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Home , Frida Kahlo Museum, Museo Dolores Olmedo, The Two Fridas

Frida Kahlo: Dress and Identity

ART HISTORY

Cultural Journeys

Mexico | Colombia | Guatemala www.tiastephanietours.com | (734) 769 7839 Kahlo: Dress and Identity ART HISTORY MEXICO

Many aspects of have been studied, pondered and admired. From her art, politics, love life, travails, and many others. A singular aspect of Frida Kahlo and her identity was her dress. Frida used dress consciously in the creation of her identity. Through dress, she crafted her image, displaying her cultural heritage from both Europe and Mexico. Who can imagine Frida Kahlo without visioning her Tehuana dress, the dress and region she most often adorned herself in, particularly for photos. But there were many others, from her “tomicoton” of Hueyapan, Puebla, her beautiful rebozos from Central Mexico, her Mazatec dress from and more. On this journey, we’ll explore how Frida used dress in the creation of her identity, and we’ll travel to some of the regions and communities of Mexico to meet the artisans, who to this day continue the legacy of hand crafting ethnographic clothing, an intimate expression of cultural identity.

Program Highlights

• Explore the National Museum of Anthropology • See her most famous painting: at the Museum of Modern Art • Travel to Coyoacan to see her childhood home, “The Blue House” and to walk the neighborhood, she and Diego often LOCATION strolled hand and hand together (and eating tacos and drinking tequila!) • Attend lectures on Frida Kahlo and her Identity through Dress • Attend a rebozo expo-venta to learn of the iconic garment of Mexico, Frida often wore. She is seen wearing fine rebozos in many of the most well-known photos by Nick Murray, Imogen Cunningham and others. • ravel to Puebla to meet with the communities of Hueyapan and San Gabriel Chilac, places that today make hand embroidered and naturally dyed garments that Frida loved and wore (and was photographed in!) • Travel to Oaxaca City to learn of the multiple ethnic groups and dress of Oaxaca • Explore the singular universe of the Isthmus of and the history of “traje” or dress of the Tehuana women. • Attend a fashion show of dress from the Isthmus. • Visit artisans and markets! Itinerary

Day 1: photographs, letters, clothing, artifacts cross the Reforma Avenue, known as Arrive , Welcome Meet and and more. Leaving the Museum, we’ll Mexico’s Champs Elysees, to enjoy lunch Greet Reception and Fiesta Mexicana stroll in Coyoacan, get a delicious snack (a overlooking the Chapultepec Park. We’ll Welcome Dinner! tradition in Mexico is to eat in markets and end our day viewing special rooms at the You will be met at the airport to transfer from street vendors, and something Frida National Museum of Anthropology, linking to our charming hotel. After freshening up, loved to do with Diego). Then, we’ll travel Mexico’s ancient, pre-Hispanic past to we’ll enjoy a fun welcome, “Fiesta Mexicana” to to visit the today’s living cultures of Mexico. Evening is dinner to savor some of Mexico’s most Museum, where the largest collection of at leisure. traditional and beloved dishes, and some of Diego and Frida paintings are held. Our Frida’s favorites. day will end with a fun and relaxing ride Day 4: on the “trajinera” boats in the “chinampas” Transfer to Puebla, Expo-venta and Day 2: of Xochimilco, much as Frida loved to do! Overnight (B, L, D) Morning Lecture on the Dress of Frida, We say goodbye to Mexico City and begin and Coyoacan, Day 3: our journey East, stopping Puebla, a State and Floating Museum of Modern Art, Lunch, National rich in cultural traditions and textiles, Gardens! Museum of Anthropology, Rebozo namely of the Nahua people. We’ll tour We’ll begin our day with a breakfast Artisan Reception and Expo-Venta at the highlights of the beautiful city of presentation on “Dress and Identity Hotel! (B, L) Puebla, enjoy a traditional lunch, and a of Frida Kahlo”. We’ll learn how Frida Our day begins at the Museum of Modern highlight will be a special expo-venta from used dress to create her identity and Art to see the wonderful permanent the Nahua women of Hueyapan, Puebla, “Mexicanidad”. While she was often most collection here, and the masterpiece who will demonstrate their work, using associated with Mexican indigenous dress, considered the Mona Lisa of Mexico, “The natural dyes and beautifully woven and Frida also recalled her European roots and Two Fridas”, by Frida Kahlo. This painting embroidered shawls and the singular family heritage in her dress. After all, Frida is on a much larger scale than most of her garment called a “tomicoton”, seen worn was BOTH; and so is Mexico! works, which were smaller and considered by Frida in the photograph below. The Following, we’ll travel to Coyoacan, the more intimate. It almost shouts to the great Master, Teresa Lino will bring special, neighborhood Frida grew up in. We’ll world, “I come from two cultures, and naturally dyed wool pieces for us to begin with a welcome visit to the Frida this is my dual identity”, just as Mexico purchase. (B, L) Kahlo Museum, or “Blue House”, before we has two identities and blend of cultures, enjoy our own private time with Frida’s art, or “mestizaje”. After our viewing, we’ll Itinerary

