Junkee’s 3rd Annual Burner Fashion Show Part 3.0
Saving the best for last might be considered a bit overly traditional by some but here at DustyCouture.Com we like to honor the creators’ wishes. As in life so too here on the web …
Jessica of Junkee Clothing Exchange put on this fabulous shindig complete with the wild west stage dressin’ and even wilder wim’n wi’ skirts hitched to high heaven, Giddy UP!
*You GOTTA watch all of it if you wanna hear Junkee’s profound public service announcement.
**You WANNA hear the announcement.
Image By Dana PhotoZen Nollsch
Junkee’s 3rd Annual Burner Fashion Show Part 2.3
Next up to the dusty fashion plate is Carson City’s Naughty or Nice who put a sexxxy spin on some traditional playa pin-ups. Peep the show. Press play then choose hi-def & fullscreen.
Image By Dana PhotoZen Nollsch
Junkee’s 3rd Annual Burner Fashion Show Part 1.2
As promised my fellow future dust dwellers, we present the rest of last week’s Burner Fashion Show! Hope you enjoyed the teaser featuring the Melting Pot’s flashiest finery. Now onto Prism Magic’s burning best!
Lauren Mari Hufft Gifford of Prism Magic Clothing & Imports located in Sparks Nevada on Pyramid Highway (hey … that’s the sweet scenic route to Burning Man!) put together a rainbow of colorful looks that honor your inner funk monkey.
*Take advantage of the full screen and higher resolution options (only accessible once you’ve pressed play)
**Peep the sweet intro as well. There really was lighting!
Check The Designers & The Location
Photo By Dana PhotoZen Nollsch
Reno’s Burner HQ: Melting Pot World Emporium Pt 1
As we get closer to the big week in the desert, it’s important to take stock of what resources we have at our disposal on our way out to the Playa. As the Jack Rabbit Speaks (JRS) mentioned yesterday: The Melting Pot World Emporium is one of the best resources available to burners passing through Reno. As the video shows, their fashions are fantastic and they also stock most all the fun stuff you can buy & bring to BRC.
Today’s video is a brief prelude to a series of video blogs about this fascinating burner owned business that will be posted here over the next couple weeks. If you visit them, don’t forget to mention “DustyCouture.Com” for 10% off your purchase.
Check back soon for videos showing the rest of the 3rd Annual Reno Midtown Burner Fashion Show.
*Note: Take advantage of the full screen options and higher resolution (only available once video starts)!
The Melting Pot models pose in their rainbow colorful, playa ready outfits.
Reno Burner Fashion Show Raises Eco Awareness
A pulsing electricity permeates the crowd as all forty seven models & designers enjoy a victory lap. Reno’s 1st Burner fashion event of the season showed that the future of burner fashion has arrived & it looks good.
A week ago, six Reno clothing designers spread their abundantly infectious passion for Burner style in the Loft of the Sienna resort before a hundreds strong crowd. In addition to the decidedly playa-centric nature of the outfits, every designer invited to participate also incorporated an ecologically progressive aspect into their show-pieces.
Catherine Sweet of NightKind Productions blends her vision of a dystopian future with ancient armoring techniques to produce the dustiest post-apocalyptic visages we’ve yet seen in recycled leather and raw metal wire. Her incorporation of colorful leathers, exciting combinations of different alloys within a single piece, asymmetrical applications, and a perfect balance of delicate flesh with edges of hardest steel.
Andrea Daerice Juillerat’s red and blue fantasy dresses compiled from curtains, shirts, dresses, upholstery, and other recycled textiles created a stir that drastically upped the energy of the crowd giving everyone a notion of what direction they could expect the show to head in next. Any way but down.
Jordan Miller’s Red Dirt Fashion was the next to flip our collective wigs with her neon pastel color palette, full quiver of trims, and signature patch-work style that would have Tank-Girl shrieking with envy. Her style is so unique that you almost disbelieve your own eyes when you see people other than her dressed that way!
