On Padre Island, one woman is turning heads for Barefoot Mardi Gras — and her collection has to be seen to be believed.
I first met Kim Erwin at the "Fat Tuesday" grand opening of Perrins on the Water. Immediately, I knew I had to ask a million questions. She told me Barefoot Mardi Gras is her favorite time of the year.
"Getting ready for Barefoot Mardi Gras!" Erwin said.
When she invited me to see her collection, I didn't realize I'd be walking into a full-blown Mardi Gras museum.
"62 wigs, over 150 costumes," Erwin said.
That's right, 62 wigs. And if you think that's a lot, she calls it a "light" year.
"Some people have an alcohol problem, a drug problem, I have a wig problem," Erwin said.
She's been collecting for more than two decades, traveling to places like New Orleans and back. Getting the collection home isn't always easy.
"That wig is really hard to get through Southwest, I'm just saying. TSA really had to investigate that wig," Erwin said.
She says it can take hours to layer the corsets, cinch the waist and pin every feather in place. And she says you won't find this kind of party just anywhere.
"You get to be barefoot on the beach and watch a Mardi Gras parade and catch some beads," Erwin said.
On Padre Island, she says it's sand, sun and sequins. She walked me through wig after wig, including one with a special story.
"This is the one I wore in New Orleans," Erwin said.
She also showed me dresses that take hours to put on and thousands of dollars to ship, including one with an international journey.
"This came from Ukraine. It took one year to get here," Erwin said.
She even let me pick a favorite and gave me a quick lesson in how to style it island-ready.
Kim Erwin has been collecting these costumes for more than 25 years, and with Barefoot Mardi Gras this weekend, she says the party is just getting started.
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