Even during Mardi Gras, less is more
By Ruby Zlotkowski
This month, we celebrate one of my favorite times of year– Mardi Gras, a celebration of creativity, vitality, and indulgence. Traditionally, Carnival (carne vale = “meat, farewell”) is the last hurrah before lent, a season of fasting and abstinence. Although the holiday itself is Catholic, the celebration is rooted in ancient Pagan spring festivities. Its traditions have changed and morphed throughout history, and to this day is a very special (and wild!) time of year. Traditionally, people celebrate Fat Tuesday by eating fatty foods, but consumption of just about everything is celebrated, with the intention of giving up these earthly delights for lent.
The downside of this celebration and the bigger-is-better attitude that comes with excessive consumption is the mass waste produced. From costumes, to throws, and the waste accumulated through parties, Mardi Gras produces approximately 1,150 tons of waste annually. This hits me every year when I’m leaving a parade on St. Charles Ave and the streets are littered with throws and beads; it’s like swimming through a sea of garbage left behind. In these moments I remind myself that there are beautiful ways to celebrate, express ourselves, and indulge in the excitement without contributing to this wasteful aspect of Mardi Gras. If we shift our focus and money spent on fast fashion costumes and plastic throws to eco-conscious habits such as upcycling, supporting small businesses, and finding creative ways to support our city, it will only make the celebration more special. Although there is so much more work to be done, there is a shift in awareness taking place. This year, I was inspired to see the expansion of local organizations tackling the epidemic of waste around Mardi Gras. Our choices spread into our communities, which helps protect our beautiful planet. After all, Mardi Gras comes from Paganism, which is rooted in celebrating mother nature.
Here’s a few ideas of how you can celebrate the opulence of this beautiful festival season without contributing to wasteful overconsumption:
Costumes
Mardi Gras, fantastical by nature, is a perfect time for storytelling. Some dress as medieval royalty–jesters, kings, princesses– but most people choose their own adventure. This year, I saw angels, monsters, a pink cheetah, and I even got a carriage ride from The Kool-Aid Man. In addition to individual costumes, there are many different krewes, each with their own theme, such as Krewe of Red Beans, Krewe of Cleopatra, Krewe de la Renaissance, Krewe de Kink, Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, and so on. Your costume can be as abstract or classic as you’d like. In 1892, Rex’s parade theme “Symbolism of Colors” gave meaning to Carnival’s iconic palette: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. These colors are often incorporated into Mardi Gras looks.
Fast fashion dominates everyday fashion and costume wear alike. According to Environment+Energy Leader, roughly 83% of all costumes use non-recyclable, oil-based plastic, and tens of millions of costumes end up in the landfill annually. Fast fashion costumes are not only detrimental to the environment, but cheapen the quality of costumery and strip the ‘characters’ of character. Here are my suggestions…
- Shop from your closet. Mardi Gras has many different themes to play into. You can create a character from what you already own, or bring back a character using an old costume. Or, wear your favorite outfit and embellish your look with makeup, glitter, or face gems.
- Make your own costume. Costumes we make with our own hands are one of a kind, and the relationship we have with our garments is deepened when we’ve spent time imagining, planning, and creating them. Plus, they reduce the demand for fast fashion, and are less likely to end up in a landfill.
- Shop local. Supporting artists and small businesses helps keep the artistry of New Orleans alive. There are countless shops and vendors with handmade costumes, masks, and jewelry.
- Shop vintage/second hand. There are some incredible vintage Mardi Gras costumes for sale this time of year, which can be found at your local vintage shop, as well as various pop-up costume sales around the city. Thrifting is a budget friendly option, and sparks inspiration since you never know what you’ll find.
- Invest in a high quality garment. Investment pieces from slow fashion brands are created to be worn time and time again. For example, if you invest in a beautifully made headpiece, you can wear it every Mardi Gras, year after year. Or, you can invest in a piece you can wear as a part of your costume and as an every day staple.
