Sustainable Costumes on The Playa

My chat Jim Glaser aka Costume Jim, KostumeKult

The Kostume Tent — Photo credit Tom Egan

The fashion industry has long been associated with social and environmental problems, ranging from poor treatment of garment workers to pollution and waste generated by clothing production. Consumers have become more aware of the ecological impact of apparel production and are more frequently demanding apparel businesses expand their commitment to sustainability.

Buying secondhand clothing provides consumers a way to push back against the fast-fashion system. Burning Man is the perfect place to set an example for that.

Several camps are offering the idea of a secondhand store, and I am proud to be part of one, Kostume Kult.

Kostume Kult is a costume art, theme event, and street-theater club that has HUGE fun! Based in New York City with members internationally, our “Kult” is an open one inviting all to pursue costumed creativity year-round. At Burning Man, we are here to share our love for costumes (or as we call them Kostumes with a K) with the BRC community.

You are welcome to participate in the full Kostume experience at our camp. That means, donating your well-loved costumes to give them a new life while transforming yourself through a new Kostume. Anyone can then complete their experience by strutting their new stuff on the runway.

I sat down with Costume Jim, one of the founders of Kostume Kult, to dive in some more…

Tell me more about Kostume Kult.

Kostume Kult is a many medium arts collective and international community emanating from NYC. We host a year-round calendar of creative and incredibly fun activities including costume-themed galas, parades (floats), and festival camps including our infamous Burning Man esplanade camp since 2003.

At Burning Man, Figment (a participatory culture NYC fest), and others, we redistribute thousands of pounds of donated goods from Halloween and theatrical costume companies/ groups while helping many Burners (and cosplayers+) recycle once loved items.

The Runway —Photo credit Elisa Hetmanski

And this is where costume swapping is from? Let’s talk about what it means.

Costume Swaps are meetups where people bring costumes, creative accessories, and colorful fashions they seek to barter, usually tabling their items and negotiating exchanges.

While community members attend swaps, Kostume Kult (aka KK) engages more in costume gifting, recycling, and upcycling as part of many things we do.

What’s the difference between recycling a costume and upcycling a costume?

Recycling is giving a costume a new life. Upcycling is taking an item and altering and adding to it to create a new thing.

How many costumes do you swap and avoid becoming trash?

Every year we recycle 1–2 tons of goods as an arts collective but with plans to expand the costume redistribution program as we grow our non-profit mission.

Photo credit Elisa Hetmanski

Do you accept any costumes?

We try not to take things we will not be able to pass on, so we encourage costume and fashion accessories made from comfortable fabrics and generally bright or interesting colors and designs.

What is not accepted?

Cheap, fake, or unbreathable fabrics, boring dark things, and stuff that are more normal “clothes” than costumes. We are also selective of handheld accessories, i.e things that will fall apart easily and be left as moop. And yes, cool boots are ON, normal shoes, NO!

How is it done?

Lotsa ways. Get involved and find out!

This year Kostume Kult is located at 9:15 & Esplanade. You can come Monday — Friday, anytime between 12–5 pm to enjoy the Kostume experience which includes the runway, Krafting tent, and the Dream Bodega. That’s also when we accept donations.

Photo Credit Costume Jim

Dream Bodega? Tell me more.

The dream bodega is a new experience that visitors to KostumeKult can discover on their way to the Kostume tent. Enter through the bodega storefront and discover a world of dreams inside…

For those who are not familiar with the term bodega, it is an NYC-style convenience store.

In reality, at the Playa, it’s a shipping container with a bodega-covered door, that inside is an upside-down Central Park where people can write down and leave their dreams.

Kostume Kult at Night — Photo credit Ray Perfetti

Can’t wait to try it! When did it start?

Kostume Kult was born with inspiration from both the New York Halloween Parade and Burning Man with our first float in the Halloween Parade in 2000, our first Burning Man camp in 2002, and our annual year-round calendar of events starting in 2004

Inspired by the NYC Halloween Parade. One night of playa-like bliss I had been attending since 1988, just before I discovered Burning Man in 2001.How long have you been doing that?

Since I rediscovered costuming (as an adult) in the NY Halloween Parade in 1988.

Last question Jim, and it’s a question I ask all my guests in the outside world — What’s your favorite tree? There are no trees on the Playa, yet I am sure you have one!

Redwood.

Jim’s Hieronymus Bosch inspired Fish Warrior costume with Kostume Kult’s NYC’s Halloween Parade float

Jim Glaser, aka Costume Jim, is an executive recruiter, creative community leader, artist and activist passionate about the environment and participatory artforms. Jim has a long history of connecting people for business, creative and social opportunities while continuing to develop Kostume Kult and its non-profit parent, Costume Cultural Society, which is now expanding costume and art materials recycling programs.