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.
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
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?
Dusty In Wonderland: Alice Couture Vol. 2
Still haven’t decided which character to dress up as? Don’t have time to read the books? Fret not! Our staff has some choice characters for you to portray that will surely wow the attendees of this week’s premier!
First, we highly recommend that you read the books. They are fast reads (as you might expect from a childrens’ book) and could likely be finished in 4 hours each. However, if you simply can’t be bothered with all that homework and you only have time to put together an outfit, here are some great lesser-known characters costume ideas complete with acting notes.
Man in white paper suit reading a newspaper. He’s on the looking glass train with Alice and as such subscribes to the process of doing things in reverse (ie ride the train before purchasing a ticket).
The White Knight is a great costume for an elderly or kind person. Whilst assisting Alice in an exceptionally chivalrous fashion he constantly talks of mildly useless things he’s invented (think Chindogu) and is very clumsy (consider some tumbling).
From the Wonderland book we have: Mouse, Duck, Dodo, Lory, Eaglet, Crab w/daughter, and several birds. All these animals fell into Alice’s pool of tears and are trying to dry off by playing race-like games that satirize civilized life or telling sad tales. Really you could come as just about any animal and claim to be with this group.
Flowers: Tiger-Lily, Rose, Daisies, Larkspur, Violet. A great group costume, these pretty ones address a subject en-mass judging the poor soul while intermittently chiding one another.
The various insects of the looking glass universe make for great ideas as well, especially since you can invent your own. The three mentioned are Rocking Horse Fly, Snap Dragon Fly, and Bread & Butter Fly. Come up with your own pun-ny bug to fit your costumery’s constraints. Perhaps make a few and mount them on springy things so they flutter about you or rest on your shoulder.
The Duchess and her Cook are also fun characters. The Cook is ill-tempered, throws things, and reeks of black pepper which causes everyone to sneeze. The Duchess is well-dressed, likes to cozy up with an arm around someone and does more than just agree with everything anyone says by extrapolating on the point in a very make it up as you go along way that ends up with some lame moral.
Finally, if you want to be one of the popular characters but still want it to seem original you can combine costumes by being Gonzo as the Mad Hatter or Brooke Shields as Alice. See pictures below.
These ideas should get you at least headed in the right direction. We want to hear about your experiences at the premier. Email us with your words and pictures 
Dusty In Wonderland: Alice Couture Vol. 1
With the mass migration through the looking glass for the new Alice In Wonderland movie only a week away, it’s time to venture down the rabbit hole together in search of the perfect premiere ensemble … Eat Me!
While the Playa may be our own personal Wonderland, there is no denying the tremendous appeal of Lewis Carroll’s transcendentally absurd universe. The original Disney movie has been with us since 1951 and we suspect that few BRCitizens have escaped the distinctly psychedelic influence of Walt’s masterful re-envisioning.
As an homage to the imaginative geniuses that have stepped to this concept, many of us will be dressing the part of our favorite Alice characters for this coming weekend’s debut. We incite you now to join us in this underground spectacle with your own interpretation of this ever so burnerly theme.
Mimicking the well known portrayals of Alice, the White Rabbit, and other characters as previously or currently defined will definitely fit the bill. Bear in mind, however, that those visual geniuses are all drawing from the same source: Lewis’s novels. You can empower yourself by giving new life to the words with your own unique interpretation.
Consider fusing the Mad Hatter with a steamier Oz vibe, or putting the Tweedles in a blender with candy-kid rave accessories. Hybridizing tried and true characters with these modern sub-genres could yield some surprisingly pleasant results.
In a different direction, normalizing the characters into an everyday personae turns the concept of a costume on it’s ear and could lead to a potentially profound performance. For example, the caterpillar could be a hippie dude wearing tie dye (and has obviously been smoking something) who launches into conversational tangents along the lines of, “But like, seriously man like who are we anyway you know, I mean who am I? Who are you? I mean really when you get right down to it you know …”
We hope to hear from you about your adventures through the cinematic looking glass. Include some pictures so we can feature your antics in the upcoming series of blog posts celebrating the latest incarnation of the curiouser and curiouser world of Alice. Email addy is just to the right, oh and if you please, Drink Me!
