THINK of afternoon tea and see flouncing dresses and feminine softness. That’s designer Debbie Co’s look for her Resort 2026 collection, Jardin du Soleil, appearing in a Power Plant Mall pop-up until September.
Ms. Co launched the collection with a parade of muses at Manila House on July 27. The muses were a bevy of actresses, influencers, and models she had worked with, including Cheska and Kendra Kramer, Kris Bernal, Coleen Garcia, Sam Pinto, and Kelly Misa.
For the collection, Ms. Co brought out her inner girl, sitting inside her for the 21 years she had been in the fashion industry. Think hyperfeminine ballgown skirts, golden palms splashed across skirts, polka dots, and flowers. Notable in the collection are a heavily beaded tan dress, a blue and gold gown with a bustier bodice, a little sheath cocktail dress with pearl drops all over it, and a frou-frou ruffled skirt in pink paired with a top appearing like a square bib tied with a bow at the back.
According to Ms. Co, the collection was inspired by the time she spent in London, studying at the fashion school Central Saint Martins (whose alumni include Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen). “It’s very close to my heart as it brings together inspiration from my time studying in Central Saint Martins in London, while reflecting the joy and spirit of the modern Filipina,” she said of the collection.
RTW VS MADE-TO-ORDER
While Jardin du Soleil is ready-to-wear (RTW), Ms. Co is big in the made-to-order bridal world. She spoke of the difference in the discipline between the categories.
“You actually have the freedom to do whatever you want. It’s based on your thoughts, and what silhouettes you want to have. But of course, you kind of stay true to your brand,” she said about making a ready-to-wear collection. “It’s always important to flatter the woman’s body.”
With made-to-order, she said, “You have to consider a lot of factors from the client. It’s sort of a collaboration between me and the client. I have to consider what she’s comfortable with.”
The pop-ups are also a way to expand. “We actually meet more clients from the malls. Obviously, the exposure there is different.”
THE BRIDES TODAY
Having been 20-plus years in fashion, Ms. Co told us, “We made their prom dresses, and now they’re having their bridal gowns made.
“We’re truly grateful to be part of women’s celebrations, and growing with generations of clients,” she said. That said, how different are brides today, since they’re probably the girls she dressed before?
“It’s so different now. I think the brides now are more open, compared to before. Most of the brides before were very traditional. They kind of looked the same.”
Not surprisingly, the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 changed attitudes in bridalwear. Perhaps it was the smaller celebrations, or the devil-may-care attitudes inspired by impending disaster, carrying on to today, years after lockdowns were lifted. “It didn’t have to be that certain look, with the lace, all covered up,” she says of wedding dresses today.
“I feel like they’re able to express their identity more,” she said of today’s brides.
The Jardin du Soleil Resort ’26 Collection is now available at the Atelier Debbie Co at Proscenium and at the Atelier Debbie Co Pop-up at the Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati which will run until September. —Joseph L. Garcia
