Each year, the bons vivants of the world travel to the Southern California desert for the annual musical festival known as Coachella. Unlike most musical festivals, Coachella is a playground for the rich and famous. In it's heyday, festival goers could be seen prancing around the desert in high-waisted denim, clashing prints, Doc Martens, face paint, and way too much fringe.
Over the years, Coachella's festival core fashion has become rather antiquated and, dare I say, tacky. There are a few exceptions to this, such as Rihanna in the head-to-toe Gucci crystal bodysuit, Kylie Jenner in her blue wig and tan ensemble, and Madonna in her purple sequined jacket and disco shades for her 2006 performance of "Hung Up". This year, there seemed to be a resurgence of fashion at Coachella, with a lot of fabulous looks.
Someone who figured out how to be effortlessly chic at Coachella was Amelia Gray. Gray has quickly become a fashion darling, walking for the likes of Versace, Courrèges, and Vivienne Westwood. Attending the first weekend of Coachella, Gray was seen in a Victoria's Secret bikini top and basketball shorts styled with a Miu Miu cowboy hat. Later that evening, Gray sported a leather handkerchief top and skirt. The top and skirt were from Look 14 from Miu Miu's SS24 show. Gray elevated the look by ditching the sandals for a pair of motorcycle boots.
Photo: Instagram/@ameliagray and BACKGRID
British model and TV personality Leomie Anderson should give a masterclass on how to look fabulous at Coachella. Anderson was seen all weekend in vintage Chanel. On the first day of Coachella, Anderson opted for Chanel fur gloves, short shorts, and a fanny pack. The real gag was seeing Anderson in the fur boots with the ice-block heels from Chanel's FW10 collection by Karl Lagerfeld. Fur was a big trend this year at Coachella, and this is how it is successfully executed. Anderson was also seen in a Raga Malak plaid playsuit paired with Chanel après-ski moon boots and a fanny pack, this time in red.
Photo: Instagram/@leomieanderson
It's easy for the menswear to be forgotten about, especially with all the high-fashion womenswear being served this year. Yannik Zamboni's look, however, was unforgettable. Zamboni is a Swiss-born designer, creative director, and founder of the brand Maison Blanche. The designer spent Coachella weekend with their friend, Heidi Klum. You may have heard of her, the legendary supermodel. It was Zamboni who turned heads in a MISBHV top and biker shorts, with a pair of Balenciaga jeans attached below his crotch by a pair of Maison Blanche garters. The look was completed with a pair of white Balenciaga sunglasses and sneakers.
Photo: Instagram/@yannikzamboni
Rihanna is the undisputed queen of fashion and needs no introduction. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Rihanna is on the best-dressed list. This year, Rihanna wore two looks highlighting fur pieces. The first look consisted of a gray hoodie with floor-length fur from Marni draped across, a leather Prada skirt, and unreleased thigh-high Alexander Wang boots. Rihanna ended the weekend in a Vaquera t-shirt, a "hoodie skirt" by Dsquared that was fresh off their FW24 runway, Loewe boots, and an archival Fendi fox fur coat. This look really exemplifies Rihanna's impeccable styling skills. She pulls from different designers and references to create an unforgettable outfit.
Photo: BACKGRID
I think I speak for everyone when I say that Doja Cat was the best-dressed artist at Coachella this year. Doja Cat and her creative director, Brett Alan Nelson, have been creating viral moments since they began working together five years ago. An iconic moment that instantly comes to mind is the red crystallized Schiaparelli look she wore. Doja Cat was a headliner this year at Coachella and closed out both weekends. For her opening look, Doja Cat came out in a hazmat suit and would later change into a deep-plunging costume made up of blonde hair. Her backup dancers were also wearing hair costumes, this time covered head to toe in blonde hair as if they were high-fashion Yetis. These spectacular costumes were created by Charlie Le Mindu. My personal favorite look was the shibari-inspired bodysuit by Alexander Wang. We have seen so many iterations of the bodysuit, but this one was so subversive and fetishistic.
Photo: Greg Noire
Coachella has already begun promoting next year's festival. What I hope to see next year is more daring menswear. I would love to see the guys out in the desert in hypersexual outfits. Future festival goers should take a page from Leomie Anderson's book and pull out the vintage looks. Anything from Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli's 2000s archive will do. I am envisioning diaphanous dresses and Martha Graham-inspired head wraps. Think 1970s Biba. Coachella is no longer just a music festival but a fashion happening.