SuperBowling: A Tale of Two Supers
Is the NFL Super-Bowl your idea of a good time? If not, perhaps you should consider spicing up the most bean-dip saturated Sunday of the year with a paradigm shifting pun that requires big, heavy, balls.
Over TWENTY super heroes and super villains assembled for this year’s 4th annual “Cease Fire” bowling-based battle-royale between the super heroes and super villains of our fair Truckee Meadows . Both rival factions were represented and the costumes/character concepts remarkably well executed.
In attendance were such marvels as Cosmic Orgasm, The Striped Crusader, Lady Bacon, Tie Dye Guy, Super Nurse, Lemon Drop, Superlative Girl, as well as their nefarious foes: The Eraser, Mistress Ring-Worm, Rain Man, The Pet, Pretty Horny, Mathematicus, Latexra, and Melancholy Baby. Various henchmen and sidekicks were also present.
The concepts and costumes of the participants were intentionally light-hearted and really, the only thing super about them was their super-silliness. We suspect this is the main reason for the event’s rising popularity and continued success.
Some serious thinking outside the box is required to generate a silly character concept. Take Lemon Drop for instance. She is the protectress of Lemmon Valley who’s special attack combo is, “Paper-cut, lemon-juice!”. Her war-cry of, “Who’s ready for some fresh squeezed Justice?” could be heard echoing across the lanes as she brandished her lemon shaped bottle with citrus-scented authority.
On the other side of the wedding aisle in this marriage of extremes we have a villainous concept like The Eraser who’s dueling chalkboard erasers strike fear in the hearts of even the most courageous. He makes his escape from bank robberies in a cloud of chalk-dust (generated by banging the erasers together) and derides his opponents with taunts of, “So, I see you have been foolish enough to wear dark colored clothing!” before leaving chalk marks all over their outfit.
The payoff for an execution of such sheer ridiculousity is exhilarating, especially when done en masse and in synergistic rebellion to one of the most popular fixtures of American culture. As SUPERlative Girl so eloquently exclaimed, “SuperBowling is the best idea ever!” And for once, she was not exaggerating.
*SUPER Special thanks to David James Kerr for his excellent photo-documentation. All pictures are by him.
Santarchy and the World’s Most Prolific Theme
Is the Christmas holiday more than just a theme? To some it is all that’s sacred but to a growing number of revelers it is something of a conceptual jungle gym to riff on, subvert, and have fun playing with.
This latter group includes the Santarchists, or “Santa Crawlistas” as they are known around these parts. SantaCon events occur in multiple locations around the world during the month of December as individuals subvert the aesthetic of the world’s most popular themed occasion with copious amounts of egg-nog and a Claus sized helping of St. Nick naughtiness.
We were on the scene for this year’s exceptionally snowy and well attended crawl (Reno apparently has one of the largest) where we witnessed the full spectrum of holiday themed costumes. While the “sexy Mrs. Claus” costume handily maintained its perennial dynasty, as evidenced by the 2nd annual Sexy Santa Competition, a 1st annual Most Creative Christmas Costume Contest also paid homage to the many reindeer, toy soldiers, snowflakes, wrapped presents, ice fairies, pajama’d children, hybrids/mutants, candy canes, Noelian steampunks, Christmas pirates, and of course, the ninjas (among numerous other original holiday costume ideas).
Whatever the costume might be, the feeling behind it is the same: Let’s take a break from the holiday related stress of shopping, family, traffic, etc., and have some good-ol-timey burnerly fun with this Xmas beast! That the costumes express such a level of creativity, innovation, and liberated viewpoints regarding the “reason for the season” are a testament to our community’s brilliant willingness to shift the sometimes oppressive holiday paradigm towards something more … scandalous.