This Mardi Gras, I took my own advice by creating a medieval inspired princess headpiece, mostly using scrap Rat des Champs fabric. I paired it with our Oracle dress, which can be worn for Mardi Gras, renaissance fairs, festivals, or any whimsical occasion. This high quality fabric (55% Hemp, 45% Organic Cotton) is something that can be worn again and again for a variety of occasions, dressed up and down. On another day of carnival, I wore a vintage beaded shirt from Southern Kitsch Vintage, and paired it with a vintage deadstock Mardi Gras mask, which I purchased from an estate sale. The process of gathering and creating these looks has been one of my favorite parts of Mardi Gras this year, and has been SO much more fun than receiving a package in the mail. This process gets me out of the house and into the city, connects me to my community, and extends the carnival spirit into my art and to those around me.
Parades
Parades are undoubtedly one of the most iconic parts of Mardi Gras. There are walking parades, which are generally more sustainable, as well as the more extravagant, traditional parades with floats, some of which are “super-krewes.” I have a few favorites, which are eco-conscious, and in my opinion, the most fashionable…
Krewe of Red Beans is a walking parade located in the Bywater on Lundi Gras (“fat monday”). Known for their artistic and innovative costumes, or “handmade bean suits,” this is a favorite among locals and creatives.
Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc is a walking parade in the French Quarter, which honors the patron saint of France, Joan of Arc. Angels, priests, and female warriors offer a theatrical, visual narration of Joan’s life, and commemorate our city’s French cultural heritage. This inspired portrayal of her story is incredibly moving, making it my favorite parade of the season.
Krewe of Boheme, known for their eccentric inner krewes, represent Mardi Gras in all of its idiosyncrasy: quirky costumes, literary references, and, of course, Krewe of Full Bush. Led by women and ruled by their Supreme Green Fairy, Boheme marches through the Marigny/French Quarter neighborhood.
Krewe of Iris is the largest and oldest all women Krewe in New Orleans. In traditional fashion, Iris rolls down St. Charles in ornate floats greeting a huge turnout of attendees. Riders throw locally sourced, functional throws, which set them apart from other super-krewes.
Krewe of Freret rolls down the Uptown parade route. They’re known for their usable, functional throws, such as socks, coffee, and rice. They pride themselves on being inclusive, and inviting tourists and non-native New Orleaneans to join their krewe.
Throws
Mardi Gras throws materialize the playfulness and spontaneity of the season. Historically, riders threw glass beads, gold coins, Zulu coconuts, and other collectibles. Like many things in our day, quantity has replaced quality. Towards the end of the 20th century, krewes integrated more and more plastic throws into the mix. Now, many krewes throw plastic garbage: plastic cups, foam balls, even plastic bags containing plastic beads. In the past decade or so, there has been a trend among a few krewes of throwing usable and/or handmade items. In addition to eco conscious throws, there are multiple recycling projects across the city.
Grounds Krewe focuses on waste prevention through producing sustainable, usable throws, such as coffee, red beans, wooden toys, recycled paper beads, and more.
Grounds Krewe is a partner to Recycle Dat: a recycling project with bins on parade routes, as well as nearby bars and hotels. They also have “recyclists” in the parades who collect trash from spectators as the parade rolls.
Glass Half Full is another New Orleans based recycling project. They collect glass bottles and recycle them into sand for coastal restoration. Glass Half Full also collects unwanted beads and throws, which are donated to Arc GNO.
Arc GNO provides employment to folks with intellectual disabilities by sorting, packaging, and reselling Mardi Gras beads. Arc GNO Mardi Gras Recycle Center (MGRC) can arrange for delivery and pick-up of recycling bins for schools, businesses, and other organizations.
Seeing these organizations advocate for a more sustainable Mardi Gras has inspired me to be mindful of how I’m consuming over the Mardi Gras season.
Ironically, Mardi Gras is an amazing time to practice quality over quantity. Making sustainable choices, even when it’s inconvenient, is how we affect change. You don’t need to do it all, catch the most throws, or have the most costumes. Shifting our focus from the material leaves more room to appreciate our community, art, music, presence, and the magic of Mardi Gras. We care for the city we love when we use what we have, invest in what will last, and indulge in creativity.
