Doris de Hilster
| Doris de Hilster Dóris de Hilster
| |
|---|---|
 De Hilster in her studio
| |
| Clothing designer · Carnival costume designer · Show director | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Based in | Delray Beach, Florida |
| Spouse(s) | David de Hilster (m. 1989) |
| Children | Luanda Lia de Hilster |
| Career | |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Samba Collection; costumes for SambaLá Samba School and the 2010 Rose Parade |
| Style | Brazilian fashion; Carnaval costume (fantasia) |
| Art & design | |
| Medium | Textiles, feathers, beading, headpieces and backpieces |
| Exhibitions | UCLA Fowler Museum, "Carnival on the Catwalk" (2006) Macy's South Coast Plaza (2012) Long Beach Fashion Week (2014) |
| Brand / label | Samba Collection (founded 1992) |
| Performance | |
| Companies | SambaLá Samba School (costume designer, show director) |
| Recognition & links | |
| Website | doris.dehilster.com |
Dóris de Hilster is a Brazilian clothing and carnival costume designer based in the United States. She founded the label and boutique Samba Collection in Long Beach, California, in 1992, and was costume designer and show director of the SambaLá Samba School. Her costumes have appeared in the Rio de Janeiro Sambadrome and in the 2010 Rose Parade.[1][2]
Early life
De Hilster was born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Macaé, about three hours north of the city. She returned to Rio at the age of eight and went to school and university there.[3] Her fashion career began in a small boutique in Copacabana. According to Samba Collection, she was so good at spotting trends that the owner relied on her for major purchasing decisions.[1]
In 1988 she met the American David de Hilster through a climbing club in Rio. They married in 1989 and moved to the Los Angeles area.[3][1]
Samba Collection
Samba Collection began informally in 1990, when de Hilster made her first shirt. In 1992 it opened formally as her first store and label, in an artist's loft on Daisy Avenue in Long Beach.[4] The store later moved to Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach and then to the Long Beach Mall. Samba Collection described her clothes as combining "the unique style of Brazil with the sophistication of Europe".[1] She went online in the mid-1990s, which brought her international customers. In 1998 the shop's catalogue offered clothing, carnival costumes, headpieces, backpieces and percussion instruments.[1][5] After the last physical store closed in the late 1990s, she worked from a studio, taking custom orders.[4] According to the company, by 2013 more than half of her clients lived outside the United States.[6]
Carnival costume design
De Hilster started designing costumes for the SambaLá Samba School, which she and her husband founded in Long Beach in 1994. She went on to serve as its costume designer, show director and promoter, and also danced with the school as a passista.[5][3] Samba Collection reported that her mestre-sala and porta-bandeira (master of ceremonies and flag-bearer) costume appeared in the Rio de Janeiro Sambadrome during Carnaval 2000.[2]
Other projects reported by Samba Collection include:
- "Carnival on the Catwalk", a fashion show at the UCLA Fowler Museum in January 2006, held with its touring exhibition CARNAVAL!. SambaLá dancers modelled her passista bikinis and headdresses.[7]
- Costumes for the hostesses at a pre-Grammy party at the Montage Beverly Hills in February 2009.[8]
- An outfit for Rio Carnaval 2009 for Thatiana Pagung, rainha da bateria (queen of the drum section) of the Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school.[9]
- 65 costumes for the Jack in the Box float in the 121st Rose Parade in Pasadena on January 1, 2010: 45 new and 20 modified. She worked with float designer John Ramirez and producer Ron Miziker.[10][11]
- A costume in a Honda television commercial (2011).[12]
- A month-long display at Macy's South Coast Plaza in spring 2012, part of a Brazilian designers theme.[13]
- A show at Long Beach Fashion Week in 2014.[14]
Samba Collection also says her designs have appeared on Dancing with the Stars and at the Latin Grammys.[2] The costume guide LoveToKnow recommends her as a designer whose samba costumes "can be purchased or rented".[15]
Other work
With her husband, de Hilster helped produce the Brazilian Street Carnaval in Long Beach and Brazilian Day Los Angeles, the latter with the Brazilian consulate.[3] From 2002 to 2004 the couple owned a Long Beach restaurant, Tony's Famous French Dips and Grill from Ipanema. It served Brazilian food, hosted a weekly samba show, and was SambaLá's home base.[1][3]
Florida
In 2014 the family moved to Boca Raton, Florida. De Hilster kept designing and shipping costumes, and in 2016 she opened a studio in Pompano Beach, shared with SambaLá, where she also did alterations and tailoring.[3][16] She lives in Delray Beach.[3]
Personal life
De Hilster is married to the artist and computer scientist David de Hilster. Their daughter, Luanda Lia de Hilster, is a musical theatre performer.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "The Designer". Samba Collection(2003).Archived2003-02-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "About the Designer". Samba Collection.Archived2013-01-18.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "About". doris.dehilster.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "History". Samba Collection.Archived2003-02-07.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "People". Samba Collection(1998).Archived1998-01-10.
- ↑ "Doris' Carnaval Collection". Samba Collection(2013-08-07).Archived.
- ↑ "Doris Honored at UCLA Fowler Museum". Samba Collection(2006-01-19).Archived.
- ↑ "Samba Collection Costumes Shines at Grammy Party". Samba Collection(2009-02-07).Archived.
- ↑ "Doris Is Tapped by Mocidade Queen to Design 2009 Outfit". Samba Collection(2009-09-12).Archived.
- ↑ "Samba Collection to Provide 65 Costumes for 2010 Rose Parade". Samba Collection(2009-10-28).Archived.
- ↑ "Doris Displays Her Costumes to a World-wide Audience of 40 Million". Samba Collection(2010-01-01).Archived.
- ↑ "Doris' Costume in a Honda Commercial". Samba Collection(2011-04-21).Archived.
- ↑ "Doris Displays Costumes in Macy's Spring 2012". Samba Collection(2012-05-18).Archived.
- ↑ "Fashion Show with Samba Collection in Long Beach". Samba Collection(2014-08-14).Archived.
- ↑ Amy Finley."Samba Dancers Costumes". LoveToKnow.
- ↑ "Alterations". Samba Collection.Archived2017-08-24.
External links
- doris.dehilster.com – official website
- Samba Collection (archived website)