”I’m the most fashionable homeless person you will ever meet. Last year in May, I lost my home in the ‘De Pijp’ area. I had nowhere to go, so I set up a tent in the Erasmuspark. I slept in it for a few months with my dog Bella. Now I temporarily live on a boat of a friend. I’ve been through a lot in my life. Ten years ago, I lost my son. He was only 21. He died because he couldn’t produce enough white blood cells. That was unbelievably tough, and it is still hard to talk about it. I cry about it every week. Dressing up has always made me feel better. In life, things can happen that I can’t control, but I can control my outfit. I can have a shitty day, but I can take on the world if I look well-dressed. Even my dog Bella has a tiny wardrobe. Today she is wearing her ‘Amsterdam hat.’ It looks so good on her, and also, she won’t get sunstroke.”
door Debra Barraud