From the first Coachella festival in 1999 and throughout its rise in popularity in the early 2000s, there has been an immense change in festival culture. Instead of a place for the masses to enjoy music, it became a fashion show with a grass runway for only those who could afford it. Itâs not for your average college student, itâs for celebrities and social media influencers.
Here are some of my favorite outfits from Week 1 that left me pleasantly pleased and surprised.
Letâs start with someone who thoroughly shocked me with their day two outfit. I canât sit here and say I am a huge James Charles fan, Iâm not into complex makeup, and the rumors are a little scary, but I loved his day two outfit this year. He wore long baggy white shorts from Entire Studios and an open concept sewn jersey-type-vibe shirt from Martine Rose. I honestly love the baggy shorts vibe (see my article on Jorts for more about this), and I love that he has a well put together ensemble without feeling the need to show skin. His shoe choice had been gagged. The brown boots from Timberland were made of woven leather, truly a unique shoe. I truly admire how he took such a âmanlyâ brand and made it work with this outfit. Lastly, for accessories, he had a keychain from Vivienne Westwood, arguably one of the most iconic and timeless brands, and gloves, a silk scarf, and brown sheer sunglasses to pull the whole look together and tie in common colors. Overall, I would change nothing about this outfit, and I would wear it.Â
Recently, Alix Earle stated she has a new stylist on her team, and it shows. She started with a bang for her day one outfit. She wore a lace-up leather romper, with an army green skirt belt and two more belts on top with lots of hardware. The final touch on her outfit was chunky black boots from Naked Wolfe. Alix brought the Miami to Coachella with a grungy twist. The black of the outfit with the hardware gives a punk vibe to the Miami silhouette that worked perfectly for her debut outfit for this Coachella season. Outside of Coachella, she has stepped up her outfit game, finally reflecting the businesswoman and social media baddie she is.Â
Madeleine White looked so good this year at the first week of Coachella that I had to add two of her outfits to my list. Her first look was beach-inspired. She wore a custom beaded bralette made by Apple Beach Beads (ig:applebeachbeads). It has stunning pastel colors with beautiful draping and dangling strands all around. To complement the brilliant top, she went with a cream colored pair of shorts with a gold surang on top. She stuck beautiful flowers in her hair and kept it simple with brown cowboy boots on the bottom.Â
Her second outfit has great inspiration, and she handmade it herself. One thing I love about Madeleine is her creativity and dedication to DIY outfits. Paying homage to Naomi Campbellâs 90s Versace look, Madeleine made a leopard print and beaded two-piece outfit. The mismatched animal print of the top and bottom complements each other and makes for a perfect festival look. The gold appliquĂ© on the bra pads of the top matched the band around the back perfectly and allowed for a unique transition into the beads at the bottom. The brown and beige beads enhance the look perfectly without taking away any attention from the appliquĂ©s or pattern of the fabric. Her simple necklace, chain belt, and almost knee-high black boots were subtle yet adorable accessory choices for this outfit. She gets a 10 out of 10 from me.Â
Lastly, a content creator Iâve never heard of before came up on my social media, and I fell in love. Madi Webb designed her outfit with Nishi Singh (neesh10 on IG) and Wearsadja on IG. She tapped into her Indian heritage to create a beautiful traditional outfit perfect for Coachella. This set plays with the traditional saree but gives it an edgier look. The top is gorgeous, and the hand-sewn pearls and gems perfectly complement the denim material. The choice of fabric makes the outfit feel more festival-like. Along with the details and fabric, the silhouette of the top is the perfect desi princess dessert music crossover. The skirt is a miniskirt with fabric draping in the front to create the layer of the saree. She paired this outfit with chunky white sandals, a slicked-back ponytail (perfect for showing off the top), and many gorgeous bangles. I would be honored to wear this stunning outfit.
I feel like we keep seeing the same outfits and trends on repeat. These select few stayed unique and all chose outfits I would 100% wear.