QUEENS, New York (WABC) — An exhibition of quinceañera dresses, all worn by girls in or near the Tri-State area, is on display through Dec. 18 at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College.
Inspired by an essay fashion design student Stephanie Giraldo-Deabreu wrote for class, the exhibition features dresses created by Emily Ripley’s students at Queens College.
“I was so thrilled when I read it,” said Ripley, the director of the fashion and design program at the school. “I thought, ‘I have to celebrate this!’ … I conceptualized the whole exhibition out of it.”
A quinceañera is a coming-of-age celebration for Latina girls on their 15th birthdays, and the dress is often a major highlight.
“Obviously there is a princess vibe, but it’s also about tradition and family” said Giraldo-Deabreu, who designed her own dress.
Her mother, Eddy Deabreu, explained the family and tradition element further.
“I share my tradition from my country, Venezuela,” she said. “I was a princess too… it was a beautiful moment, special for me, for her, for my entire family.”
The dress is one of the first important garments a Hispanic girl might feel embodies her hopes and dreams, as well as the future she imagines for herself.
“It’s very transformative to wear one of these dresses,” said Ripley.
The quinceañera’s roots can be traced back to Mesoamerica, shaped by Spanish colonial, Latin American, and Catholic cultures. It is one of many rituals that symbolize transitioning out of childhood.
“This is the age where you are starting to be mature,” Giraldo-Deabreu said. “You are showing your family, ‘I am mature now. This is how I am becoming.'”
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