Sonya Lennon: Stop dressing 'for your age' and instead dress to feel empowered

Annmarie O’Connor gets a sneak peek at Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney’s new collection for Dunnes Stores 

Lennon Courtney’s new collection is soon to become available in Dunne’s Stores.

Language has delicious power — be it verbal or visual. 

Take the word, doyenne: a woman who is the most experienced, skilled, or respected person in her field. In short, a woman who knows herself, whatever her age. Strong stuff. 

No surprise, therefore, that design duo Lennon Courtney christened their upcoming collection for Dunnes Stores accordingly.

Having got a sneak peek at the Doyenne campaign photoshoot, I can see why. From creative colour combinations and eye-catching prints to cosy interchangeable separates, every iteration — whether a bougie tracksuit or dynamic three-piece set — speaks of self-actualisation. 

When worn by Sonya Lennon (53) and model Lauren Archer (21) — different heights, body shapes, generations, and life experiences — the result is instant wardrobe equity.

Lennon Courtney designers Sonya and Brendan Courtney listen, understand and respond to women’s needs. Moreover, they’ve developed a syntax for women in which to be seen and feel seen, casting ‘age-appropriate dressing’ into the semantic bargain bin.

“Our woman wants to feel empowered by her clothing choices. She doesn’t want to feel victimised by them,” Sonya explains. “What empowers women is a sense of value. And I think that’s really where these challenges are coming, in fact. There has been a sort of a pervasive sense that women from middle age on decrease in value.”

Luxe Top, €50, Charlie Jean, €60 

Exactly. It’s time to forget ‘dressing for your age’. Acquiescing to a temperate form of self-expression with ascending years is ill-fitting at best.

Moving through the world is challenging enough without the pressure of ‘getting it right’ or worse still, ‘getting away with it’. Wearing this season’s wide-leg jeans or over-the-knee boots shouldn’t be deemed a crime. Limiting one’s right to do so, should.

Sometimes, though, insecurities can play shenanigans with logic and intuition, causing us to second-guess what suits the person we are today. In the spirit of empowerment, Lennon Courtney’s signature wardrobe solutions have elevated their brand to an engaged community of loyal customers.

“We live, eat, breathe, sleep style,” Sonya continues, “that’s what we do. It’s our language. If we can create a shorthand, our clients know, ‘I’ll put this on and I’ll feel good, and I know I’ll feel ready without having to grapple with it’. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Having completed their Master of Business in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion degrees together last year at the Institute of Art, Design + Technology, it makes sense that the Lennon Courtney design philosophy is equally supportive in helping women meet their potential.

“It’s really about structures and systems that create support,” says Sonya. “So, on a basic level, if you put something on and you feel equipped and you feel ready, that’s one less thing for you to think about. It’s one less thing for you to expend emotional energy on.”

Twist swing dress €80, from Lennon Courtney’s new collection.

Given the uncertainty of the world in which we live, this sense of ‘readiness’ is what continues to fuel the brand’s popularity. I tell her about a pair of 2019 Lennon Courtney culottes I constantly reach for on account of their easy elegance and crease-free kudos. She shares a story about a time she and Brendan — who is currently enjoying rave reviews for RTÉ’s Keys to My Life programme —bumped into a woman whose sister was interviewing that day for a job. 

“I feel really good. I have my Lennon Courtney dress on and I’m ready for this,” the woman’s sister told them. 

“We nearly burst into tears,” says Sonya. “That’s more than a dress. That’s a feeling, an emotion, an empowerment and that’s what we want.”

When you consider that first impressions are estimated to be formed within seven to 17 seconds of meeting someone; 55% of which is determined by physical appearance, looking and feeling put together is crucial.

“Clothing, like it or lump it, is the one-line elevator pitch of who you are and how you present,” says Sonya who co-hosts The Irish Examiner’s ieStyle Live event with Brendan in Cork’s City Hall on October 20. 

I trust their judgement. Stage, telly, radio, politics or podcasts, take your pick: not only do these two know how to make an entrance; they are equally adept at claiming their space in a room.

For most women, whether chairing a meeting, going on a date, or making a speech, there’s going to be a time in life when the comfort zone takes annual leave. How can we present the best versions of ourselves?

“It’s really important for us that the woman wears the garment, not the other way around,” maintains Sonya. “Where we bought colour and print to the fore in what we do; that is about showing up, being visible, a sense of joy. It can’t be a pain for you. It has to bring you a sense of levity and make you feel happy.”

Judging by the new collection; prepare for plenty of dopamine dressing. Spoiler alert: there’s a reissue of 2016’s cropped bomber jacket in rich claret; last season’s Dee Dee dress (named after Sonya’s mum) in burgundy with orange tipping, and a fresh iteration of the sell-out tux tracksuit, featuring a new cuff with an easy-to-use popper.

Colour block top, €50, Tux trouser, €60

Personally, my heart’s set on the Lurex striped batwing top — the perfect perimenopausal foil, which I fully intend on wearing with those incredible knitted trousers assuming I can click to cart in time. 

Speaking of which, these modular beauties multi-task across most collection pieces and make the ultimate statement worn with the graphic printed shell top and coatigan. Total boss move. 

“For me,” adds Sonya, “that’s the embodiment of who we are now. You feel cloaked and powerful, but soft and beautiful; those things are not mutually inclusive. So, this has moved beyond any sense of having to armour yourself. Now it’s about lifting yourself.”

If that’s the case, get ready to give your wardrobe a boost. You deserve it.

• Join hosts Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney at ieStyleLive (October 20) in association with Clarins and motor partner Audi Cork