Jessica’s Junkee gals were a special treat in part due to some very creative face-paint/makeup but more so because of their awesomely funky outfits that amazingly work just as well on the Playa as off. Lauren Mari Hufft Gifford of Prism Magic’s Luscious Ladies provided the perfect finale with a high-tide of petticoats and tongue-in-cheek sexiness.
(Click HERE for a full gallery of pics)
The evening was an inspiring one for those who love radical innovation and self-expression through fashion. In addition to being a Playa wet dream and environmentally responsible, the evening was also soundly saturated with a grass-roots vibe that made us proud of our community and the high level of artistry we have all helped to cultivate here.
Oliver X organized this event. Enough praise cannot be given for his manifestation of this vision. The photos here and in the gallery have been graciously provided by photographers Dana “PhotoZen” Nollsch, Cate Vail, and David James Kerr.
Yuri’s Night – Space Themed Costumes Episode III
“… Three! Two! One! BLAST OFF!!!”, over one thousand space-faring citizens chanted to summon Rotwang and his sexy robotic vixens to the stage of the Metropolis IN SCHPAAAAAAAACE! Behold! Our creation …
Upon emerging from the airlock entrance into the club, we are treated to a sight we thought would only exist in our wildest imaginings of what Reno’s burner party scene could be like. The silver leotarded zero-g performers of Dragonfly Aerials maneuver across the rafters in cargo nets while rocking three other aerial rigs simultaneously above a packed house of space-themed costume wearing burners bouncing to the electro beats of an alien DJ in a king’s robe and giant eyeball mask spinning amongst the decaying gray skyscraper facade of a dystopian future.
The crowd was dressed better than any we’ve yet experienced here in Reno (or anywhere really, except maybe BRC). More than half wore full on space costumes complete with makeup and hair done to match the theme. Everyone had on at least one spacey item and the vibe was positively cosmic. Zentai outfits were significantly en vogue as were hoops of every kind especially the LED variety. Metallic fabrics, ray-guns, mildly erotic 70s Star Wars-esque ensembles, helmets, and, of course, antennae were all around as were neon wigs, bug-eyed glasses, foil tape, glitter, and EL wire. It all hints at the powerful notion that Reno has significantly more burners dressing up per capita than just about anywhere else.
Extravaganz kosmich is not nearly superlative enough (or Duetsch enough) to describe the space-cadet conflagration the verkers of Ein Hammer Krew put on for us. With raffles, set design, multiple areas to rage or chill in, interactive art occupying every spare parsec, a cosmic coat check (it was pretty cold out that night), and a midnight stage show that was absolutely mind-blowing, every species represented was able to get their genetic programming fulfilled with enough spacey goodness to last them a light-year!
The midnight stage show deserves a special mention. The theme of this year’s Yuri’s Night Pre-Compression party was “Metropolis In Space”. Drawing heavily from Fritz Lang’s 1920s German-expressionist Metropolis film with a subtitled silent Rotwang and three metallic hooping robots, the midnight show crescendo-ed in a reverse meteor shower of heavenly glory as all the stars in the audience boosted up onto the stage and blasted off with the beat of Infected Mushroom’s “Cities of the Future” driving their engines.
For many of us, this Metropolis party was our first chance to play with this year’s Burning Man theme. Our first opportunity to really feel at home in a bustling city of futuristic freaks. Triumphantly, we were able to transcend our archaic roles of thinker or worker to join together as fellow citizens and bring all we could home from the heart of our city of the future.
Yuri’s Night – Space Themed Costumes Episode IV
Not long ago, in this galaxy, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into orbit and became the first human in space. April 9-12th we will dress up as extra-terrestrials and party like the stars we reach for.
This celebration is known as Yuri’s Night and this year will mark the event’s 10th anniversary. Yuri’s Night events take place all over Earth and are often space-themed. The activities include everything from star-gazing in San Juan to a full-scale pop music festival at the NASA Ames Research Center and everything in between. (The official event site will help you locate the party nearest your anticipated location and give you some details regarding what kind of a partying you can expect.)
