Image courtesy of Burn.life/Nick C. Lynch
As summer winds down, people take their last-minute vacations, out-of-office emails are being sent, and Labor Day trips are being planned. Summer is also time for various music and art festivals, as creatives take full advantage of the outdoors and warm weather. Among the many events that help close out August, one that attracts a global crowd is Burning Man.
Burning Man is a week-long large-scale desert event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. The event’s name stems from the burning of a large wooden effigy, a.k.a. “the man,” on the penultimate night of the event, historically the Saturday before Labor Day.
Image courtesy of burningman.org
Burning Man originated on June 22, 1986, on Baker Beach in San Francisco as a small function organized by Larry Harvey and Jerry James, the builders of the first Man. It has been held annually since then, and in 1991 it officially moved to Black Rock City in northwestern Nevada.
Harvey stated in 2004 that Burning Man is guided by ten principles: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy. Unlike many similar events, Burning Man has no headliners or performers, rather, the participants design and build all the art, activities, and events.
One current notable aspect of Burning Man that goes underappreciated is the fashion. Although Burning Man attendees are in a remote desert three miles away from civilization, that doesn’t stop them from donning interesting looks. Guests have been photographed in everything from metal bodysuits, to mesh two-piece sets, and nipple pasties.
Image courtesy of rgj.org
For an event that’s all about creativity and liberation, and is in no way fashion-specific, some might be shocked to find that Burning Man does have a dress code. Glitter, sequins, and feathers are a no-no. When dressing for Burning Man, attendees must remember that whatever they are wearing must leave no trace behind (hence the ban on glitter, which is considered bad for the environment.)
In the early days of Burning Man, when it came to fashion, people prided function over fashion. Since the first years of Burning Man took place on the beach, outfits included shorts, tee shirts, sun dresses, sandals, and beach-appropriate attire. There came a turning point in the ‘90s when people began trading function for fashion.
Image courtesy of pinterest.com
During the rise of the ‘90s animal print jacket trend, Burning Man attendees adopted the style, and animal print jackets were seen everywhere at the festival. The love of patterns in the ‘90s would evolve into a love of colors in the ‘00s when neon colors became the dominant fashion trend at the festival.
By the early 2010s, the fashion at Burning Man still involved plenty of bright colors, although people were opting for more electric colors and tie-dyes rather than neon. As social media apps, like Instagram, began slowly taking over by 2012, Burning Man outfits saw a major shift. Looks became more costume, although odd for an event with no cellphone reception for people to keep social media in mind when dressing. Outfits in recent years have featured everything from people wearing disco balls on their heads to crop tops with tutus. Some have even described Burning Man as the biggest modern costume show for adults outside of Halloween.
Image courtesy of businessinsider.com
As Burning Man has become arguably an international phenomenon, so has attendees’ need to showcase the most over-the-top costumes possible. Burning Man costumes have even turned into a full-scale business. Some former longtime attendees have begun selling custom pieces for burners, with pieces ranging from winged goggles to animal print dusk masks.
On the other side of costume fashion, some still choose function, but long gone are the days of sandals, shorts, and tee shirts. Some Burners often opt for outfits to cover themselves to protect from sand and dust. Spandex one-pieces have also become very popular among the Burning Man crowd.
Despite the more costume approach to Burning Man, there is still a level of functionality kept in mind. Burners try to wear outfits that can work in both the heat and cold. (It is August in a desert after all.)
Burning Man’s attendance also continues to grow year over year. The estimated number of attendees for this year’s festival is 73,000. Attendance has grown beyond the standard creatives and has also expanded to tech people and entrepreneurs who are looking for an escape and a window to have some artistic freedom.
Image courtesy of pinterest.com
Like most events, the fashion at Burning Man will see its trends come and go and fashions go in and out of style. However, with the growing number of attendees and their need to maximize their creativity, fashion will only continue playing a major role at the event. The rules governing what they wear can also be a broader lesson in sustainability for the fashion industry in the spirit of “leaving no trace.”
— Kristopher Fraser
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