Costumes rarely take center stage, but a new exhibition at the Mexican Cultural Institute puts them squarely in the spotlight. Dressing Absences: The Textile Journey of Pedro Páramo, on view through May 23, showcases the meticulously crafted wardrobe from Netflix’s 2024 adaptation of Juan Rulfo’s landmark novel—bringing to life a ghost-haunted Mexico where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur.
The exhibition showcases the extraordinary costumes created for the 2024 film adaptation of Juan Rulfo’s novel Pedro Páramo, directed by Rodrigo Prieto and produced by Netflix. Both the film and the book draw on the roots of Mexican culture and its beliefs about the afterlife, conveyed through complex characters, spirituality, and a nonlinear narrative that moves between overlapping realms. It tells the story of Juan Preciado, who promises his mother on her deathbed that he will find his father in the town of Comala, only to discover a ghost town populated by spectral figures. Pedro Páramo was a key influence on Latin American writers such as Gabriel García Márquez.
Set in early 20th-century Mexico, the film relies on its wardrobe to evoke a world shaped by revolution, rural hardship, and spiritual unease. The designers immersed themselves in historical textiles, silhouettes, and regional dress traditions to build a visual language that feels both grounded and ghostly. They even sourced sandals from one of the last makers of handmade huaraches in Mexico for background actors. These choices may not always register consciously, but they work quietly to make the characters feel real.
Inspired by the 1955 novel, the exhibition explores how costume design functions as a form of storytelling. Through textiles, texture, and silhouette, garments become vessels of memory, absence, and identity.
Designed by acclaimed costume designer Anna Terrazas and her team, the pieces on view incorporate traditional techniques and artisanal processes from across Mexico, highlighting the collaboration between contemporary cinema and master artisans.
In Pedro Páramo, costumes do more than clothe the characters; they reveal the emotional and social landscape of Rulfo’s world. A widow’s faded rebozo, a revolutionary’s tooled leather vest, or a laborer’s sun-bleached cotton shirt communicates class, memory, and decay before a single line is spoken. These garments offer clues about who the characters were in life and what remains of them in death.
It is easy to overlook how much craftsmanship goes into this level of authenticity. The research, hand-finishing, and cultural specificity behind each piece often remain invisible on screen. When costumes work at this level, they support the narrative without calling attention to themselves, allowing the film’s atmosphere to remain intact.
The exhibition at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC brings those details into focus. Seen up close, the textures, colors, and construction that shaped the film’s world become more apparent. Together, these garments anchor the characters in their time and place, enrich the storytelling, and deepen the emotional resonance of Pedro Páramo. They may not always get the spotlight, but they are undeniably part of the magic that brings this iconic Mexican tale to life.
The Mexican Cultural Institute is located at 2829 16th St. NW, Washington, DC and is easily served by public transit and bikeshare. Visiting hours are Monday-Friday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, except for holidays. No reservations needed; simply buzz the gate upon arrival.
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