Yuri’s voyage proved that space-travel was possible, but it wouldn’t have happened had humans not first imagined the beauty of a universe surrounding our species’ home-world. So let’s praise the vision of the dreaming thinker along side that of the dedicated toil of za “werker”. In our fashion-centric opinion, the best way to honor both is to rock our most sci-fabulous spacey threads from the time the horizon of our planet eclipses our solar system’s star until it re-appears the next morning 
Science fiction films have created a veritable galaxy of costume options. Star Wars, Star Trek, Battle Star Galactica, Firefly, and countless other sources provide an almost unlimited visual library of outfits.
In keeping with the “going where no man has gone before” theme of the event however, we encourage you to consider embarking upon a couture adventure beyond the well trodden space-ways. A popular theme is to take earth-bound characters and re-birth them amongst the stars but many traditional roles have been overlooked, Space Hobo for instance. Similarly, which sci-fi classic centers around an intergalactic carny? This is our opportunity to do what we as burners have already done to so many other elements of our western culture and parody the crap out of that which has heretofore been solely the territory of nerds, conspiracy theorists, and *shutter* Hollywood producers. A few metallic accents are all you really need for that ho-hum burnerly get-up to make the jump into light-speed.
We hope to see you partying it up at some point in the space-time continuum looking stellar. Send images of your chosen space-suits to dustybacon(at)dustycouture(dot)com or click the “Follow Along” links to the right for other social media options.
*Our next installment: Episode III (that’s right it’s a countdown), will feature pictures from the Reno burner community’s Yuri’s Night 2010 extravaganza “Metropolis In SCHPAAAAAAAACE!” The pictures here have been collected from the first three Reno Yuri’s Nights. Many more great pics of past Reno Yuri’s Nights can be seen in this gallery.
Dusty In Wonderland: Alice Couture Vol. 4
We’ve transcended the film, two dimensions can no longer satisfy our nonsensical sense-experience, we must have … TEA! And it’s a bottomless cup we’re filling with a looking glass full of flesh, thrills, & FUN!
By now you’ve gotten dressed up and seen the movie, maybe you’ve even seen it twice. So now what? Well, if you happen to be fortunate enough to find yourself in Reno this weekend, and you haven’t decided on an entertainment option for the evening, we can tell you exactly what you’d be most wise not to miss … Bohemian Burlesque’s presentation of Down The Rabbit Hole!
Even before the show starts, strange wonderland creatures are roaming the halls offering up fine eat-me treats while you choose a seat amidst the stylish interior of a club that seems to have been designed for such whimsically wondrous displays of sexuality. The stage lights come on and before you know it you’re deep down the most sensuously sinister rabbit hole one could ever hope to slip into …
In addition to striking displays of physical prowess and stimulation beyond what even a veteran burlesque show attendee might expect, the outfits are extravagantly fantastic. These pics are just a sampling of what you will be treated to. For you see, it’s not just the looks, it’s the solid acts that go along with them.
The ever re-appearing Cheshire Kat seems like she’s been training to play this role her entire life. The Mad MC has, in addition to the most elaborate outfit, a wit sharper than a hat pin. There’s a scrumptious platter full of surprises in a program that ranges from aerials to traditional feather fans to modern dance and beyond. Believe us when we say that it’s a program packed with delights that will progressively challenge you and all will make you ever so glad to have attended this most titillating tea party.
And even if you’re not going to be in Reno. Don’t worry, be happy knowing that we’re bringin’ freaky back for the lot of ya! Driiiink … Meeeeee … *Photos by Anna Wright and Peach
Top Five Fashion Accessories of 2009 Vol. 5
It’s not over yet! One of the burner underground’s newest sensations Jordan Miller of Red Dirt Fashion puts her radically unique style on display for our collective inspiration in this Top Five. Prepare to SQUEEEEE
Guest author and fellow Faux Fur Freedom Front Fighter Jordan Miller is the sole-proprietor of Red Dirt Fashions, one of the most radically re-inventive fashion labels we’ve had the pleasure to discover. Now, heeeeerrrre’s Jordan!
