Late at night, when all the world is dreaming, we still stay up to think about Selena Quintanilla. Nearly thirty years have passed since the tragic death of the “Queen of Tejano Music.” Although the feature film about her life starring Jennifer Lopez is now available on several different streaming platforms, nothing beats the real deal. Thanks to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, fans of the late Latin musician will now have the opportunity to admire an authentic piece of Selena.
The staple of archival acquisitions announced one of the “Dreaming of You” singer’s signature on-stage costumes will be the center of their latest installation. The exhibit title, “Entertainment Nation,” showcases hundreds of objects across theater, television, film, music, and sports, to which the entertainer will have her own display.
In Quintanilla’s section, visitors will have the chance to see one of her most famous outfits, the black leather jacket, and satin brassiere combo. The set, donated to the museum by her family in 1998, was originally worn to the 1994 Tejano Music Awards in San Antonio, Texas. If you watch Netflix’s miniseries on her life, you’d know she also wore the look to perform a medley of classic songs “Donde Quiera Que Estés” with the Barrio Boyzz and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.”
Ashley Mayor, a curatorial assistant of the exhibit, spoke to Billboard about the exhibit saying, “This costume is on display on a red carpet, so it’s kind of a spotlight moment to explore Selena, her legacy, the impact that she had. It’s important to explore the impact of Selena on a generation of young Latinos who dreamed of being like her. She affected so many people with her music and brought Tejano music to a national and international level. She became a phenomenon.”
The exhibit also features other clothing items, including the original ruby red glitter slippers from the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
To learn more about the exhibit or to grab tickets, click here.