China’s Coolest Grandpa Is Still Going Strong at Age 88

By Spooky on April 23rd, 2024 Category: News

Wang Deshun is an 88-year-old actol and fashion model who rose to fame in 2015 when he walked the runway topless at the China Fashion Week in Beijing during his first modeling gig ever.

In 2017, when we first featured Wang Deshun on Oddity Central, he was just two years into his modeling career, even though he was already 81 years old. His iconic walkout at the China Fashion Week was still in everyone’s minds, and he was getting all sorts of deals from some of the largest fashion houses in the world. People loved his story, and for good reason. Born in 1936 into a modest family, he was the second-oldest of ten children. His parents encouraged him to follow his dreams and he did just that, becoming an actor, then pivoting to pantomime and performance art before trying his luck at fashion modeling with incredible success. But that wasn’t enough for China’s hottest gandpa, as Wang has come to be known. He has since obtained a plane pilot license and learned how to ride a motorcycle and a horse.

“People can change their life as many times as they wish,” Wnag Deshun told the NY Times. “Being mentally healthy means you know what you’re going to do. It’s never too old to pursue your dream, age has never been a hurdle. Just do it.”

Wang Deshun got into the fashion modeling game by mistake. Chinese designer Hu Sheguang was talking to the China Fashion Week DJ, a woman named QQ, when her phone rang. As she took it out to answer, the designer saw an old man’s face show up on screen, and he instantly knew that he wanted him as part of his presentation. That was Wang, QQ’s father, and he accepted the challenge that would change his life for good. His iconic shirtless picture on the runway still does the rounds online but he since starred in numerous adverts for various fashion designers.

It’s been seven years since we discovered Wang Deshun, and China’s Hottest Grandpa is still going strong at age 88. Earlier this month, he made waves once again after walking the runway at the Shanghai Fashion Week, once again stunning the audience with his chiseled physique and elegant attitude.

In a line of work where most retire in their early 30s, Whang Deshun is one of the few models who found their success in the twilight of their lives, people like Carmen Dell’Orefice, the world’s oldest fashion model and Alice Pang, Asia’s oldest fashion model