Bandannas… Sure, we only have the threat of finding ourselves in a dust storm about a week out of the year, but for that week, bandannas are an absolute must. Not only do they make you look much more fabulous, but they have functionality as well. And for those of us who maintain style notoriety the remaining 358 days a year, a bandanna can be an asset to any ensemble. Even though we do not wake up everyday with the fear of finding ourselves face first with an infamous playa white out, the rest of the year, a bandanna can double as a handkerchief, a napkin, or even a bib for those messy eaters—just remember to wash it regularly (with a fourth a cup of vinegar in the washer to keep colors their brightest)!
Arm Warmers… Anyone who does not wear faux fur for moral implications has felt the consequences from the cold desert night more than others. And even though there are bulky alternatives, for us fashionistas, enduring Mother Nature’s bite is the bitter but more fabulous alternative. My solution for this problem has always been to layer multiple arm warmers underneath my sweaters. This way, one still looks cute and petite in their sexy playa wear, and can endure the pain of below freezing temperatures in style.
Suspenders…. Have you ever found yourself waist deep in a pair of pants that were a size or two too big and could not find a belt anywhere? Burning Man 2009, the morning after we arrived, whilst sizing up my luggage, I realized that I left my only belt at home. A devastating blow for anyone who thinks the pants-below-your-ass look was overdone by the 90’s. However, fate was on my side because I still had my suspenders. Fabulous fashion functionality came to my rescue because, once again, I found the perfect blend of style and utility.
Hobo gloves… For someone who has poor circulation, I have always found that a major concern of mine while out and about is my core temperature. So, as mom always insists, gloves are a must for the winter climate. However, whilst embarking on adventures of the social manner, gloves do not fare well. Encompassed in a thick layer of fabric, while although warm, can become troublesome for fingers when someone has activities to partake upon. So, my solution has always been to cut the fingers off for a stylish and functional hobo glove. Although they are not quite as warm as their uncut cousin, they are way more reasonable since they do not entail constant removal anytime one is doing something that requires nimble fingers
Henry, my fake plastic turtle on wheels… He might not seem like an actually fashion accessory, but I can count the number of mornings that my outfit was completed with his cheerful smile as I drug him along behind me. He is perfect for those saucy mornings after a night full of partying when synapses are not firing rapidly, for he is a great conversation starter. And you can talk about a fake plastic turtle on wheels for a good amount of time with very little work from your cerebral cortex—a must have item for hangovers!
Jordan will soon be relocating to attend the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Click the Follow Along links to the right to be kept up to date on her latest fashion revelations.
Dusty In Wonderland: Alice Couture Vol. 3
The costumed premier of Alice here in Reno was EPIC. We rolled in like a pack of wild Bandersnatches and proceeded to take over the theater as the paparazzi flashed away. Click here for a full gallery of pics.
Alice is one of the holy grails of imagination in much that same way that many consider Burning Man to be the creativity world championships. But, daunting though it may seem, we had to represent the couture of our conviction at the debut this last weekend!
The concept of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is deep. So deep that some Zen instructors use it as a teaching text for their students. How this tremendous contribution to the devolution of humandroid consciousness manifests visually and how that visual manifestation relates to our own dusty riffs on fashion is just a part of these blog posts celebrating the release of Mr. Burton’s Alice.
After indulging in just the right amount of Wonderland “Eat Me”s and “Drink Me”s we were finally absurd enough to carpool down to the theater that we had pre-purchased our tickets for and begin our journey down the rabbit hole. Security eyed us and the other patrons gawked while we proceeded to spout profundities and guffaw in a most frabjous manner.
