Image courtesy of Instagram/Calder Wilson
When you see the sight of the world’s largest transportable Ferris wheel, you know there’s only one festival that you could be at—Coachella, baby! Having not opened its doors since 2019 due to the pandemic, Coachella threw them open this year with gusto, and the twice-postponed festival came back with a bang. While Coachella is primarily a music festival (with every genre of music you could imagine), as a stylist, the incredible, eclectic fashion vibe that perpetually surrounds me at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, is undoubtedly a huge draw. From boho to designer, anything goes at Coachella. It’s the one festival where everyone feels at home in their skin, whether they’re sharing a love of dressing up or down.
Image courtesy of @sincerelyjules
Before any holiday or event, I plan my outfits meticulously to ensure I never forget anything. Preparing for Coachella is essential because temperatures during the day are hot, hot, hot, but at night they seriously dip, so you have to arrive prepared. As fabulous as swimsuits covered by a lace kimono look in the mid-afternoon sun, leather jackets and ponchos are a Coachella fashion essential to stave off the chill factor at night.
Footwear also needs serious consideration because of the amount of walking and dancing you do, mostly on grass. I took two pairs of cowboy boots—one worn-in pair in buttery-soft leather and another, which I feared would hurt after a few hours, so I stuck with my old faithfuls all weekend! The festival has a marvelous laid-back vibe—even security is always ready with a smile and hello, which is helped by the Californian desert climate and the welcoming atmosphere. The location is spotlessly clean, which means it’s a safe landscape for showing off the very best contents of your wardrobe.
Image courtesy of Gemma Sheppard
And boy, did I see some incredible style. I saw so many trends that are bound to roll over into other festivals this year. First, lace was so popular! Bikinis teamed with gorgeous lace kimonos and dresses created the ultimate boho-type feel and covered up modestly while letting the breeze in. Genius! Also, Gen Z is bringing the look of the 90s back hard! Cropped tops with baggy low-slung jeans or sweatpants were de rigueur and looked incredible. Think Spice Girls 90s-style, and you’re there! And neon—I spotted this other 90s trend everywhere. Tiny bright, cycle shorts were worn with jeweled bralettes to ensure it wasn’t just the sun that was shining!
Oversized fashion was also popular! Some predicted that Coachella, being run by Gen Z, would mimic fashion that we see in popular shows like “Euphoria,” and I saw a little bit of that with the popularity of oversized cargo pants, buffalo trainers, and parachute trousers with oversized parkas, cropped tees, and bucket hats. In contrast, many festival-goers also wore glamorous dresses. I love the combination of dressing high glam with high casual at Coachella. I witnessed some fabulous long chainmail maxi dresses dressed down with flip flops or cowboy boots, giving that effortless vibe to a very thought-out outfit.
Image courtesy of @nancytyrealestate/Instagram
It’s not just outfits that festival-goers put a lot of thought into; at Coachella, hair is taken to a different level with the help of stunning accessories. There are lots of stations where you can get your hair done, and along with the usual plaits and cutesy hippie styles, jewels are added with butterflies, flowers, and all sorts of other hair decorations to finish off any outfit. I felt the festival this year had a salute towards the fashions often seen at Burning Man; a little bit edgier than in previous years, a little bit more futuristic, but still wonderfully eclectic.
Another of my favorite pastimes at Coachella is celeb-spotting. You never know who you might pass while meandering between the stages. Paris Hilton always dresses to impress, and her looks almost had an avatar-type feel to them. Former Pussycat Doll star Ashley Roberts looked gorgeous (as always) wearing an incredible green, tasseled leather jacket I adored! Julie Sariñana, aka Sincerely Jules, looked stunning (and uber on-trend) in bright colors and prints.
Image courtesy of Gemma Sheppard
My time at Coachella was nothing short of fabulous! I went with girlfriends who I hadn’t caught up with in such a long time, and we tagged on a couple of days at the end to relax, which I highly recommend after seeing and doing so much at the festival. (FYI, the art displays which are dotted all around are incredible to look at.) Good music, good vibes, good food, good weather, and the most magical time spent with good friends. What more could anyone want?!
—Gemma Sheppard
Follow Gemma @sheppardstyle
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