These are my people!
That was the first thought I had upon walking into Kostume Kult’s Horned Ball 2016. Sexy people in amazing costumes everywhere aaaah! I felt like I had ADHD trying to look at all the amazing creations around me. LED balls hanging from the ceiling, jellyfish lamps, giant inflatable bubbles turned into cuddle puddles…I never would have guessed that Webster Hall, which is infamous for being a grungy venue filled with douchebags, could have been transformed in this way.
More so than any other Burning Man group, Kostume Kulters put the most effort into their costumes. Kostume Kult is a Burning Man theme camp that’s famous on playa for giving away costumes to those in need of some fabulousness. Horned Ball is one of several fundraisers Kostume Kult organizes to raise money for their Burning Man camp. Everything is volunteer run, from crafting jellyfish lamps, setting up the venue, to breakdown post-event.
The party’s description read: ” While HORNS of any type will suffice, to play along with this year’s theme, come as steampunk explorer, horny pirate, mermaid, aquatic retro-futuristic, bizarro deep-sea, mesozoic oceania, tentacles, leviathans, krakens or anything with horns, spikes or tusks. Jules Verne wrote both ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ and ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’… We mash them together with artistic license and many questionable choices…”
So many possibilities!
Unfortunately I don’t have time to make a costume for every party and keep up with costume orders! (Clone needed…) Horns weren’t my strong point either, I’m more of a feather and sequin gal. I was planning to recycle a costume from last year’s Mermaid Parade and make a headdress from some glitter branches I randomly bought from Michaels in 2014 but never got around to using. #designerproblems…. However, my friend Kirill asked if I would wear his LED collar to Horned Ball so he could get pics for his website. Kirill’s a really talented graphic designer and LED artist who I teamed up with last year to make LED sequin tuxedo jackets for 2 clients. He does the LED work on any Fringe & Epaulette illuminated costumes.
I wasn’t sure how I would incorporate a collar into my costume but figured I’d rather come up with an entirely new look that matched the collar. Until the day of the party I had no intention of wearing horns. Not enough time to make them! Luckily I have a crafty roommate who happened to have some horny looking icicles that she had made into a headdress for I FEEL Winter Forest. #roomiewin Considering how last minute my outfit was I’m really happy with how it turned out 🙂
I think it’s impossible to have a bad time at a Kostume Kult party. So many friendly people! While the music isn’t my style, I enjoy their events for the crowd. It’s always a blast to people watch and I love partying with people who inspire me creatively. The night was a blur of hugs and dancing hard to the music.
Next Kostume Kult event: Black & Light Ball on May 21st https://www.facebook.com/events/1670167269900365/
