Afro-Surinamese women once sent coded messages to each other with their headwear. Learn how. What if you could tell your nosy neighbor to back off with a fabric pattern? What if you could tell your secret sweetheart to meet you around the corner for a quick kiss with the way your scarf was tied? What if you could out your husband’s secret lover with a little extra piece of fabric sticking out from your headscarf? A koto misi outfit can do all that and more. Behind each piece of fabric, each colorful pattern, each fold in a headscarf, there is a hidden meaning. And at the Het Koto Museum in Suriname, Christine Van Russel-Henar is sharing the secret codes of Afro-Surinamese women’s fashion. |