Fifty-something Debra Da Costa lives in New York City, and runs her own made-to-order clothing brand, La Canuck Kreyòl. Sporting her own creations, she wears one-of-a-kind pieces. Debra loves bright colours and creative pairings, and documents her outfits on Instagram.
“One of my fondest childhood memories is watching my mom make quilts by hand. Yes, by hand! She would use a variety of fabrics to make one quilt, which could take months. I loved the different prints, colors and hues, and textures. I was seven years old, and through this experience, my love for vibrant colors and fabrics was born.
As an avid shopper of designer threads, I used to experiment with and closely follow the latest fashion trends. But my style has evolved over the last five years. I now love to balance low- and high-priced fashion. Because of my attention to detail and obsession with striking colors, and funky prints, making clothes that I can’t find from my favorite brands or stores has become a must. As a result, I have been able to express my personal style rather than being boxed into the fast pace of fashion.
Today I would describe my style as versatile with a consistent bold undertone, and unabashedly unique with a touch of edge. And, who knows, my style may evolve in another five years. That is what I love about fashion.”
Debra’s lace sunflower blouse is a bright ray of sunshine in this casual denim outfit. She’s layered it over a black camisole tucked into on-trend and extra slouchy boyfriend jeans. The distressed denim dresses down the look while the unique blouse adds back some dressiness. The black cami matches the black flower hearts, and makes the sunny yellow sing even louder. The broad cuffs on the jeans showcase vibrant red pointy-toe cowboy boots. The red footwear and lipstick addition makes the yellow pop even more. Finally, our blogger’s gorgeous curly blunt bob amps up the WOW factor.
Debra wears neutrals and colours equally well. Here she’s paired a black tiered midi skirt with a cap-sleeved chambray shirt and black leather peplum belt. The two tiers on the skirt add volume and movement. The wide belt accentuates our blogger’s waist, and by dividing up the shirt into two parts creates the clever optical illusion of two extra tiers. This draws the eye up and down. She adds some pattern with playful black and white gingham peep-toe wedges. The gold hardware on the structured satchel, black and gold cuff bracelets, and gold watch add polished shine. Debra’s signature bright red lippy finishes off this dressy skirt look.
A patchwork dress is an easy way to pattern mix as it comes with a built-in mix of different patterns. Debra’s loose-fitting midaxi dress is easy breezy for hot days. The patches create a high contrast with each other, yet look very intentional and coherent at the same time. The flouncy elbow-length sleeves add playful volume. Our blogger takes the pattern mixing a step further by pairing the dress with black and white block-heeled sandals that combine stripes with polka dots. The shoes echo the polka dot patches and striped necktie of her dress, which ties everything together. A dressy black satchel and red lipstick complete this delightful Summer outfit.
Debra’s extra slouchy boyfriend jeans make a second appearance in this borrowed-from-the-boys look. Here, she’s wearing them with a vibrant orange crew neck sweatshirt and voluminous mixed-media bomber jacket. The bomber with high-low hemline is a mix of silky olive material and cream teddy fabric. Olive and black booties add hard edge and bookend our blogger’s dark curls. The neoprene in darker olive relates back to the jacket. The distinctive rubber tip matches the black on the circular patterned tote bag, that creates subtle texture. Orange red lipstick matches the sweatshirt and adds bright polish.
This eye-catching monochromatic look in different shades of red is divine! The combination of cool and warm-toned reds creates visual depth and interest. Debra is sporting a tomato red midi pencil skirt with flirty flounce. Her unique cherry red jacket with dramatic collar and brick-esque pattern adds tons of visual interest. The self-coloured belt cinches in the waist and adds structure. Round-toe platform booties introduce a third shade of red into the mix as they almost but not quite match the colour of the skirt. Then Debra skilfully adds two more reds with her crossbody bag and moody dark red lipstick.
Another striking skirt outfit, this time built around an olive above-the-knee flippy skirt with asymmetrical flounce. Debra has paired it with a black ribbed sweater with big turtleneck. The vertical ribbing has a lengthening effect. Our blogger’s hard-edged black rubber Chelsea booties with cheery chartreuse sole cleverly echo the colour palette of the skirt and sweater. Her midi colour-blocked coat adds gorgeous colours that work brilliantly with the base colours and brings maximal drama to this fashion-forward look.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of Debra’s stunning outfits! Let us know in the comments, and be sure to browse her Instagram account for loads more style inspiration.
