A longtime swim instructor turns 50 in style.

by Mick Kelly . portrait by Matt Rose

One thing Donna Cannone loves about teaching swimming is helping people overcome their fears. Whether it’s easing them into the water or nudging them to take a first dive into the pool, she likes watching students—young and old—battle past their anxieties and take the plunge. “I love watching their confidence soar,” she says.

But confident as she may be in her athletic abilities, she was far from confident about her looks as she approached her 50th birthday (it’s on September 5). Cannone, Pool Director at the Asheville Racquet Club in South Asheville for 11 years and a swim instructor for 14, says she’s always felt quite plain. Not to mention the fact that, on a daily basis, her hair and skin soak up a lot of chlorine. The mother of four now lives in Arden with her husband Joe. But when they lived on Long Island in New York, she says she once bowed out of an event completely because she didn’t feel comfortable in a tight peach dress. “I was too self-conscious,” she says.

To celebrate her birthday, the VERVE style team helped her take a plunge of her own—into a sexy, form-fitting, cherry-red dress by ME & Blue. Jenny Lane, manager of Frock Boutique in downtown Asheville, helped us pick it out and says she loves the line for its stretchy, breathable fabrics and vintage-inspired designs (the designer, M.E. Ster, also splits time between California and Asheville).

Cannone got makeup tips and dazzling smoky eye treatment from Mendy Hoffman at Makeup at the Grove Arcade, and Christine at Christine’s Consignment downtown found retro silver earrings, a vintage purse and black-and-silver heels to complete the ensemble. The kicker, for Cannone, was the hairdo she got from Guadalupe Chavarria at Studio Chavarria. He managed to keep her hair’s basic length and shape, but gave her a cut and subtle color that had people calling her Meg Ryan. “The highlights gave it depth, and I can dress it up or down,” she says. “It was a big change… but when I showed her, my aunt was saying—‘That is an incredible haircut.’” In all, stepping out of her comfort zone and into a bright red dress was an “educational experience,” Cannone says. “It helped me see the whole big picture instead of hyper-focusing on my flaws.”