A tailored navy blazer. A crisp white button-down. A well-cut trouser. Gregg Renfrew‘s style reads as classic New England prep until you get to the leopard-print pumps, the chunky statement jewelry, the sharp leather jacket. For high-stakes moments, like TV interviews and speeches, she turns to bright red, her power color. 

Renfrew, founder and CEO of the beauty brand Counter, says that her sharp style is something that came to her over time. While the fashion and beauty industries fixate on youth, Renfrew takes a cue from European women, who treat aging not as something to hide from, but as something to enjoy, because it comes with more self-awareness and confidence.

Over decades of building major brands while raising a family, she has developed an unshakeable instinct for what flatters her body and reflects who she is. “I feel better in clothing today than I did when I was in my twenties,” she says. “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone anymore.”

These days, Renfrew regularly speaks to audiences of young entrepreneurs or women trying to make it in the corporate world. She is acutely aware of the message her wardrobe sends when she steps on stage. She strikes a balance: While dressing with polish, she’s mindful that not everyone in the room has the budget for high-end labels. She also doesn’t feel the need to wear something new for every event.

“I want to be aspirational enough, but accessible,” she says.

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