Context of the Body Art

What is the event or the context of the body art you are showcasing?

A.      Is it the royal paraphernalia of the leadership caste? No

B.      Is it costumes and insignia worn in rites of passage? Yes

a.       We are focused on emulating light and recognizing the beauty and importance of the sun. The context of our body art is used to represent the sun and symbolize our need for it, as our society’s fragile state rests in the hands of a light source to provide nutrients our plants need to grow, and for us to thrive. While we have more special costumes to emulate light that are only worn during festivals, our daily body art serves as an everyday reminder of the importance of light in our society.

C.      Is it for an entertainment troupe? No

D.      What does it mean?

a.       Our clothes are architecturally designed with the goal of the wearer’s to feel as ephemeral and light as a ray of light. Most of our clothes are either white or neutral tones, which is fitting as lighter hues of color tend to reflect light. As emulators of light, we do so by portraying an outward glow, such as a ray of light.

b. We also try to emulate sunlight by accessorizing with mirrors or other metallic substances that can reflect light. Mirrors are indicative of both wealth and age. As you age, you gain more mirrors and are able to have more reflective surfaces to reflect light. Mirrors are quite sacred in our society, as they are the best reflective materials, but we also like many metals too, such as gold, silver, and copper.

c. We also adorn ourselves with shimmery makeup and bronze or gold paint to further reflect light from our bodies and to achieve a glowing effect.

Have any other synonyms for "emulate", :)? I (of course!) can add on more once we have started the costume designs, but this is what I can muster up right now.