Day 5: Day 6: Transfer to Tehuacan and Oaxaca, Mole Oaxaca City restored with money from the sale of his (B, L, D) Today we’ll explore the highlights of artwork, we’ll visit the “mercado” and We continue our journey east, stopping in Oaxaca City, such as the Textile Museum, make a stop at the famed Aguilar Sisters, the Nahua community of San Gabriel Chilac, cooperatives, art galleries, markets and who make charming collectable clay where the women still make and wear their other points of interest. We’ll enjoy a fun figurines in the likes of famous figures beautiful beaded and embroidered blusas. regional lunch, leaving the afternoon free and guess who Frida. We’ll then stop in We’ll meet with the community, enjoy an for independent exploring.) San Antonino Castillo Velasco to visit the herbal cleansing, attend an expo-venta, women who embroider the fine flowers savor local tamales and atole, before going Day 7: and pansies on the blusas, admired and to the Museo del Agua for a delicious lunch Southern Craft Route, Ocotlan (B, L, D) worn internationally in the 1960’s. We based on the ancient plant, amaranth. Today we’ll travel in the Southern Valley of stop for a delicious lunch at La Azuzena, After lunch, we’ll continue on to Oaxaca, Oaxaca’s Central Valleys in what is known visit the backstrap loom weavers of Santo where we’ll check in to our hotel, relax and as “the craft route”. We’ll begin in Ocotlan, Tomas Jalieza, pay a visit to the Museum enjoy a welcome to Oaxaca dinner of the a Zapotec town made famous by beloved of Popular Art of Oaxaca, before returning famed mole! painter, Rodolfo Morales. We’ll see the home to rest and relax before our dinner in buildings and architecture he lovingly Oaxaca City.

Itinerary

Day 8: “traje” consist of a huipil (the top), enredo (or the beautiful huipiles from the Isthmus; Isthmus (B, L, Reception) skirt), lace underskirt or “refajo”, a lace head hand embroidery, chain stitch with a Today we depart for another land. While dress called “huipil grande” or “esplandor”. machine, and a hook/punch technique. still in the State of Oaxaca, traveling to Frida was photographed wearing Istmena We’ll visit the market to purchase huipiles, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is like entering dress, and she painted self-portraits of her traje, hair accessories, jewelry, etc. before another universe. A matriarchal society, the wearing this dress. It is even featured in her returning to the hotel and a fun, casual women are strong, earn the money, control painting, “My Dress Hangs There”, likely a farewell dinner. the purse strings and love to spend it on statement of her being caught in the wind, what many women do: their dress. But between two worlds, Mexico and the United Day 10: here, the dress IS their identity. Known as States, when she and Diego traveled there. Transfer to Huatulco for Return Flights “Istmenas”, the women from the Isthmus Arriving in Tehuantepec, enjoy lunch, check Today we transfer to Huatulco for return wear a cultural passport. By seeing them into our hotel and rest, before going to view flights or to stay an extra night of a few in the markets, on the streets at home or collection pieces, and to attend a Fashion days to rest on the beaches of the Pacific in any part of the world, they are identified Show of Regional Dress through time. We’ll Coast of Mexico.vv largely through their clothing. Frida’s mother close the evening with a dance, to the famed Matilde was from the Isthmus. And, as the “Zandunga” rhythm, and a closing reception. dress here is gorgeous, embellished with grand embroidery in hand embroidered Day 9: flowers (imagery likely of Asian origin), Juchitan de Zaragoza (B, L, D) geometric “cadenilla” chain stitch and floral We’ll travel to nearby Juchitan to meet “gancho” or hook technique, Frida loved to with artisans who will demonstrate the don this dress. The elements of the dress or three primary techniques used to embellish