Patrice DaCosta, president of Stoosh Images Inc., is a Jamaican-born image consultant who resides in New York in the United States of America. She selected the name which means, "elegant, sophisticated and nice" for the company formed in 2005, because she was inspired by her Jamaican heritage. Her goal is to help her clients look and feel better about themselves, regardless of their age, size, shape, lifestyle, career, or budget.
Flair spoke with Patrice on her recent trip to Jamaica.
B.E.: What made you decide to take on the challenge of improving the way people look?
PD: I do not consider what I do as a challenge. It becomes a challenge only when the client has a closed mind about self-improvement.
While attending Westwood High School in Trelawny, I realised that females had self-confidence/esteem issues. I also saw what a great image did to one's self-confidence. I started helping my friends to dress, accompany them on shopping trips, mixing and matching colours from age five. The passion continued as I got older.
After emigrating to the USA, I pursued my love for fashion to the tertiary level. I am now doing my favourite thing - helping others to realise their full potential.
B.E.: How difficult/easy has it been to convince persons that they need to change the way they dress?
P.D.: I have both the easy and difficult clients. The easy ones have realised their image does not express who they really are; they leave a poor first impression and are ready to improve it. The difficult ones usually need the help. My objective is to enhance. I work with people who have a high fashion sense but might not have the time to shop and are not sure how to mix and match old pieces, or would like to update their look.
I try to change the myth that you only need an image consultant if you dress horribly. That is far from the truth. Caribbean people are realising that a good image has a lot to do with the respect you receive from others and the important part a good image can have on the career. The ABCs of a good image are: Appearance, Behaviour and Communication. My role is to ensure all three are in place and well balanced.
B.E.: How important are style and fashion to you?
P.D.: Both are extremely important and come naturally to me following my experiences in both the corporate and social worlds. It is important to have a good fashion sense and be stylish. Good style never gets old. Style is how you carry yourself; fashion goes and comes but when you can mix fashionable pieces with staples like: blazer, black dress, dark denim, fitted white shirt), you're ahead of the game.
B.E.: Where would you like to see your business in 10 years and what do you need most to make that a reality?
P.D.: In 10 years, I would like to be the fashion expert for the Caribbean. My clients should be spread all over and include on-going corporate executives, public figures like first ladies and members of parliament. The humanitarian side of my business should see me assisting teenagers and less fortunate women in the region to build self-confidence/esteem.
The name Stoosh will be synonymous with the words stylish, sophisticated and successful and I will be living in the Caribbean full-time to meet the demands of my clients. I also expect to have trained Stoosh teams in islands when I am unable to conduct training and consultations and I would like to have a well established grooming school for those less fortunate.
B.E.: What have you observed as the five most obvious fashion deficiencies in Jamaican men and women in corporate life?
P. D: (1) Wearing 100 per cent polyester in a 90-degree temperature. It's the cheapest, hottest, smelliest fabric on the market. It traps body heat and smells after a time.
(2) Thinking comfortable means frumpy.
(3) Work wear has become so effortless/dowdy; Monday's outfit is different from Thursday's and as the week draws to a close, outfits become less attractive. Every day should be your best day.
(4) Men wearing shoes in a different colour from belts and socks.
(5) Men wearing ties way above belt buckle when the tie should be hitting the middle of the buckle. It's more common in Jamaica than the other islands.
B.E.: Are there any similarities in the fashion taste/savvy of Barbadian and Jamaican women?
P.D.: I have seen a bit more effort made in the Jamaican culture with image. However, similarities exist with poor fabric choices, incorrect fit of clothes, dowdy work wear, inappropriate hairstyles both for face shape and corporate world.
I find Jamaicans a bit more open to change and improvement (generally speaking).
White is popular in both societies. Both places have a love for dresses even though these are often scarce in the stores. Barbados is a more expensive island. However, I often tell clients that it's not what you wear but how you wear it. I have worn items from low-cost department stores and no one knows!
barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com