The band Ramajay Mas (ramajay, a Trinidadian folk word, loosely translates as “to show off”) worked with four designers on nine costumes for their theme, “Nirvana: Freedom of Self.”

But the time it takes for costumes to come together can vary. 

“My whole idea was something angelic but not literally an angel, so I didn’t want to have wings on the back,” said Marlon Smart, designer of the “Heaven” costume, which took three weeks from sketch to completion.

 

The masqueraders, who are accompanied by a D.J. or music artist who performs on a truck, are divided into sections and assembled in a specific order to tell the theme.