Debbie Co tells women that having a lavish wardrobe is not a prerequisite for looking your best.
For renowned fashion designer Debbie Co, women should be made to feel beautiful. This ethos of women empowerment has greatly influenced Co’s 19-year career as a couturier.
For almost two decades, Co has been creating made-to-measure evening and bridal wear for the affluent in her studio, Atelier Debbie Co. The Filipino designer’s skilled craftsmanship combined with her signature aesthetic — timeless, elegant, romantic, and feminine — made her the preferred choice of fashion connoisseurs and local celebrities. On the list are Julia Barretto, Janine Gutierrez, Coleen Garcia, Gabbi Garcia, and Elisse Joson, to name a few.
Co expanded into RTW in 2005, designing for fashion hubs like The Ramp, Ishq, and Souk. It was also in the same year that she launched her premiere ready-made clothing line, After Eight. But clearly, Co knew she had a lot more to offer with her passion for fashion. So, on Sept. 3, 2024, the designer debuted her first RTW boutique called Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co.
All these are rooted in Co’s goal to use fashion as an instrument for women empowerment, she revealed during her store’s launch attended by The POST and other members of the press on Tuesday.
Co said, “I think being able to create clothes for women is very empowering. It can actually make a big difference. Making someone feel effortlessly beautiful is very important.”
“It’s something that makes me feel contented. I get a sense of achievement doing that ‘cause it’s not just clothes — it’s about how someone feels wearing the clothes. It’s how confident they feel [in them],” she continued.
Through the launch of Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co, the couturier wants to establish the fact that having a lavish wardrobe is not a prerequisite for looking and feeling your best.
“I wanted to create a collection that still has my signature feminine and romantic style, yet can be worn on many occasions. I want every woman to feel confident and beautiful through Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co. And at a more accessible price point, I hope more women can enjoy my designs,” Co shared.
Crafted for go-getter Filipinas
Co likens her new RTW boutique to an ambitious woman, “someone who’s very confident, someone who knows what she wants,” the designer told The POST. On top of that, her new store’s persona is that of a financially wise woman.
Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co has a more accessible price point than her atelier. She explains, “The prices are way, way lower than in my studio in Rockwell. Our tops here start at P7,500 while our tops in Rockwell start at P15,000. The co-ords here are like P15,000 a set.”
Despite being more accessible to shoppers, the quality and designs of Co’s RTW line “are not compromised.” The collection consists of tops, blouses, dresses, and coordinates in various colors, textures, and patterns. We daresay that each piece in the store is a star in its own right.
There’s the top called “Noelle,” which is made out of silk and embellished with a 3D rosette; a stunning piece called the Margueritte with a sage green floral embellished boxy top in silk brocade fabric; and a sleeved lace top dubbed “Reine” is also a closet must-have.
Those who fancy flowy ensembles can opt for the Dion set and the Celine coordinates. Structured yet equally stylish ones come in the form of Genevieve, Joelle, and Herlene. Feeling dainty and want to wear laces instead? Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co offers several coordinates, including the Cosette.
The entire collection is designed for a relaxed, everyday style that seamlessly transitions from day to night. And Co said that it is “easier to make” than the more intricate bespoke pieces in her Rockwell studio.
Still, Co promises that the quality of her RTW line is not compromised. The designer said a piece in Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co can take her as long as two months to make. It starts from drawing inspiration from her travels to searching for gorgeous fabrics abroad.
Co says fabric is at the core of her collections. She prefers to get them from different parts of the world as it is globally sourced textiles that make her designs truly stand out.
“Fabric is very important, “ she said. “So as you can see, I use a lot of textures in my clothes. My aesthetic is really timeless. The silhouettes are very straightforward, very simple and the fabrics make them unique.”
A few of the countries where Co sources her fabric from are France, Spain, Italy, and South Korea. “The French Antilles are obviously nice to get from France, good laces from Spain and Italy, and the silk from Italy. We also get a lot from Seoul, which has a lot to offer and so much textures,” she told The POST.
All of Co’s hard work is evident in each of the garments showcased in Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co. But other than the fabric she uses to create her collection, there’s also one thing that the designer wishes to see abroad—her very own RTW boutique.
“Now that we have launched the store, we hope to reach a wider market. Right now we’re sort of concentrating on Makati, so I want to expand my market further and maybe abroad too,” Co said.
Prêt-à-porter Debbie Co is located at R2, Power Plant Mall, Makati. You can also shop through its website.
