By Vennette Lailani Seprado
Designer Debbie Co has been creating timeless and sophisticated pieces for her clientele for over a decade. Initially trained as an industrial engineer, she switched gears and pursued her passion for fashion armed with a degree from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London.
Today, Debbie continues to deliver her feminine, classic and infinitely graceful creations as a proprietor of her own shop – Atelier Debbie Co. Together with her team, they have come up with an exciting new ready-to-wear bridal creation for 2018 that’s sure to make brides swoon.
The Debbie Co Bridal Collection 2018 is a dreamy collection of bridal gowns that evoke a feeling of romance, elegance, and nostalgia. According to the designer, she was inspired by the water lilies set of paintings by French Impressionist painter – Claude Monet. She took mental notes on how the series of paintings changed under different lighting, weather conditions and the painter’s moods, interpreting this by using florals, stripes, plaids, pleats, embroideries and other textures.
Drawn to the contrast of textures of the elements in the painting, such as the lush flowers against a vast mysterious dark background, the designer used floral embroideries, rich laces as well as layered and pleating details including subtle embellishments such as pearls, crystals, and sequins sewn onto laces.
There are a variety of silhouettes to choose from in this collection. Debbie made sure all types of brides are represented from glamorous brides who may prefer ball gowns in Chantilly laces and silks to modern brides who might go for sexier fit and flare gowns with deep V-necklines. Ruffle accents, silks and clouds of tulle in traditional shades of ivory with subtle hints of nude and blush add to the overall ethereal feel of the collection.
Debbie, who is an avid traveler, was inspired by the places she’s been to. Her various encounters with art and architecture are evident in her fabric selection, pattern mixing and her strong suit in exercising restraint. Her creations have an undeniable lightness to them but just like her label, which has quietly grown into what it is today – it has structure.