Dancing people, joyful faces and a colorful spectacle: the Caribbean Summer Carnival is a celebration where everyone comes together to leave daily worries behind and enjoy the culture. As a costume designer, Rita Pieternella is indispensable to the Summer Carnival. Her work is a celebration of identity, heritage, and the deep-rooted traditions of the Caribbean.
The Caribbean Summer Carnival is a major celebration held each year to honor the rich culture of the islands. It revolves around togetherness, featuring a huge parade full of colorful costumes, dance, and music. The carnival is not only celebrated in the Caribbean but also in the Netherlands, where the Caribbean community shares its traditions and history with the rest of the country. Rita was around eleven years old when she first attended the Summer Carnival in Rotterdam and instantly fell in love with the event. “Everyone together, the music, and especially the people who shared the same roots as me—I thought it was amazing. The beautiful costumes I saw there inspired me so much over the years that I decided I wanted to be part of it myself.”
That’s how Rita started her own carnival group, teaching herself to create costumes by studying videos and photos. She always receives help from her mother, and for larger productions, other family members, friends, and her carnival team step in. The costumes they create are highly detailed and sometimes take months to complete. “Each costume has its own story, and I find it very important that this is reflected in my work. Sometimes I incorporate a social theme into my designs. Recently, we worked with the theme ‘La Vida Loca’. It may sound lighthearted, but there are many painful things happening in the world. That’s exactly why I see it as a blessing that we can still celebrate carnival in these times. It’s important to know what’s going on while also pausing to celebrate. I also see carnival as a form of protest; a celebration of freedom that is not a given everywhere.”
For her, the creation process is not only about designing and producing costumes but about creating art that captures the essence of carnival: freedom, expression, and togetherness. “For me, it’s so much more than just a festival: it’s an outlet. Many people work hard all year so they can fully let go during carnival. They can be entirely themselves and truly enjoy the moment.” This process doesn’t come without effort. Rita often works through the night and travels a lot for her work. “I put love into every detail. It’s tough, but the result is always worth it.”
Rita travels often because her work is increasingly recognized beyond the borders of the Netherlands. She designs costumes for carnival in Aruba and for the Notting Hill Carnival in England. This international recognition motivates the Eindhoven-based designer to continue growing and share her work with the rest of the world.
For Rita, carnival is a way to return to her roots and feel connected to her culture. “As someone of mixed heritage, I sometimes feel uncertain about where I belong, but when I create my costumes and work on carnival, that feeling disappears. Then I am truly myself and know that I’m doing something I’m good at. I feel the same way when I celebrate carnival. I feel free and connected to myself. That’s when I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
The strength Rita feels is something many women experience when they celebrate carnival, she says. Through her costumes, she passes this strength on to the women who wear her designs, celebrating not only carnival but also femininity. “I often hear women say they could never wear such an outfit, but the moment they do, it’s truly magical. You can see them shine and suddenly feel very confident. They celebrate who they are.” For Rita, it’s a moment of connection: women admire each other and come together through their love for the festival and the culture. “That love and strength inspire me deeply and bring me back to that feeling of home. Carnival is a way of life and is all about coming home. And when I make the costumes and see people dancing and enjoying themselves, that’s when I truly come home.”
