HANDMADE
DEBBIE TOUSSAINT
THE QUEEN OF KARABELA FASHION By Martine St. Hilaire
Debbie Toussaint
Haitian culture through fashion. Debbie has seen many Haitian women wearing other cultural styles, such as African ankaras, Indian saris, Japanese kimonos, etc. However, she hasn’t seen enough Haitian women wearing traditional Haitian Karabela clothing. Karabela fashion is diverse in styles, making
Every Karabela Glam piece is handmade and of great quality.
WHO IS DEBBIE TOUSSAINT? ebbie Toussaint sells traditional Haitian garments, commonly known as Karabela. This type of attire is traditionally hand-sewn and hand-painted by Haitian artisans from various parts of Haiti. The main reason Debbie sells Karabela dresses is to promote
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it equally as beautiful and great in quality. To increase awareness, Debbie started her company Karabela Glamour LLC, better known as Karabela Glam. The Karabela Glam website (karabelaglam.com) was launched on September 2019. It’s an online boutique that sells custom Karabela garments. Most of Debbie’s inventory is “ready-to-ship” meaning if you place an order by 2PM, EST, it will ship the same day. This helps eliminate the hassle of searching for a seamstress to make a dress. The site allows customers to easily find any piece at an affordable price without compromising quality.
24 Haiti Open | People Culture Tourism
WHY DEBBIE TOUSSAINT SELLS KARABELA DRESSES Unfortunately, an influx of imported used clothes from the U.S. took over and destroyed the thriving garment industry Haiti once had. To do her part in restoring the crisis, Debbie engages with various Haitian organizations, both in the U.S. and in Haiti. Her business welcomes patrons from all over the world year round. “You can’t miss our tent during a Caribbean/Haitian Festival,” Debbie proudly stated. She plans to network with as many business owners, in the Haitian community, as possible. Debbie supports Haiti’s economy by sourcing her inventory and employees from Haiti. Debbie takes pride in personally hiring her staff. As she expected, the manufacturing location in Haiti has gradually expanded since inception. Despite ongoing issues and political unrest, her team in Haiti has yet to fail to deliver orders on time. “My team is a group of amazing people who go above and beyond to ensure we keep the business going so that they may continue to have a source of income due to the constant challenges Haiti faces,” says Debbie. There are endless admirable reasons to support Karabela Glam. For starters, you can endorse Haitian culture through
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