In September 2022, Katie Fyfe posted a picture of a pomeranian dog swaddled in a blanket to a new Instagram account called Dad and Dolly. There’s nothing unusual about cute dogs on social media, but this was different. More posts quickly appeared showing the ‘Dad’ half of the duo, a dapper elderly gentleman called John – Katie’s father. It soon transpired that John was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fans of all ages have loved pictures and videos of Dad carrying Dolly to the park – her preferred mode of transport – sheltering her with an umbrella in the street or having cuddles on the sofa. Gradually, they also started admiring her owner’s stylish knitwear and vintage jackets.

And now, at the age of 89, John is about to become a fashion influencer, with the launch of their very own clothing line, Dad & Dolly.

‘From the beginning, it was clear that people loved seeing a fluffy dog,’ says Katie, 47. ‘Then, from the messages and comments, what really seemed to resonate is seeing an older person being well cared for, loved and still finding joy and “living his best life”.’

‘Lots of our followers tell me that they have cared for a loved one with dementia, or that Dad reminds them of their own fathers who are no longer here. I think it offers a sense of comfort and hope for people in otherwise chaotic and unsettling times.’

The Dad and Dolly account was Katie’s creative solution to a tricky period in her life. John, an American-born executive who spent most of his career working for Xerox, was clearly struggling to manage on his own. So Katie, living in London’s Fitzrovia with her dogs Dolly and Nicky, moved him into the flat next door – and decided to send Dolly to stay with him ‘so they could look after each other’.

‘Dogs are a calming presence in any household,’ says Katie. ‘Dad and Dolly meet one another’s needs. She insists on being near him at all times which brings him huge comfort as he loses his memory. And in return, he loves her back.’

Katie’s mother, Sheila – John’s wife – died of motor neurone disease in 1999. ‘When we were grieving, Dad and I went through bumpy times, but the love was there and we got through it,’ says Katie. ‘He has always helped me with “dad things”, such as advice about jobs and housing. Now it’s my turn to help him. I’m not married and don’t have children, so I have more time than my three brothers, two of whom live overseas.’

Eighteen months ago, Katie decided to follow Dolly and move in with her father, too (along with Nicky, of course).

‘It was a big decision, but it helped that I could rent out my own flat for some income,’ she says. ‘I now live in a small room – like a student – and my office is in the entrance hall. But I feel more comfortable knowing Dad is OK.’

John has a private carer for half a day, three days every other week – but otherwise, it’s all down to his daughter. She is one of approximately 1.8 million people providing some form of unpaid care and support for people with dementia in England. ‘I knew my life was going to change, but I told myself it would just be a different phase for the next few years,’ says Katie. She has had to scale back her PR business. ‘In the end, looking after Dad and working in a busy job started to feel really stressful,’ she says, ‘and I was doing neither job well.’

The @dadanddolly account shows images of the two going about their daily lives and over the past three years has amassed 77,000 followers and 1.5 million likes. John loves to hear the messages and comments. ‘I read them to him,’ says Katie, ‘He adores seeing the posts and videos, and seems to enjoy still feeling relevant. I also think it helps that strangers connect to him, which gets harder when people have dementia. The photos, videos and stories allow people to see he is still himself.’

John soon began emerging as a sartorial star in his own right. ‘Younger people started commenting on Instagram about my dad’s “drip” and “fits’’. They were impressed at how well he dressed,’ says Katie. This inspired the new Dad and Dolly spin-off – a clothing line, which will be paying affectionate homage to his American roots.

John grew up in Queens, New York, and served in the US Army in the mid 1950s before coming over to London to work for Xerox. In 1967, he met Katie’s mother Sheila, an air hostess for BOAC. They made a glamorous couple.

One need only glance at the account to get a sense of John’s style. ‘Dad still cherishes his jacket from when he was in the army,’ says Katie. ‘He also loves baseball caps, and Pendleton shirts. After he started to get comments on his style, I began looking at him differently. I noted how well made his clothes were and how well he took care of them.’ On a rummage through her father’s wardrobe, Katie found the T-shirt he had worn while training at West Point Military Academy in 1956. ‘You can still see his name printed on the seam. The T-shirt has softened with age, like Dad – but just like him, it’s still here,’ she says.

Katie’s new-found appreciation of her father’s ‘look’ is the basis of the limited-edition clothing range, funded by her savings.

‘I’ve always been creative, and I thought this could be a project we could work on together to give us pride and purpose and to communicate the worth of older people,’ she says.

‘We decided to call the project Wise Guys – and that’s the logo on our first T-shirt. Where Dad grew up, a “wise guy” is what you would call people when they got a bit “smart-alecky”. And despite the fact Dad has dementia, he can still be very witty. The other day I said, “I’m going to read something to you, OK?” And he replied, “OK, it’s not my obituary, is it?”

‘There’s also a double meaning that refers to the wisdom of age. Dad sometimes doesn’t remember what he had for breakfast, but he has a lifetime of experience.’

In late November, they put 100 T-shirts on sale, as well as a similar quantity of matching socks, direct to consumers on their website. The T-shirt design is based on John’s original West Point tee, with navy detailing. ‘We chose it together,’ says Katie. ‘We are using a family factory in Leicester rather than importing fast fashion from China and the wording is done by a letterpress printer in Hackney.’ The quality is reflected in the price: £55 for the T-shirt and £25 for the socks.

John thinks the business is ‘a brilliant idea’. Via his daughter, he tells us: ‘It’s a very good initiative that I would never have dreamt of doing myself. I wasn’t entirely convinced at first because I thought, who’s going to be interested in an old man? I thought I didn’t have anything to do or say, and I still feel that from time to time, but I’m glad Katie thinks I’m important.’

Katie knows her father’s cognitive health is gradually becoming worse but says, ‘I am utterly convinced that all the things I’ve been doing – such as cooking brain-healthy food like mackerel fillets, or salmon with veg, nuts and feta – have slowed down the progress of the disease.’

She adds, ‘The “hunger hormone” can often diminish with age, as can signs that a person feels thirsty, so I often encourage Dad to eat and drink. I’m also a massive believer that connecting with other generations keeps him healthy. Conversations with people from all walks of life keep his brain challenged: he knows all the staff in the corner café where we go every day. Music in particular – Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald – makes him feel calm, joyful and safe.’

Katie says the message she would like to get out to the world is that it’s never too late. ‘Dad’s life is coming to an end, but he’s a go-getter, and this has inspired him and given him courage,’ she says. She’s aware that she’s had to put her own life on hold to devote it to her father, and she doesn’t always find it easy.

‘I am devoting this period to look after Dad in the same way I see my peers doing with their children,’ she says. ‘I don’t see this as an act of duty, but an act of love.’

For Wise Guy clothing, see dadanddolly.com. For Alzheimer’s information and support, go to dementiauk.org