In August 2018, my partner Gilles Bonugli and I were married at Burning Man which had been an important part of our relationship from the beginning.
Gilles is a French visual artist and photographer, and I'm a Jamaican born fashion designer who grew up in New York. We first met at a Burner party in NYC back in 2015, and I fell in love with Gilles' Burning Man photography which captured the immense beauty of Black Rock City.
In typical Burning Man spirit, we decided to trade services: I would make Gilles' Burning Man costume designs, and he would shoot photos for my clothing line Fringe & Epaulette. That was the beginning of our creative union, and since then, we've collaborated on countless artistic projects, including the design of our wedding outfits.
The 2018 Burning Man theme was I, Robot and our wedding outfits were designed to fit this futuristic theme. After many hours of designing and redesigning to create a composition that wouldn’t fall apart when worn, Gilles' came up with intricate vector designs to be laser cut on cream suede and cream satin for our wedding outfits. Once the laser cutting was complete, I assembled the pattern pieces and layered them on top of fiber optic fabric to create a futuristic look that blended light with shadows. Multimedia artist Kirill Shevyakov then hooked up the fabric to lighting and connected the power source.
We were married after a massive dust storm in front of the mesmerizing color-changing RadiaLumia sculpture created by the FoldHaus art collective. The software engineers even coordinated the LEDs on the installation to turn on when Gilles and I exchanged rings in our wedding venue and activated the fiber optic lighting in our outfits. Our intergalactic Burning Man wedding was documented by Jasna Boudard of Travel Weddings and blended the work of many different Burning Man artists. Gilles and I had such a great time designing our wedding outfits that next year we plan to launch a bridal collection that combines elegance with cutting edge technology, and delve deeper into exploring laser cutting technology.
More info: fandecouture.com
One night while looking at the intricate shadows created by our Hybycozo lamp, I came up with the idea of creating the same effect with laser cutting and fiber optic fabric
Vector design including sacred geometry based on Islamic art, a Merkabah, (a crystalline energy field made up of sacred geometries that align the mind, body, and heart), angel wings, tribal motifs, a dove symbolizing freedom, and our initials.
After many hours of designing and redesigning to create a composition that wouldn’t fall apart when worn, Gilles came up with these vector designs that were then laser cut onto cream suede for his hood and cream satin for my dress.
Final Laser Cut Hood
Laser Cut Wedding Dress Bodice
Design for 3D Printed Wedding Rings
Gilles had also designed our wedding rings which were then 3D printed by Shapeways. The symbols included our initials, the serotonin molecule to symbolize everlasting happiness, the Fibonacci sequence, and the beginning of the Flower of Life: the first circle symbolized the first being, the 2nd represents two entities, and the third circle represented the creation of the first two circles.
I didn't finish our wedding outfits before we left for Burning Man and had to finish in our RV on the way to Burning Man
Since I didn't finish sewing before we left for Burning Man, the bridesmaids had to finish their outfits the day of the ceremony
Baking a wedding cake for 50 people the day of the wedding in the Black Rock City Bakery
Working at the bakery was one of the highlights of my wedding day. The randomness of baking a huge cake in the middle of the desert was so awesome, and it was actually quite calming to mix all the ingredients together and decorate the cake. I had so much respect for the volunteers at the Black Rock City Bakery who worked throughout the day to bake delicious French pastries for the citizens of Black Rock City.
Intergalactic Empress
Custom face chains with our initials by Ipek Design
Intergalactic Bridesmaids
Adding some final touches to my wedding dress on the way to the wedding
Cleansing negative energy with Palo Santo
Friends following behind on the way to the wedding
Our fire blowing wedding chariot Carl the Chameleon
The groomsmen wore intergalactic druid robes from my 2018 collection
We descended the art car in disguise wearing these epic masks by Dan Schaub Designs
The futuristic masks were a perfect complement to our laser cut outfits
The theme for our playa wedding was intergalactic gods and goddesses
In A Distant Galaxy
Wearing a modular crown by Object and Dawn and Ipek Design face chain
We were married before the color changing RadiaLumia sculpture by the Foldhaus art collective
The software engineers timed the LEDs in the RadiaLumia to switch on when Gilles' and I exchanged rings and activated the fiber optic lighting in our outfits.
Wedding Party at RadiaLumia
Gilles serving champagne in his fiber optic hood
Color Changing Fiber Optic Hood Detail
Color Changing Fiber Optic Wedding Dress
Rich aka Hug Monster and his partner Rockit Rocketgirl in handmade costumes by Rockit
Cake Time on Playa
When it comes to weddings, it's not just about the union of two souls. It's about creating memories and experiences that leave a lasting impression—much like the joys of dancing, which brings people together in a celebration of movement and joy.
Anyone planning their own unique event could explore creative activities like a freestyle dance session, ensuring every guest is part of the joyous atmosphere.