The main characters of the film(s) were well represented by a beautiful Alice, several mad hattas, the most hilarious white rabbit we’ve yet had the privilege to see, and a march haya or two. A few of the more obscure characters were in attendance as well: Time (whom the Mad Hatter and
March Hare were involved in a dispute with) took the form of a
steampunky clock-adorned rabbit-eared vixen and, while slow to arrive, the Mock Turtle was definitely in attendance. The Lion of Looking Glass fame was also present and it is strongly suspected that his nemesis the Unicorn was lurking there as well, however, since only virgins can see unicorns it is difficult for us to confirm whether or not this is true (the Lion is not a virigin).
Everyone in our group seemed to thoroughly enjoy the film. We had some especially high expectations after reading both the books and being a part of the virtual machine that’s been hyping this film, but we experienced satisfaction through the nods to Carroll’s original even if we were not digging the stereotypical fantasy plot.
If you feel like you may have missed out on a good time, please, DON’T! It’s not too late to read the books, dress up with some friends, and attend the film. One member of our entourage mentioned that this has the potential to become something akin to the Rocky Horror Picture show. Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself and make sure to send us the pictures. We can’t be the only curiously costumed cats … I mean, we are all mad here aren’t we?
Top Five Fashion Accessories of 2009 Vol. 4
Are you already dreaming of what items you’ll be rocking this year as the festival season takes shape? Calendars and closets are filling up with intentions that will soon manifest in the ever glorious moment!
It is with great pleasure that we welcome back our favorite co-author of 2009, Mairin the beautiful artist and owner of Kareli Kairos. Not only does Mairin have a reputation for being one of the most creative fashionistas in our local tribe, she also generously gives of herself in helping others with their couture projects and experiments.
<- Braided Gauntlets/Arm Warmers – I started making these in 2009, in every color I could find, and they are a great way to add edge to anything. They play with negative space in an interesting way; there is something very sexy about skin that shows in patches. They are tribal and geometric at the same time. They can also be worn layered over solid arm warmers, making them super-versatile.
Faerie-Headdress -> This is probably my favorite thing I made last year. I created it on top of a commercial “fairy hat” base, and added two pairs of small costume wings, flowers, beads, lights, etc. I created different clip-on accessories for it that allowed me to wear it for several occasions, including it’s incarnation as the Poinsettia Faerie’s crown for the Santa Crawl. It is dramatic, different, and reminds me of Art Nouveau illustrations. A headdress makes one feel theatrical in a transformative way that is liberating and very fun.
<- My hair – This might be a bit of a stretch as an accessory but I got two really incredible, colorful haircuts in 2009 that rocked my world. Having hair that looks amazing is great, even if the rest of one’s ensemble is less than awesome, the hair is there, ever vigilant in expressing your style sensibility. I also dress up to my hair on days when I am not very inspired; having pink and black stripey hair encourages me to commit to the rest of my look with the same vigor as my hair.
Feather Eyelashes -> Feather eyelashes created quite an impact for me 2009. They come in a wide range of colors, and instantly make one look “made-up,” even if one isn’t wearing any other make-up at all. Drawing attention to the eye is the major reason for wearing make-up to begin with, and boy do these do the trick. One’s eyes will be noticed. They are whimsical and otherworldly; every blink becomes the wing-beat of an exotic bird.
Fur Crop Jacket – Sometimes it gets cold, and one wants to stay warm, yet not cover up one’s whole outfit (or lack of one). The best solution I’ve found is the fur crop jacket. Having one’s arms and shoulders covered in super-warm fur goes a long way to keep the whole body warm, even if the rest of it is scantily clad. Also the cut of a crop jacket makes one’s shoulders look bigger, which makes one’s waist look smaller (generally figure-flattering), and in a football player sort of way, makes me feel like a bad-ass. There’s something about a crop-jacket that says, “Don’t mess with me.”
Our sincere thanks to everyone who wrote in so far with their top 5. Rest assured we will be bringing this popular and interactive series back at the end of this year!
Top Five Fashion Accessories of 2009 Vol. 3
Are you ready for our THIRD installment of the top five fashion accessories of 2009? We’re back with those extra special accoutrements that made one individual’s wardrobe come alive this past year.
Please welcome Miko, our guest author for this post on her favorite fashion accessories of 2009. We personally witnessed Miko’s year-long initiation into the “costume cult” and are all impressed by her unique, playful style which emphasizes sexiness, comfort, and mobility among other things.
1. Brown Lacey Leggings-These footless leggings were a holiday gift, but quickly made it onto the all-star accessory list. Great for all your brown outfits, excellent when you get tired of wearing fishnets, and superb with the perfect booty shorts and item number two on my list, the Shag boots.
2. Sanuk Shag Boots-Termed “not-boots” due to their uber comfortable, sandal footbed, this footwear excels both indoors and out. The only disadvantage is when shoe removal becomes a necessity in wintertime and you find you prefer these beastly boots to your house slippers.
3. Demonia Platform Boots-Funky enough for every costume, comfortable enough to trek from the deep playa to center camp and beyond! These boots were a major footwear staple for me in 2009. I commonly paired these with leggings, stockings, or most commonly as seen here in this photo, with skater socks.
4. Bustle-Whether you’re circus bound or ready for tea, what better accessory than the bustle. My homemade version incorporated two unworn items: a petticoat and a white skirt. I pleated the white skirt to highlight the button accents, and then attached both to a belt for easy removal, if needed. New for 2010 will be additional ruffling with a multi-layered, black, satin and lace skirt.
5. Feather Earrings-Great for those of us who just can’t have striped or colored hair extensions all the time. Feathers can be matched to individual hair length and coloring, or made extremely long and bold to really stand out and demand attention. If they get wet, feathers can be straightened on a low heat setting with a basic hair straightener or steamed. Make friends with the manager of the fly fishing department at your local sportsman’s emporium to find the most extravagant feather supplies.
Awesome post Miko! We look forward to seeing what you adorn your beautiful self with in 2010 …
Top Five Fashion Accessories of 2009 Vol. 2
Welcome to the second installment covering some of the top five fashion accessories of 2009. Volume two focuses on those accessories that were popular in the alternative fashion scene(s) this last year.
Thanks to Ash of Mechanic Organic Clothing for being the first to write in with these five favorite fashion accessories of 2009. Check back to see more of her designs (like the underbust corset in the bottom-most picture) when her website launches this spring. We’ll also be doing posts on the other two designers pictured!
#1 – The quirky ‘mini-hat’. Crowns, tophats, bicorns & fedoras… the mini-hat is likely the cutest head-adornment the world has ever seen. Worn by steampunks, lolitas, burlesque dancers, & festival freakers, this head piece lets you get your antics up without the hat-hair.
#2 – No longer for running around and waging war… spats keep the ankles of post-apocalyptic artists clean & protected! Running to photograph deep in a swamp, hopping fences to fancy-up a dull warehouse wall, or simply to keep your ankles warm while dancin’ in the rain. Fashion and function, spats got it all.
#3 – Vests for everyone! Over a collared shirt, tank top, t-shirt, blouse or straightup on its own, vests can pull off a huge variety of different looks! What’s your style? Equestrian? Teacher? Faery? Victorian? Scenester? Freaker? Everyone needs one of these bad-assed badboys!
#4 – The leather utility belt. A ‘fabric’ becoming more and more widely accepted as eco-friendly, and by far the most sustainable as it only gets more supple and formed to your body with age. The meat industry isn’t dying out anytime soon, and our leather is simply making use of a byproduct. While caravaning across dusty plains, trippin’ around a summertime festival, or merely going for coffee – the purse and backpack can prove bulky, they can throw out your back, and just plain become a nuisance. The utility belt solves all your carrying needs in a stylish, and comfortable way.
