Fiesta Passion, Fiesta Fashion

San Antonio fashion icons Michael Quintanilla and Graciela Carillo will draw on their own collections of clothes, costumes, accessories and more to create “Fiesta Passion, Fiesta Fashion,” a short-term exhibit at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures.

During the Fiesta season, Quintanilla is a common sight, as emcee for a variety of special events. For the exhibit, he has loaned pieces such as a vintage 1972 drum major’s coat, embellished with sequins and rhinestones. He has added a collection of hats including a three-tiered cascaron that shoots confetti, a hat commemorating the Great Lime Shortage of 2014, and a “Hat of Hats,” which stacks 11 hats atop each other, each representing a day of Fiesta.

Behind the scenes, Carillo is designing dresses and festive outfits for Fiesta royalty, spouses to the Kings, and everyday Fiesta party-goers. Where Quintanilla shows costume and exuberance, Carillo is about function and practicality, while still capturing and expressing the joy of a “Puro San Antonio” celebration. Her internationally sourced fabrics and materials reflect San Antonio’s own multicultural heritage as it blends with the vivacious styles of indigenous cultures from across Latin America.