Metamorphoses: Women's Outfits for The Burn 2019

Every year the org that puts on the burn releases a new theme that is meant to shape the art and inspiration for the festival. One of the most accessible ways to participate in the theme is to create outfits based on that year's topic.

Metamorphoses offers a variety of color options from beautiful butterflies to a phoenix rising from the ashes. Below are some ideas based on this year's theme:

Make Your Own Wings

Don’t wait for someone else to come along and make you change. Take yourself to the highest of heights, put on your wings, and soar. Have fun with this transformational rainbow butterfly outfit: 

You First Must Burn

In order for a phoenix to be reborn, it first must burn. All transformations come with their pain, but rising from the ashes, triumphant, is something we can all understand.

Always Be Yourself

Unless you can be a unicorn, then you should be a unicorn. Transform yourself into one of the most fun mythical creatures with this holographic unicorn ensemble.

You’re An Animal

Perhaps your next transformation should be an homage to your spirit animal! Channel your inner shaman and the energy of your spirit guides with an animal inspired outfit. Since my spirit animal is the dragonfly, you can see what I’ll be wearing below.

Don’t know what your spirit animal is? Take this fun quiz and find out.  

Put The "Y" in Cyborg

You were once human, but now you've been assimilated. Use your superior hive mind to solve the most important question, "where's the good music?"

The Burn Theme 2019: Metamorphoses

When I first saw what the 2019 burn theme was Metamorphoses, I immediately thought of my sophomore year english class and the famous line from Kafka’s Metamorphosis:

““As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.””

— Franz Kafka

Of course, when I think about transformation I tend to imagine a beautiful butterfly rather than a cockroach. But even that metamorphosis isn’t as easy as it seems.

Before a caterpillar becomes a butterfly it spins cocoon and from there, it doesn’t just grow wings, it instead loses all form and dissolves into a cell soup. Once it has lost all of its former shape it reforms from the goop into a butterfly.

After having been to the burn seven times, I can honestly say this is my favorite theme. The playa is our cocoon. We arrive as little caterpillars, even if we’ve been before, and we dissolve for a week and forget everything we know, and remember things about ourselves long forgotten. Then sometime shortly after the burn we spread our new wings and fly.

According to the org the theme this year celebrates change and uncertainty. It will be interesting to see how artists and participants represent the future with both art and fashion.

““When the butterfly takes wing, nothing of the caterpillar remains.””

— Alejandro Jodorowsky

Looking for ways to incorporate this year’s theme? Check out these outfits for women.