An epic snow/ice-ball fight marked this year’s Reno crawl as one for the history books (see great videos here and here). There is no denying the holiday counter-magic created by legions of wassailers dressed in red fuzzy outfits having their run of the town. It’s an effect that is remarkably similar to the inspiring feelings of rampant freedom present in our home away from home. When thousands of people dress in costume, the mind becomes overwhelmed and disbelief gets suspended. Suddenly a host of ridonkulous new possibilities enter the field of play and the next thing you know, you’re right where you need to be with exactly the freaks you were meant to be with doing the things that dreams of sugar plums dancing with freaky ice fairies are made of …
AYYA Avatar Liberating Wear
What is fashion capable of? Can what you wear manifest the surfacing of something deep within you? Or enshroud a vision that unveils a new path? Whatever the possibilities are, AYYA is expanding them.
“These are the Wild Times … “
Born of a continually evolving collective mission to create a life worth living from the disintegrating raw materials of the dominant paradigm, AYYA is one living example of community in action. Magnetized by the festival cultures of the NorthWest, they have been working together for many years, across many continents, creating clothing, performance, environments, and events all on a mission to evolve culture.
“We must be able to make our home in the mystery.”
AYYA regards each article of clothing as a container for a unique story that can only unfold when someone puts it on, and begins to create their own adventure. One of the ways they choose to act out this philosophy is by allowing for a significant level of customization when ordering. If you want to get an idea for just how much you are encouraged to customize your order, take a look at the color combo options for their Spiral Tabi Boots. The clothing of AYYA is created with the pure intention that each garment provides a portal for its wearer to enter into a magical narrative of their own creation.
“… the choice to step into our gear is also a commitment to a life of humble power and integrated offering.”
AYYA doesn’t adhere to any one organization’s trade regulations, they sense their own truth. Their Eco Policy and utilization of Possum Fur are both controversial and a good example of what makes them a conscious company that you can trust. Their production is based in Bali, where they are exploring how to transcend “fair trade” by creating scholarships for children to attend college, collaborating on health and wellness programs, participating in ceremony together, and learning from one another. They have a commitment to continually researching and developing a truly sustainable, eco, thriving business/apocalyptic survival strategy.
“And yes, we’re gonna need something to wear.”
NOW is the time to order from them. Their website has just been updated AND their holiday coupon code is in effect! See their front page for details. *Co-Authored by AYYA
10,000+ BRC Costume Ideas? Thanks PhotoBOOF!
That’s right, over 4,000 four-shot photo-booth type strips of one to six BRCitizens at a time taken during the ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, and 2009 Burns. It’s a profound gift, an art-generator, and an archive of our dusty brilliance.
It’s the PhotoBOOF!, a quadruple-shot of well-dressed burner mayhem straight from the source. Prepare yourself for thousands of smiles topping off a TON of radical styles.
Each year of its existence, the BOOF! has taken thousands of portraits, capturing Burners out on the town truly BEing “themselves” and wearing their best. Shortly after each burn the photos are uploaded to PhotoBOOF.org to be appreciated in a variety of ways.
Our favorite way is the slideshow display within the “Map Animation” browser. Just press the play button and watch the beauty flash by to a soundtrack. (Hint: The Cure’s “Pictures of You” is an epic track to hear during this presentation and you can make it play by clicking any one of the day names under the photo. Note: You might have to click more than once, clicking the names cycles through about eight or so tracks …)
The BOOF! archives are a potent resource that will yield more inspiration and knowledge each time you visit. In addition to getting a solid feel for the outfits of each person photographed, the archives contain pics of friends that you didn’t get a chance to see during the week, and, perhaps most importantly, it’s the next best thing to being on the streets of BRC, lost in a sea of exquisitely accoutered humans BEing in that special way you can love immediately without needing any introduction.
What’s great about Photoboof.Org, is it’s ability to accurately remind us of how people actually look at burning man. Often we only see the pro-photogs’ pics of the one in five hundred costumes and forget that the true essence of burner style isn’t based so much on what you’re wearing but in how well you’re wearing it, how it becomes an extension of you, and whether or not it’s helping you and those who are interacting with you stay “dusty”.
