Model, 62, says going grey has ‘opened many new doors’

A grandmother who has been modelling since her teens has racked up a huge online following after embracing her stunning silver locks.

Kathi Odom, 62, from Alexander City, Alabama, has been embracing her silver locks for over a decade and has been cast as the glamorous grandma in family shoots

She has won a legion of fans since her daughter Sophie Odom, 28, posted a video of her posing poolside for Hilton on TikTok.

Kathi said: ‘I love it. I feel so much more confident playing my age and not afraid to have my wrinkles or grey show. I get booked to be real.

Kathi Odom, 62, (pictured) from Alexander City, Alabama, went viral on TikTok after her daughter Sophie Odom, 28, posted her glamorous look in a video 

Kathi has been modelling from a young age (pictured)

Kathi decided to embrace her silver locks (pictured) when she turned 50

Kathi, who has been modelling from a young age (pictured left), decided to embrace her silver locks (pictured right) when she turned 50

Kathi (pictured right, with daughter Sophie) said she feels 'much more confident' when playing her age and is not afraid to let her wrinkles or grey show

Kathi (pictured right, with daughter Sophie) said she feels ‘much more confident’ when playing her age and is not afraid to let her wrinkles or grey show 

‘I was part of the Boomer generation and sort of rode the wave of the changing concept that age is not so bad, growing older was a privilege and to be enjoyed.’

Graphic designer Sophie added: ‘I was overwhelmed with how proud of her I was. So many people are afraid to get old, but it should be embraced rather than dreaded.’

Kathi first started modelling in fashion shows in her local department store when she was still in high school, aged 16.

‘I was taller than everyone else and started thinking that this would be fun to do all the time!’ Kathi said.

She soon started her professional career in Atlanta, Georgia, doing shoots for catalogues and advertising campaigns, and even secured the front cover of national magazine ‘New Woman’.

Kathi started modelling in fashion shows in her local department store at age 16 and went onto appear on the cover of 'New Woman'. Pictured: Kathi's magazine cover in 1979

Kathi started modelling in fashion shows in her local department store at age 16 and went onto appear on the cover of ‘New Woman’. Pictured: Kathi’s magazine cover in 1979

Kathi said she was taller than everyone when she was in high school and thought modelling would be fun to do all the time

Kathi said she was taller than everyone when she was in high school and thought modelling would be fun to do all the time 

Sophie said she was 'overwhelmed' with how proud she is of her mother. Pictured: Kathi and Sophie when they were younger

Kathi said there 'was never a dull moment' while modelling. Pictured: Kathi with her daughter Sophie

Sophie admits she’s ‘overwhelmed’ with how proud she is of her mother. Pictured left: Sophie and Kathi when they were young, right: Both now 

Kathi met husband Sonny Odom, 82, (pictured centre) while she was working in Dallas, Texas in 1984 and they married two years later

Kathi met husband Sonny Odom, 82, (pictured centre) while she was working in Dallas, Texas in 1984 and they married two years later

The grandmother-of-three said: ‘I could shoot for a big bank, wearing a suit and sitting at a desk and the next day, I’m wearing lingerie, shooting a holiday catalogue for Macy’s, then change clothes, run across town to the Ritz Carlton to be in a fashion show for a big fundraiser.

‘There was never a dull moment. The thing I’ve always enjoyed about modelling is meeting new people every day.’

She met her husband Sonny Odom, 82, while she was working in Dallas, Texas in 1984 and they married two years later.

It wasn’t long before she fell pregnant with her daughter Sophie, but having a family never got in the way of her career.

Kathi said she would bring Sophie (pictured right) with her to work after she was born and nurse her in between shots

Kathi said she would bring Sophie (pictured right) with her to work after she was born and nurse her in between shots 

Kathi (pictured when she was younger) started dyeing her hair dark brown once a month after a photographer pointed out her grey hairs in her late 20s

Kathi (pictured when she was younger) started dyeing her hair dark brown once a month after a photographer pointed out her grey hairs in her late 20s

‘After she was born, I would bring her to work with me!’ said Kathi.

