mia Maugé

Mia Maugé wears her age like a badge of honour. As she should. Model, writer, speaker and advocate for greater age inclusion, she stepped in front of the camera in her fifties and has since become a powerful presence in fashion and beauty, challenging narrow ideas about visibility, possibility and what it means for a woman to grow older.

Recognisable by her luminous silver hair, Mia was also one of the first women to represent The Steam Bar, appearing in our launch campaign. In this edition of What Lies Beneath, she reflects on the freedom of embracing what grows naturally from the scalp, finding her confidence at 50, and why beauty does not fade with age. It simply evolves.

TSB - What does perfect happiness look and feel like to you at this stage of your life? 

Mia - Just peace of mind. Good health. Feeling content. Knowing I do my best at whatever I do. My daughters are nearby. Reciprocated love. Blue skies. Sunsets…. And good quality chocolate! 

TSB - Which part of your identity has taken you the longest to understand or to embrace fully? 

Mia - Being a woman over 40 in our society took a while. I allowed society's limited expectations of me to become my own self limiting beliefs. I didn’t really come into my own until I got to 50… when I decided to wear my age like a badge of honour! 

TSB - What quality inherited from your family or heritage do you recognise most strongly in yourself today? 

Mia - Resourcefulness… resilience and resistance. And if the space doesn’t exist then you create it. 

TSB - Your hair has become a powerful part of how the world recognises you. What does it express outwardly, and what lies beneath it that people may not immediately see? 

Mia - I stopped covering my grey ten years ago. Back in 2016 it was seen to be a radical move! People thought I was brave. Now it’s much more common to see it.. I think today people simply appreciate the authenticity of freeing what grows naturally from your scalp. And what lies beneath?…. hmmm exactly what you see externally, a liberated woman who is content, who has nestled into her authenticity…. And the empowerment it brings! 

TSB - You were one of the first women to represent The Steam Bar, appearing in our launch campaign. What made you want to be part of its story, and, having experienced the range, which product has become your favourite and why? 

Mia - The Steam Bar reached out for their launch when I had been modelling for a couple of years, and up until that point I’d only worked with large global brands. Here was a black, female owned British brand with a high quality haircare range… of course I wanted to be a part of that! And what a campaign it was…. Just stunning! I’m very proud to have been a part of it. I do have a favourite product… it’s the shampoo for me! From the minute you squeeze that pearly product onto your hand you know you’re in for a treat! It looks luxurious, smells divine, and then lathers up beautifully. It cleans without stripping and nourishes my silvers perfectly. 

TSB - As you began modelling in your fifties, what belief about beauty, ageing or possibility did you have to unlearn before stepping into this role?

Mia - I was scouted on Instagram, so modelling came out of the blue. 

I’ve actually learned as I’ve gone along.. I’ve never been a front of camera person, so I had to really challenge myself to step into the spotlight.. As a consumer I wanted to see the inclusion of women over 40 in the fashion and beauty industries and modelling gave me the opportunity to make that change. I knew that representation of my generation was far more important than any insecurities I had about being visible myself.

TSB - When do you feel most completely yourself, without performance, expectation or explanation? 

Mia- I suppose that could only be when I’m alone. I spend a lot of time rolling solo… and I love it! 

TSB - What do people most often misunderstand about being visible and what is the difference, for you, between being seen and being truly known? 

Mia - For me being visible and seen is solely about age inclusion and representation. Being truly known is to read my captions and understand why I choose to be visible. 

TSB - If you could change one societal attitude towards women growing older, what would it be? 

Mia - To celebrate advanced age and all it brings… our wisdom and abundant knowledge, our invaluable life and work skills, the strong sense of accomplishment and confidence that come with time… I’d also like society to accept that beauty doesn’t fade with age… it simply evolves.