Portraits, 3rd Prize
Falleras
Luisa Dörr
02 February, 2018
Lola (10) was born in Ethiopia and adopted by a Valencian family. She has been dressing as a fallera since she was two, and in 2018 decided to try for fallera mayor infantil for Fallas de Valencia festivities in Valencia, Spain.
Women and girls wear fallera dresses for the Fallas de Valencia festival in Valencia, Spain. Inspired by clothes worn centuries ago by women working in rice fields around the city, the dresses have changed over time and are now elaborate creations that can cost in excess of €1,000. Made mainly of lace and silk, fallera dresses are worn by anyone who wants to take part in what is one of Spain’s biggest street festivals. To complement the gown, falleras set their hair in a traditional three-bun style adorned with ornate combs and jewellery, often handed down through generations. Different parts of the city each have a fallera mayor (and maybe also a young fallera mayor infantil)—a woman who represents her falla (neighborhood group) at the festivities. It is an honor to be chosen, and can mean even greater expense being lavished on the outfit.
Luisa Dörr
Luisa Dörr is a Brazilian photographer whose work focuses mainly on the feminine human landscape. Through her storytelling, she uses the portrait as a vehicle to tell narratives ...
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