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Do Whatcha Wanna: Mardi Gras Style

It’s Carnival time in New Orleans. That means full on festivities, King Cake, throws, parades and, of course, costumes. by Andi Eaton Before donning your sequins and beads, let’s take a look back at where Mardi Gras style began. In 1827, the first Mardi Gras parade hit New Orleans as a group of elaborately dressed partygoers, emulating parades they'd observed in Paris, reveled through the streets. Thirty years later, the first recorded krewe was established. Considered secret societies, krewes are a New Orleans Carnival scene fixture. Members dress in highly detailed costumes, including masks, trinkets and beads, often made by the hand of the wearer. The krewe’s queen and her court in couture gowns of crystal, lace and silk rosettes are honored at each krewe’s Carnival ball. So, what goes into designing a gown for a Mardi Gras queen? In New Orleans, the go-to resource is Louisiana native Suzanne Perron. Perron spent more than a decade in New York City on Fashion Avenue. Working for some of the highest- regarded design houses including Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang, she earned her stripes — well, her crinoline and silk actually — and then returned home to open an atelier specializing in "once-in-a-lifetime gowns in