Interview with Renate McSherry of IG @stylealiveafter55

I met Renate through Instagram, I think maybe 2 days after I launched Dora Nola; it was a match made in heaven! She caught my eye with her styling videos, bubbly attitude and colourful take on fashion. I love that she encourages women to have fun with fashion, try bold looks and experiment with accessories at any age. She is a self-confessed scarf addict (which I love!) and she has many tricks up her sleeve to style scarves in various ways. Her message is quite compelling to me: whatever your age, you should never stop having fun and expressing yourself through fashion.

We teamed up and she is now an ambassador for the brand, doing styling videos and showcasing Dora Nola on her signature reels! I am thrilled to have met her, and I wanted to get to know her a bit more through this interview. 

Manuela: When did you start your IG account?

Renate: I started my IG account @stylealiveafter55 about 2.5 years ago (at the date of this post, Renate had over 60K followers and counting...) 

M: What made you think of the theme style at any age and why is it important to you?

R: I just felt the fashion industry was gearing more and more towards very young women. Us over 50’s and 60’s still have so much to offer and also have the buying power. 

M: What do you think draws people to you on IG, & what are the comments or questions you get most often?

R: I think women my age like to get some fashion and outfit ideas from someone their own age. Just tips on how to put stuff together. The question I get the most is where I buy all my clothes. Which is all over!! I’m a huge Winners fan and do a lot of consignment and thrift shopping. EBay is also my friend and has been for over 20 years. 

M: You seem like a well-travelled woman, what brings you to travel and what are your favourite travel destinations?

R: I grew up in the Netherlands but moved away when I started working in tourism in my 20’s. I’ve lived in Austria, Morocco and Malta for work. I met my Canadian (pilot) husband while we were both working in Malta. I guess traveling is natural for both of us. I visit the Netherlands a few times a year and from there we love to visit Spain, Portugal and Italy. For sun, nothing beats Hawaii. 

M: Did you always wear colour and bold fashion or is this something you developed over time?

R: I’ve always loved colour but there were times in my life I would only wear black or navy. As I get older I love bright colours again!

M: Do you have a style icon? (or a few!)

R: My biggest style icon has always been princess Caroline of Monaco and lately also Brigitte Macron.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Renate like I did, and please make sure to follow her on IG for styling tips, always delivered with a smile :) 

Manuela xox