Former Harrods fashion buyer stuns on runway at age 80

She once worked behind the scenes at Harrods and Selfridges — now she’s dazzling on the runway herself.

Ronnie Benattar, originally from Plymouth, has spent most of her life immersed in fashion. But at the age of 80, she’s found a new audience at a luxury retirement village in Buckinghamshire, where she regularly struts the catwalk in themed shows raising money for charity.

After five decades in the fashion industry — including senior roles with House of Fraser, Debenhams, and Frank Usher — Ronnie retired to Audley Villages’ Chalfont Dene. She arrived in a wheelchair following back surgery three years ago. Today, she’s confidently modelling outfits in front of crowds of up to 100 people.

The shows, organised four to six times a year by local fashion agent Michelle Kovacs, have featured