Costume

Style Transcendental December 11, 2009

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.

A 3/4 view of armless headless white torso manequin wearing a reddish brown fur trimmed collared vest of many different colored and textured leathers in a symmetrical, organically chaotic symphony.

“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.”

Side view of one boot clad foot taking a step. The boots are an antiqued grey leather with black tribal tatto-like accents and leather laces criss-crossing antique brass hooks down the side of the calf.

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

A mysterious and sexy woman with her back towards you crouches on a bed amidst large orange and crismson pillows wearing a red lace mask, a head-piece of red roses with a pair of three foot long red and black striped turkey feathers arching out. A high collared red and salmon pink striped vest with red lacing. A beautifully carved dark mahogany headboard and red curtains occupy the background.

By Dusty Bacon, about: AYYA, AYYA Wear, Buyer's Guide, Character, Costume, Coupon Code, Couture, Custom, Custom Clothing, Custom Footwear, Custom Shoe, Eco Policy, Empowerment, Fashion Designer, Festival Culture, Haute Couture, Humble Power, Integrated Offering, Magical Narrative, Manifest, NorthWest, Possum Fur

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Fashionista Web Resources November 17, 2009

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. Boof A

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 …)

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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.

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By Dusty Bacon, about: BOOF!, Booth, Burner Style, Burners, Costume, Costume Ideas, Militaria, Military, MO, Mustache, Outfit, Photo Booth, PhotoBOOF!, Photos, Pictures of You, Portrait Studio, Portraits, Stache, Style

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Style Transcendental November 5, 2009

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. A male guitarist wearing a red and white marching band hat with a fake red bird (cardinal) perched atop it and a green sleeveless marching band shirt with horizontal filligree designs and epaulets.

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. A female in sexy but slightly freaky circus makeup wearing a black marching band hat with large white feather plume manipulates a hula hoop around her neck as she marches down the street amidst a crowd of performers and pedestrians alike. She has on duplicates of multiple=

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.

Every member of the band stretched out in a long line marching through a neighborhood with their colorful outfits and playing their many marching band instruments some are stilting some dancing on a large float in the background.

By Dusty Bacon, about: Andy Batt, Band, Circus, Costume, Ebay, Empower, Empowered, Empowerment, Hat, M4, March Forth, Marching Band, Parade, Post Apocalyptic, Punk, RAWK, Self Expression, Sound, Uniform, Vaudville

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.

LA Mud People Masks

By Dusty Bacon, about: Aboriginal, Character, Costume, Costuming, Elemental, Holistic, L.A. Mudpeople, LA Mud People, LA Mudpeople, Mike M. Mollet, Mike Mollet, Mollet, Mud People, Primal, Primitive

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? Now A

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,

Now C Now B

Now D

By Dusty Bacon, about: Costume, Costuming, Empowerment, Playa