SAN ANTONIO — It would not be Fiesta without the fashion!
Fiesta coronation gowns are a must-see part of the party with a purpose and the Witte Museum has gathered some of the best in history all in one place.
The Fiesta Vogue: Outfit of the Day exhibit opened Thursday and runs through July 31. The exhibit explores Fiesta fashions and style influences from the different decades all the way through recent years.
Take a look at the video of the gowns below:
Witte Museum Chief Curator Amy Fulkerson says some of the styles that stood out to her from the time period from the end of World War II through the early 1950s.
"To see that shift within such a short period of time, it really is iconic of where we were as a nation at the time and sort of that gaining an optimism coming out of a difficult period," Fulkerson said. "And I think it's very analogous to where we are now. We're becoming more optimistic after COVID. We know how to protect ourselves. We're celebrating Fiesta again and people have a lot more optimism."
Many of the show-stopping gowns, crowns and intricate trains were worn by Fiesta royalty during the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
Creation of the gowns take several months from August to February adding up to around 150,000 hours of work. Last year, the gowns were displayed at the Witte after the parades were canceled due to COVID-19 but are returning this year.
Fiesta runs from March 31-April 10 with dozens of events all raising money for charitable organizations. Check out our Fiesta 2022 Guide complete with popular events, parade information and the history of this unique festival.