Today our guest is Astrid Palca, a true inspiration and role model for many, embodying the balance between beauty, intellect, and compassion. As a successful model and a qualified doctor, she challenges outdated perceptions of aging, particularly the role of mature women in modern society. Astrid advocates for a shift in how we view women over 50—no longer confined to stereotypes, but seen as vibrant, intelligent, and influential individuals who contribute meaningfully to industries like fashion.
Astrid, you are a role model and inspiration for many people. You are a popular model and a qualified doctor. How do you see the role of mature women in modern society and what do you think needs to change in the perception of age? What contribution do you think women over 50 can make to the development of the fashion industry?
Thank you so much for the nice compliments, they still make me blush, even I receive them very often. Mature women in our modern society are not invisible anymore like decades before. Today we are not the housewives – we are successful modern individuals. We spend a lot of energy into our careers and we have to fulfill many tasks. The character of the modern mature woman in reality has changed a lot and this should lead to a change of the image of age / aging. The today’s 5th and 6th decades are not the same like maybe 20 years ago. Today mature women are energetic, vibrant, intelligent and life hungry individuals. And we are the ones, who are buying sustainable, good quality clothes and have no more interest in fast fashion. Our values reflect our style and we contribute to the fashion industry in the way of: less is more, quality over quantity, sustainability and longevity.
You are a muse for photographers and artists and call yourself a “pragmatic intellectual and aesthete.” How do you find a balance between rationality and emotionality in your own work?
That’s a good question! First of all this is exactly how I would describe myself in a few words: a pragmatic intellectual and aesthete. At first sight this sounds very rational, but I also have a very emotional personality.
In my daily work heart and brain have to coordinate and cooperate. Without a a warm heart all rationality will lead you to work a checklist… done, hook. I have to work with different individuals: patients, clients and different professionals and here it’s very important to balance the rational approach and my emotional support for people in difficult situations. The emotional intelligence is just as important as the human intelligence.
You have an international marriage. You are from Germany, your husband is from the USA, and your home is in Switzerland. Can you call yourself a cosmopolitan? What traditions and values do you cultivate in your family? What are the nicest words you have heard from your husband, son, and husband’s adult children about your successful career in the modeling business?
Actually I just realized my international family situation in the moment of the interview. In the every day situation and conversation we jump between three languages: English, Swiss German and high German and for people from the outside it might be funny to listen to the „mixed salad“ of family conversation. That also means we all feel and behave more or less cosmopolitan. But we also keep our traditions from our home countries and we adapted some Swiss traditions. So we cook American, German and Swiss dishes and we celebrate three national days: 4th of July, 1st of August and 3rd of October.
My husband, my son and my stepkids are still rubbing their eyes and can’t believe, that I started a second career and it seems to be successful. Now they are counting my magazine covers and ask what’s coming next. Isn’t it the best compliment you can get? But at the very beginning of my first steps into modeling, they were skeptic and even thought that I‘m a bit crazy. But now they are proud as well and support me a lot.
What life wisdom would you like to pass on to young women who are just starting out? How would you formulate the universal secret of beauty and energy at any age?
My advice for young women is, that there is no reason to be afraid of getting older. Embrace your age and life is getting better with every year. Try to get the best education, work hard, laugh and smile as much as possible and make the best of every situation, even in the bad and sad situations of life.
I just can speak from my personal experience and position about my secret of beauty and energy, it’s lifelong learning, staying curious and young in your heart and mind. It’s not about the best creams I can apply and it’s not the wrinkles I want to get rid of. It’s about taking care of yourself as an entire personality and staying positive. So you can shine in develope a beauty from inside.
What book or film motivates you, makes you want to live, and live brightly? If you could spend a day with any historical or modern figure, who would it be?
There is this one book, that impressed me a lot and still inspires me. This wonderful story of „Love in the Time of Cholera“ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the best homage of life and finding love at any age.
The other question about the historical or modern figure I would like to spend a day with caused me a little headache. Maybe you should give me one week and I would like to spend my time with different people. I would love to talk to:
Leonardo da Vinci
Marilyn Monroe
Albert Einstein
Jane Fonda
Yuval Noah Harari
Madonna
Simone de Beauvoir
Credit teams:
MODEL: Astrid Palca @astridpalca
PHOTOGRAPFER, MAKEUP AND HAIR: @mauriziomontani_
STYLING AND ASSISTANCE: @mikyander
CREATIVE ASSISTANCE: @gloriamontani
PR: @say_media
DRESS: @reviseconcept
