Story and photos by Emily Lang

SAN FRANCISCO – Where do those burners get those crazy costumes? Aside from the art installations at Burning Man, the campers' clothes (if they're wearing any, that is) can make the desert art fest seem like a giant, psychedelic fashion show.

Making your own outrageous outfit can be time-consuming, so Prepare for the Playa events make it easy to load up on eye-catching gear you won't find on the shelves at Old Navy. These flea-markets-on-acid are a chance for burner-based businesses to connect, says Nikki Doran, one of the three Prepare for the Playa organizers, but they're also educational: Playa U how-to workshops put seasoned burners in touch with newbies to go over everything from shower construction and bike lighting to poi-twirling.

Fake fur is a staple of many Burning Man styles, and GlowFur – composed of an electroluminescent, wired matrix mesh that is sewn into the fur and diffused by gauzy fabric for an even, vibrant glow – can make any fellow burner jealous.

"It was invented by David Lee and was designed with the burner in mind," says Casson Trenor, who worked the GlowFur booth Sunday. "It keeps you warm at night on the playa." GlowFur garments, such as the one worn by Ginger Larsan (above, left), range in price from $100 to $1,500 for a full-length GlowFur coat.

The final Prepare for the Playa gathering Sunday at San Francisco's Cafe Cocomo found burners stocking up on essentials like funky furry garments, glittering underwear, goofy goggles and glow toys.

The Sparkle Plenty Creations booth lives up to its name with sequined, beaded, tasseled and trimmed bras in every size to meet any female burner's support and fashion needs.

"It brings out your inner radiance," says Jude Marks, proprietor and creative mind behind the bedazzling bustier line. "Women come here and they absolutely light up. I want to help women feel beautiful."

Michael Malott and Steve Boverie's light toy booth is a big hit at Prepare for the Playa. The LED and black light effects draw a lot of foot traffic and supplies dwindle late in the evening. "We really don't have much left," said Boverie.

At the Pod Belt booth, burners can find all sorts of laser-cut latex apparel, including cuffs, bras, gauntlets, skirts and necklaces.

"The laser-cut latex is designed on a computer and printed, essentially," explains Isa Gordon, who managed the booth. Gordon is the inventor of the Pod Belt, a modular, customizable utility belt.

First-time burner Ivan Ramof, center, waits at the expansive bar at Cafe Cocomo, where the Prepare for the Playa event was held. Ramof said he came looking for pointers for the playa and some new duds.

"I'm trying to look for some Burning Man attire," says Ramof. "I just joined this new crowd and I wanted to do something different."

It's not all buying and selling at Prepare for the Playa. Brandee Arro, right, a third-year burner, has her face painted by Sophia Harrington at a free face-painting booth outside Cafe Cocomo.

"Burning Man is the single most creative place I've ever been," says Arro, in anticipation of this year's festival. "I've never walked into a piece of art and had it move me to tears like it does on the playa."

On the practical side, the Playa Survival booth offers goggles, dust masks, earplugs, reusable stainless steel water containers and hand sanitizer. Survival kits are $25 and contain a little bit of everything.

Eve Gutierres, right, and Jacinda Kee with Ever Blaise Designs touch up their makeup before the final fashion show of the evening. "I've gone the past four years," says Deana Blaise, the fashion mastermind behind the collection. "I just fell in love with and I've been designing silly, costume burner clothes ever since."

The Prepare for the Playa event in the Cafe Cocomo filled the main dance floor, the outside courtyard and even climbed its way into the upstairs balcony.

The Medium Reality burner clothing line danced it's way across the stage during the final fashion show of the evening.

See also: