Celebrated British actor and LGBTQIA+ activist Sir Ian McKellen made a surprise appearance on the runway at London Fashion Week, and fans are living!
The 83-year-old star walked the catwalk for the first time in his life, opening the S.S. Daley AW23 show and giving the models a run for their money.
McKellen, who is known for his roles in films such as “The Lord of the Rings” and “X-Men,” was cheered on by the audience as he made his way down the runway.
McKellen’s attire for the show’s ‘Lost at Sea’ motif exuded a sense of effortless style, with the actor sporting a silk sailor’s cap, wide-legged trousers, and a navy peacoat adorned on one side with a depiction of a male nude sketch.
The collection reportedly takes inspiration from Kate Bush’s song ‘The Ninth Wave’, which features tales of shipwrecks and sailors.
After walking the runway, Mckellen gave a dramatic reading of the poem The Coming of Arthur by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
McKellen apparently was behind the idea, reaching out to designer Stokey-Daley and asking to open the show.
“You don’t say no to Ian McKellen,” Stokey-Daley told Vogue at a preview before the show. “To be honest, I couldn’t really believe it.”