#5 – Underbust corset. Not much need be said. Comfortable to wear, keeps your back straight when sitting for long periods of time, and all will agree: bloody sexy.
We’re excited to continue this series on your top five favorite fashion accessories of 2009 so email us with your words and pictures at the email address below the Follow Along links.
Top Five Fashion Accessories of 2009 Vol. 1
We all have our favorite bits of couture. Unique costume pieces that we can count on if we want to guarantee a compliment or two. Here’s one fashionista’s top five favorite fashion accessories of 2009.
El Top Hat Gigante’ was THE crowd-pleasingest item of 2009. By sewing a full sheet of thick black construction paper to an already popular gold-grommet accented felt hat, a new scale of cranial accessorizing was unleashed on the party populous. From parades to stages to fire art installations, this prop eclipsed all that came near with it’s sheer ridiculousity.
Adding a touch of couture class was the tubular crinoline adorned bow-tie (which can be seen in the same picture). A basic black strap-on bow-tie augmented by two 10″ lengths of black tubular crin w/iridescent green accent threads spiraling around. It added squiggliness, color, and interactivity to any outfit.
While more utilitarian in application, the black leg warmers with brass snaps used as arm warmers are a tremendously fashionable way to increase the warmth of whatever funky ensemble fails to cover the hands, forearms, and elbows adequately. Since the arrival of an
exceptionally cold winter season, these have been in heavy rotation complementing all manner of get-ups. The great antique color of the snaps and longitudinal ribbing create a splendid if subtle effect and they can even handle a bit of open flame which is a huge plus!
A handmade birthday gift from a friend is always wonderful. One that has been made so over the top that you are the only one who can rock it is transcendentally awesome. Such is the case with this macrame’ “necklace” that rapidly became a 2009 Burning Man Schwag-Rig. Somehow, everything fits on it … in a tangled bank sort of way. And it does have everything. The key to home, a Pi-Stone, popcorn, even a glass bauble with a magic mushroom in it among other assorted bits of gifted love.
Finally, we have the accessory that can turn any pair of boots into epic couture footwear while simultaneously bridging the gap created by too short pant legs (see pic at bottom of post). They’re a little bit steampunk, a lot of post-apocalyptic militaria, and all sorts of vintage hotness. These East German Gaiters from the 1950s have had their leather bits antiqued/distressed and a few metal accents have been added to create a potent effect. We were lucky to find the brass medallions on a vintage coin type belt. All they need now is a healthy dusting of Playa!
We’re already salivating over all the goodies we have in the works for 2010. It will be interesting to see where they stand by the end of the year! What pieces are you getting excited about?
Participate! This is Vol. 1 and if you’d like to see a Vol. 2, please email us with pictures and words honoring your favorite accessories from this last year so we can put them into a blog post! Our Email address is to the right under the follow along links 
The Power of MO
One of the hottest new facial fashion accessories to emerge during the last century is the prosthetic mustache or “MO”. But it’s more than just a fashion statement, MOs can save male genitalia too …
During the month of MOvember, the City of ReMO team was “Changing the face of mens’ health” by growing MOs to raise everyones awareness of mens’ health issues especially prostate and testicular cancer. To celebrate their smashingly successful campaign, the team hosted a ‘Stache Bash.
There was only one rule at the bash: no entrance without a MO which applied to the ladies as well. Fortunately, these were some daring and creative gals who had no reservations about rocking a seriously silly upper lip (or forehead or breast or …).
New and fertile ground was broken that evening as MOs made from tubular crinoline, herbs, feathers, and a variety of other materials made their debut. It was amazing to see women wearing “normal” prosthetic mustaches becoming common-place in the presence of some haute mustachio’d couture.
Our experience at the bash made at least one thing clear: Woman + MO = Pure Genius. It’s an absolutely hillarious, simple, and ridiculous fashion statement that is so versatile it can be paired with just about anything. It’s the perfect way to let everyone you meet know that you aren’t too serious … though you might still be looked at as too cool.
