The story begins in Sayulita, Mexico, where I spent a long hot summer in 2013.  There I made my first Frida Kahlo Glass Cathedral portraits — inspired by the cultural heritage, folk art, colors and flowers of Mexico. For me (and I admit, I am easily seduced by a vintage sequined blouse or a swirling skirt) – Frida’s extraordinary life force was as much communicated through her choice of dress and ornamentation as her art.

When I’m creating Frida’s tiny outfits, I look through my boxes of treasures and ephemera as if through the eyes of a 3/4 inch Frida Kahlo, and imagine the delight she would have felt.

A single piece of glitter becomes a pendant, a scrap of golden thread a belt, a broken sequin becomes a headdress and a torn strip of tape becomes a beautifully creased full-length skirt.

I visited the exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s outfits at her home “Casa Azul” in Mexico City in 2018 and 2019 – and read that when Frida arrived in a new place, she’d often make such a jingly jangly sparkly colorful first impression that the local children would think the circus had come to town!