The koto as worn during the era of slavery. The koto is a Surinamese dress consisting of a yaki (shirt) and koto (skirt), worn with an angisa (headwrap). It was introduced in
1879 when the Dutch government (which ruled Suriname at the time) forbade enslaved women to appear topless in public. Today the ensemble is worn in a more modern fashion, as cultural attire at special events.
Photo by Coco Olakunle