If you’re not feeling up to the challenge of designing and manufacturing your own MO, there are a number of places to purchase them in a variety of styles. NifNaks has a brilliant line of traditional prosthetic “Moustachios” made from wool. In a pinch, simple fake mustaches can be scored at any novelty store.
If you don’t like the idea of sticking things on your face due to sensitive skin or a variety of other reasons, there are a few alternative methods to accomplish a similarly MO-tastic effect. Two of the better alternatives we noticed at the party were MO-on-a-stick and MO-rings both of which can be used to temporarily simulate the presence of a MO.
We look forward to seeing this lesser-known fashion accessory more frequently in and around our community’s celebrations. Finally, if you’re proud of your MO and have a picture you’d like to share, please email it to us!
Burners Do “Steampunk Lincoln” For Nevada Day
We just love a parade. Pomp and circumstance, marching bands, floats, being the unabashed center of attention in a linear representation of community for all to see, and, of course, dressing to the nines.
For the sixth year in a row, Burning Man (under the guidance of Danger Ranger and Kernul Killbuck) chose to enter the Nevada Day Parade in Carson City to celebrate the day Nevada attained Statehood: October 31, 1864. Each year there is a new global theme participants are encouraged to incorporate (sound familiar?) into their parade entries. This year the theme was a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, “The Great Emancipator”. In true burner fashion, our community put its own unique spin on this banal guideline with “Steampunk Lincoln”.
There are some important considerations to bear in mind when fashioning an outfit for a parade. Among these are: Comfortable Footwear, the parade route is X miles long but how many times will you also go back and forth from one side of the street to another?; Interactivity, you want to be able to memorably engage the parade spectators in some way(s), visually is fun but can you also go beyond that?; Movement, in addition to being able to march comfortably you may also want to bust a dance move or get in and out of a 
tight spot, consider the experience you want to create as well as the tricky situations you could end up in the middle of.; Fun, you want to have fun too so don’t go and put something on that’s going to make a glorious celebration seem like a grueling or dangerous task!
Burning Man did very well this year handily defending their position as the top Novelty Division entry. Further, the outfits were extraordinary! From finely accoutremented tail-coat lapels to 50-lb backpacks of brass home-furnishings, we strutted our stuff along a three-mile route through the heart of town to the delight of thousands.
We were all surprised to discover how easily a good stovepipe hat can be fashioned out of sturdy poster paper. I was also impressed by the fact that such paper can be hand sewn onto fabric (note, throw in at least a stitch per inch).
The fact that the October 31st date of Nevada Day coincides with another popular costume holiday can definitely set the stage for an alter-ego identity crisis. However, as you can see in the picture below, at least one participant had this tricky dichotomy well in hand.
Reno-lution Decom, Couture Community Snapshot
One Night Only! For just one night we can be transported back to the Playa as a default world collective. What’s more, we can bust a new outfit or two that either came into being post-playa or that we loved
too much to get dusty (there I said it).
Yeah, we all know the deal. But here’s an interesting notion that occurred to me during this year’s decom: It’s one thing to trip on the fact that 50,000 or so brilliant souls from all over the world can create such beautiful playa fashions but another thing entirely to party exclusively and be blown away by the creativity of your own small community.
Reno/Tahoe/Sparks has a higher ratio of burners to civilians than any other community in the world. And expecially during decom this really shows! These are the people who make your community what it is, radically expressing themselves. As usual, clothing is a tremendous aspect that expression.
One of the things that was great about this 
year’s decom was the daytime venue at the Celtic Forest. There were some well dressed stilters and a portrait studio where non-burners could play dress up!
What this event signifies to me is the beauty of radically creative community. The brilliance that occurs when we gather with the intention of passionately sharing in what makes us human. It’s the same synergy that we are attempting to manifest with DustyCouture. Join us in this endeavor by clicking on the Subscribe links to the right.
