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The post-Fiesta fate of 'duchess dresses'

What happens to "duchess dresses" after Fiesta?

SAN ANTONIO — Fiesta is a one-of-a-kind party here in San Antonio, and some of the most elegant parts of the celebration are the one-of-a-kind gowns worn by the duchesses of the Fiesta court.

Claudia Kiolbassa, the "Duchess of Whimsical Imagination" in this year’s Fiesta celebration, was at a loss for words when she first saw her Court of Classic Couture gown. But to her, the dress - which she wore twice - is more than a beautiful garment.

“It's an awesome reminder of what a great week it's been,” Claudia says. “It's really special just gonna be able to keep it around.”

Fiesta royalty runs in the Kiolbassa family. Claudia’s mother was a duchess in the 80s and found a creative way to display her bedazzled gown.

“We usually keep it around our Christmas tree. That's what my mom has always done,” Claudia describes.

Not all duchesses are as crafty as the Kiolbassas.

Heather Russo was a duchess in 2002 for the “Court of African Treasures.” She remembers that her friends displayed their dresses on the walls of their homes; that was not the case for her dress, however.

We lost is for a little while, and then we re-found it,” Heather explains. “It is now safe and sound underneath a bed.”

While Heather’s dress is still at home, she says there is a chance it could end up at the Witte Museum, as part of a collection of approximately 180 Fiesta gowns.

The Witte Museum says they don’t just take any dress. A spokesperson for the museum says that they limit the number of dresses they collect to only five gowns from each court.

The exhibit is a way to honor Fiestas past and to anticipate Fiesta’s dazzling future.

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