Deborah Brett in Ibiza
- Photographs By
- Eva K Salvi
“I had these wardrobes made by a local carpenter. I love the exterior detail, made from bamboo and oak, with leather loop handles. We come to Ibiza throughout the year, so I have everything from summer dresses and bikinis to jeans and cashmere sweaters. There is loads of blue and white – I can’t help but match my home!”
“Most of my wardrobe is filled with summer dresses, sandals, jewellery and bags that I have collected over the years. It’s a greatest hits of everything I have bought and continue to cherish. If you want a tidy home and a ridiculous collection of shoes, storage is key! I did something very similar in my London home and turned dead spaces into storage spaces. I’ve even had drawers put in where you’d normally have skirting board for my numerous sandals and flip-flops. I lay them stacked side by side to fit more in!”
“I’m definitely a bikini girl. I have drawers filled with bandeau styles, so I don’t get strap marks. Favourites are from Marysia, Bodas and Hunza G, but I’ve also started to wear swimsuits – Cossie + Co’s simple silhouettes, with double-layered fabric, are so elegant.”
“I’ve always loved dressing my girls in similar outfits. I never had a sister and it was always something I wished I could’ve done. There are now a few labels that have added matching mum-and-daughter outfits to their ranges, and my girls adore this. Seraphina does it beautifully, using the same fabric but altering the shapes – mine is edged in cherries and the girls have hearts on the bottom of theirs. And Dilli Grey’s block printed dresses from India are light and breezy and perfect for summer.”
“My jewellery basically stays on the island. But when I come out I like to travel with a few new pieces for my wardrobe, like a dress and sandals. Most of my clothes here are beachy and bohemian and feel more at home in Ibiza than in the city.”
“When I first started coming to Ibiza, no one dressed up – you would go out in a beach dress or kaftan with some flip-flops – but things have definitely become more glamorous since then. Ibiza has a bohemian vibe, which suits my style perfectly. I would still never wear heels here, but I love a bold printed dress, and lots and lots of beads and layered jewellery. More is definitely more!”
“I’m living in this olive green Cossie + Co swimsuit at the moment. And I love having fun with my accessories too. Born In The Sun has made these glamorous yet practical towelling head bands, and I layer up beads and necklaces or shell earrings to coordinate with my swimwear.”
“I tan easily (Austro-Hungarian genetics), but I’m all about the sunscreen. I can’t believe I was covered in factor 2 as a child! Now it’s only factor 50 for me. I recently discovered the French brand SVR. It’s fantastic for the whole family, especially those with sensitive skin. It has a delicate summery fragrance, but also contains no allergens and is alcohol-, parabens- and octocrylene-free. I have a big basket by my pool with different versions of its sunscreen, and another basket filled with large sun hats. I love collecting lots of different styles from the beach shops around the island, and it means guests can travel light. Everything they need is here.”
“This Anna Mason dress has become one of my all-time favourites. I love the striking colour combination and the silk parachute fabric, which moves so elegantly. Anna now does ready-to-wear, but when I bought this she only did made-to-order, so I chose the colour and length. As for this swing, it’s one of my favourite places to sit. I discovered it at Serena & Lily on a trip to the Hamptons and became obsessed. The grass lampshade is from Ibiza interiors shop Can Castello, and designer Hubert Zandberg found me this traditional skirt wrap from the Mossi tribe in Burkina Faso and had it framed.”
“I wear colour and print all year round, but I embrace it even more when I’m in Ibiza. You never feel self-conscious wearing something bold here – the energy of the island embraces it! In London I might wear one stand-out piece, but here I have no qualms wearing a raffia pink flecked headband by Born In The Sun with cherry raffia earrings by Mercedes Salazar, a pop of red lipstick (this one is Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance in Obsessed) and a bright dress, bangles and clutch.”
“I had one long, shallow drawer made in my cupboard – half to house my underwear and belts, and the other half for my jewellery. I love to see my accessories on display, ready to pick and mix. As this is a beach house, I opted for small hand-woven boxes and bowls to contain them. One has bracelets, the other rainbow beads, the other earrings. Like my dresses and swimwear, my jewellery has been lovingly collected throughout the years. Some pieces come from my travels around the world as a fashion editor, others are hand-made by me, shells and beads strung onto leather, or designed by friends.”
“I have all these beautiful hand-stitched tablecloths that my great-grandmother made. I adore them, and when I discovered the Serbian designer Ivana Maksimovic Hasecic turns vintage, hand-stitched tablecloths into dresses, I knew I had to have one. Each is a one-off and has such a romantic spirit to it. I would wear this out to lunch, or for dinner with my DB pom-pom basket bag I designed for Rae Feather.”
“I love finding treasures on the high street. This shirt and skirt from Boden immediately jumped out at me. I love inky indigo, and the way I can make these pieces work in so many different ways – with jeans, or a crisp white shirt and denim jacket.
This pool area has really been transformed from when we first bought the house. It took forever to decide on the right tiles, but we finally decided on travertine stone. In the 70s, my dad’s office walls were covered in it, so I love how it brings back memories of him. The sunbeds are rough planks of pine, on which I had a local upholsterer make thick mattresses covered in outdoor fabric from Osborne & Little.”
“I adore colour, print and embroidery – that’s originally what I studied at Central St Martins before switching to journalism. I’m always drawn to bright pieces that are beautifully crafted. This kaftan is by Pippa Holt and made by women in Mexico. I love the motifs she uses and interesting colour combinations. The shape is voluminous and I usually wear it loose when I go out in the day, then sling a belt and some extra jewellery into my basket to make an easy switch for dinner.”
“Flat sandals have become so flamboyant. I bought these bow slides by Brother Vellies at Los Enamorados a few years ago and have since picked up a pair in linen from Koi Bird, and ones with a pale blue stripe in the MatchesFashion sale. They definitely add to my maximalist way of accessorising. I also adore A Piedi’s bow slides, which are more elegant but just as comfortable, and Ancient Greek sandals for the odd moment when I’m feeling a less-is-more approach.”
“I’ve become quite the collector of straw bags. I used to buy them from the market here, then make pom-poms with my girls and attach them all over. Since then, basket bags have become quite sophisticated and there are so many options. The striped ones are Rae Feather, then the shell one is a backpack I bought on my travels through Indonesia when I was at university. The red and black one is woven plastic with leather handles from Balenciaga. They are all so pretty, I usually keep them dotted around my house and guests can help themselves to whichever they fancy.”
“I bought this dress at the Daily Dress Edit pop-up this spring. Johanna Sands was a new discovery for me. She makes all her dresses herself, and they come in beautiful sugar-almond colours. This one is sweeping and the silhouette reminds me of a vintage ball gown, but the cut is loose and the linen makes it feel relaxed at the same time. And this is our adopted dog, Molly.”
“This nest of three light-as-a-feather porcelain bowls, which are edged in 24K gold, were made by me – you can find all the things I make on my other Instagram account, @dbceramic. As for the jewellery, the blue eye bracelet is from one of my favourite new US designers Brinker & Eliza, while the beads are by Carolina Bucci. Another summer favourite is Missoma’s new Momposina collection, inspired by Colombia. The gold Baya hoops go with everything.”
“I think Rae Feather does the best basket bags. I adore her classic monogrammed ones, and she does clutches and small book bags, as well as ones that are more suited to the city. I used to only use baskets for the beach, but over the past few years I’ve started to take them everywhere.”