Carnaval “story” dress

The dress, a tribute to Congo dances, features a bodice appliqué of El torito (the bull), a popular carnaval character. In the overskirt, carnaval eye masks alternate the circumference with additional Congo dance characters. From left to right, we see two variations of El Congo in tall hats; their dance is in homage to Africans enslaved during Spanish colonialism. On the right, La Marimonda is a comic figure with exaggerated features, designed by a man lacking the money to buy or commission an elaborate costume. The red, blue, and yellow ruffles at the skirt’s hem reference the Colombian national flag.