‘I had a sitter come with me and I’d leave set and nurse her in between shots, she travelled with me everywhere.

‘Then, she started modelling as well, it was so much fun to have her do jobs with me.

‘She modelled until she was around 14 or so, and stopped to be more involved in school activities.’

Sophie, who lives in Birmingham, Alabama, added: ‘It was always fun having a model mum and seeing her on TV or billboards or in magazines.

‘One day in high school she made an appearance, and the boy sitting in front of me turned around, looked me up and down as if for the first time, and said ‘Yo mama fiiiiiine!’

‘Makes me laugh every time.’

Kathi started noticing grey hairs when she was in her late 20s when a photographer pointed them out to her after a shoot, and she started dyeing her locks dark brown once a month.

She said: ‘For a model, age has always been the enemy, the industry is focused on youth and selling.

Kathi said age has 'always been the enemy' for a model as the industry is focused on youth and selling. Pictured: A young Kathi with her daughter Sophie

Kathi said age has ‘always been the enemy’ for a model as the industry is focused on youth and selling. Pictured: A young Kathi with her daughter Sophie 

Kathi said not many other models were giving in to the natural look, when she asked her agent if she could grow out her natural silver tresses at age 50

Kathi said not many other models were giving in to the natural look, when she asked her agent if she could grow out her natural silver tresses at age 50 

‘I figured I would hit it hard as long as I could and then figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up.’

When she turned 50, she asked her agent whether she could grow out her natural silver tresses, and they agreed.

Kathi continued: ‘Not many other models were giving in to the natural look yet and it was starting to occur to clients that grey hair wasn’t just for “grannies”, it could be chic and cool.’

In 2012, she unintentionally signed up for a shoot to be the grandma for the first time in a Thanksgiving television advert.

Kathi said being grey has opened 'so many new doors' for her and the opportunity to work in markets that she couldn't when she was a brunette

Kathi said being grey has opened ‘so many new doors’ for her and the opportunity to work in markets that she couldn’t when she was a brunette

The model recalled: ‘When I showed up on location, one of the stylists there stopped me and said ‘Kathi, do you know you are booked as the grandmother?’

‘She was so afraid I would freak out and was just warning me.

‘I laughed and pointed to my hair, which had grown out to salt and pepper, and said “Yes, girl, and proud of it!”.

‘Being grey has opened so many new doors for me. I work in markets now that I never could when I was a brunette.’

Kathi often gets stopped by strangers who compliment her natural look.

Kathi said being grey has been an 'ice breaker' out in public and she encourages other women to take the leap

Kathi said being grey has been an ‘ice breaker’ out in public and she encourages other women to take the leap 

She also been stopped by women who wish they had the courage to embrace their greys and men who wish their wives would too.

Kathi said: ‘I try to encourage women to take the leap – they won’t be sorry!

‘It’s definitely been an ice breaker out in public, the silver seems to put people at ease.

‘I’m happy to share my silver secrets!’ 

Sophie posted a video on her TikTok account of her glamorous mum posing up a storm by a hotel pool with some young children last month.

Kathi said she 'couldn't believe it', when Sophie told her a video was racking up over ten million views on TikTok

Kathi said she ‘couldn’t believe it’, when Sophie told her a video was racking up over ten million views on TikTok 

The video of the ‘glam-ma’ went viral, racking up over ten million views and thousands of commenters complimenting her on how stunning her mum is.

Kathi said: ‘Sophie messaged me the day after she posted and said we were going viral, I had no clue what she was talking about, I wasn’t on TikTok at the time.

‘I couldn’t believe it! It was crazy and sweet that so many people connected with our story and close relationship. The comments just made me cry!’

Sophie added: ‘With age comes wisdom and life experience, and that’s a pretty decent trade-off for surface beauty, if you ask me.

‘My mom is my best friend, and I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have that kind of relationship with their parent.

‘She truly makes lemonade out of lemons, part of why she’s aged so well!’