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.
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
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?
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 …
Playa FATshion: Luscious Ladies
Last weekend a group of large and in charge fashionistas hosted a rawkus celebration of couture designed with the plump woman in mind. Sexxxy got brought by the babes with the most back to the delight of all.
The Lucsious Ladies of the Fat Girls fashion show took back control of the runway and in doing so manifested the re-envisioning of everything a sensual woman can be. These incredible feme-fatales walked the room in an array of off-the-rack and custom sewn creations, that highlighted the reality of their beauty, power, and energy.
Lauren Mari Hufft Gifford of Prism Magic and Meredith Tanzer of La Bussola brought together a tremendous stable of talent for a revolutionary show that incorporated Burlesque, Lounge Singing, Belly Dancing, and Body Painting performances in addition to epic fashion. An especially notable highlight was the most over-the-top, steamiest, sinful cupcake eating performance we can imagine!
There was a deep sense of knowing surrounding the paradigm shift our community was manifesting that night. Amidst the laughter and wild cheering we all seemed to know that this happening was bringing a much needed counter-balance to the over-sold and brutal “ideal” image of the female form that western culture is currently plagued by. With their own sexual energy and clothing our voluptuous vixens shed the omnipresent awareness of the body a woman is “supposed” to have and transcended all comparisons while giving the finger to any who would scheme to alienate them from their own bodies.
We citizens of Black Rock City are familiar with the conscious act of taking control of our image. Burning man has always been a deliciously deconstructed platform to reform how we see ourselves. Radical self expression is a common description of what we are up to out on the playa but perhaps Larry Harvey said it best in the 2000 SUMMER NEWSLETTER Burning Man Journal ” … participants commune with themselves, … regard their own reality, that essential inner portion of experience that makes them feel real, as if it were a vision. I like to say that visions aren’t defined by light which falls upon them, but that they shine forth with their own light – they radiate outward, they illumine the world, they redefine reality.”
Special thanks to our co-author for this piece Mairin Kareli, Artist and Owner of Kareli Kairos www.karelikairos.com
Mairin’s unique insights can be attributed to her background as an extremely intelligent luscious lady, visual artist, business owner, and fashion designer, as well as multiple other pursuits she is engaged in many of which she excels at beautifully.
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!
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.
