Inside Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up

“I have a personal relationship to the Tehuana dress, my great-uncles were close friends to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo back in the 40s," says Circe. "In our family, we always said that Frida’s first Tehuana dresses were given to her by Alfa, my aunt. I don’t know if that is true, but there are scholars who say Alfa used to bring Frida many Oaxacan pieces form the Tehuantepec Isthmus. The Tehuantepec Isthmus is a matriarchal society located in the south east of Mexico, where women administrate the society and dress in the Tehuana attire. Growing up I was surrounded by these colourful Tehuana dresses and the traditions were carefully passed to me by my family."