Looking for festival costume ideas? Or for Burning Man fashion which isn’t fast fashion? Here are some of our favorite artisan-made festival fashion brands to support and/or be inspired by:
Be inspired: Cutouts & Laser Etching
You can upcycle textiles to create your own statement pieces by cutting into leathers and thick synthetic textiles. Use an x-acto knife, ruler, and a cutter mat to cut patterns into old clothes.
Handmade in Turkey, Kalifesta Store‘s silver and gold pieces are cut with geometry which makes them futuristic and breathable. The reflective material is also perfect for the hot sun.
Five And Diamond also has cuffs created with clever cut-outs cuffs and this strip-construction top. They are a women-owned boutique which ethically produces out of a small workshop in Bali. So you can feel good about supporting them.
Be inspired: Dune
Scarves which can become hoods. Dust masks. Desert suits. These are all practical on desert planets & desert festivals alike.
Though Demobaza‘s “About” blurb certainly speaks of a conscious mindset, I can’t find specifics about the sustainability & ethical practices of this brand. Certainly hope they sourced environmentally-conscious textiles & ethical labor to justify their price tags.
So, though I won’t recommend buying from an environmentally-ambiguous brand, I will recommend getting upcycling inspiration for their lines.
Be inspired: Illumination
Be inspired to wire your own costumes with LEDs. There are countless kinds of wearable lights to play from: el wire, copper wire lights, neopixels and thousands of online videos to help you get creative.
Or support creators who do all the wiring for you, like:
Handmade LED (and illuminated) costumes, because you need to stay lit at night.
Fibre optic clothing made in Las Vegas.
Be inspired: Harnesses
Strips of leather or PU leather can be transformed into harnesses, cuffs and belts with a few leather punch and some buckles. Take inspiration from:
Feya Portupeya, whose harnesses, festival clothing & bondage lingerie are handmade in the Ukraine.
Be inspired: Headpieces
Headpieces are fabulous, a fun way to express yourself. There are countless tutorials online on how to make crystal tiaras, flower headbands, and zip tie crowns, all fairly easily and inexpensively.
Or get an artisan-made headpiece from one of these creators:
Playful & surreal headpieces, this LA-based shop has a large collection & creates custom pieces as well.
Handmade crowns & headpieces.
I spotted one of the Knocks wearing this crown at a festival. Coming in a variety of colors, this crown is flattering on men.
Another Ukrainian Etsy store. SETA makes fantastical crowns and tiaras that are lightweight (many made with zip ties)
