QUEENS, New York (WABC) — An exhibition of quincea\u00f1era 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
A quincea\u00f1era is a coming-of-age celebration for Latina girls on their 15th birthdays, and the dress is often a major highlight.<\/p>\n
“Obviously there is a princess vibe, but it’s also about tradition and family” said Giraldo-Deabreu, who designed her own dress.<\/p>\n
Her mother, Eddy Deabreu, explained the family and tradition element further.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“It’s very transformative to wear one of these dresses,” said Ripley.<\/p>\n
The quincea\u00f1era’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.<\/p>\n
“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.'”<\/p>\n
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