Finally, all fashion aside, if you’re having Playa withdrawls, visiting these images can offer just the kind of energetic immersion you’re craving STAT. And, if you’re one of the fortunate few who knows people that want to get some idea what this Burning Man thing you’re all excited about is really like? Show them these pictures of your friends and ask them to tell you.
March Fourth, Style To Beat The Band
If there were such a thing as too stylish, the March Fourth (M4) marching band would have to qualify. Instead, they remain the darlings of every town they storm into and the focus of many a band-camp urban legend.
This isn’t your run of mill radical, infectious, electric, gypsy-afro-vaudeville-multi-disciplinary marching band either, cause you see, these freaks are burners who RAWK the Playa consistently & without fail. And what’s more fine readers, they’re spreading their special brand of burning freaky-funk around off Playa the old-fashioned way traveling from town to town.
When M4’s on the scene there’s no denying it. From a distance, you can hear the sound coming your way, like your town somehow just became New Orleans while you weren’t looking. Then you see them, and your world forever changes.
Their fashion statement is Marching Band Punk meets Circus Sideshow with a little bit of Post-Apocalyptic Elks Lodge thrown in just for the funk of it. Andy Batt an award winning photographer captures the members’ individual styles at their fantastically freaky finest in a series of brilliant studio portraits.
I know what you’re thinking now, how can we be like them. Well if you don’t have any musical or circus-y performance experience you might have to just arrive on their doorstep all Fight Club style and refuse to leave OR you can choose to be happy enough just to look like they do.
The declining state of school funded marching bands in our country, while deplorable, creates numerous opportunities to purchase awe-inspiring vintage marching band attire for next to nothing. Not surprisingly, many such “Marching Band Uniforms/Jackets/Hats” can be found via simple search on Ebay.
Be forewarned, while these uniforms will arrive styled out to a brilliant degree you will want to take them even further. Study the M4 outfits closely and notice that all have been personalized. You see, it’s not just about looking cool. It’s about being radically empowered in the name of self-expression.
M4 will be at the Broken Spoke in Reno this Saturday night (Nov 7th). It’ll only cost ya $8 and I WILL BE THERE. Come on down, we can compare notes … and outfits.
True Fiction, The L.A. MudPeople
There is a mysterious group of transcendentally costumed creatures that has been rumored to exist beyond the trash fence. Actually, WAY beyond the trash fence. And yet, they look like something that is of the Playa. Or, perhaps more accurately, they look just LIKE the Playa surface itself!
These are the L.A. MUDPEOPLE, an improvisational tribe. According to tribe-member Mike M. Mollet, “We don’t speak. We move slowly, wear full-head masks (often with) found clothing & ornamentation, & MUD, many colors of MUD. We hang-out. We’ve been around for nearly 20 years.”What’s so amazing is how deep the Mudpeoples’ “costume” goes. Beneath the sheer brilliance of their primitive exterior adornment, the Mudpeople act, live, and, I suspect, think the way a tribal aboriginal would. Their behavior whilst in character is said to be that of an exemplary environmental steward, a creature that is inseparable from the land.
The Mudpeople are engaging in a powerful practice of radical transformation from the outside in. There are profound experiences to be had via this method. By choosing to holistically BE something that is evolutionary-stages apart from the current norm, this tribe is tapping into some truly transcendental energy.
Over the next few weeks we will be delving deeper into the various aspects of this outfit that muddy the way for deeper development. If you are interested in exploring the power of next-level costuming along with us, click on the links to the right and subscribe.
Our Time Is Now
Have you ever been amazed by a costume on the playa? Or felt a complete sense of empowerment from a costume you created and all the delicious opportunities that came to surround it?
Costuming is, for many of us, the very fun and experimental heart of “self”-development. Whether it’s your first time cross-dressing or the creation of an entirely new character complete with idiosyncrasies you’ve never even heard of before, to the vitally empowering practice of creating through the manipulation of materials, the outsides we fashion and adorn ourselves with become a part of our story.
From now on you will see that story, our story, spinning, mutating, and radically evolving here. Click the Subscribe links to the right, return often, stay dusty.
Sincerely,
