Held on the second and third weekends of April in at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly referred to as Coachella, is one of the largest and most famous music festivals in the entire USA. It also marks the beginning of festival season. Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Governors Ball, just go where the music takes you. For those of you who are looking for a little festival fashion how-to we’ve got you covered.
Festival Fashion How-To
This updated grunge-hippie look a good place to start for festival newbies.
Half bad-ass with the Acne Studios boots and an Alexander McQueen leather bracelet, half modern fairy with the Marco Bologna psychedelic maxi skirt, this festival look is low-key and subtly sexy thanks to the sheerness of the Isabel Marant top.
The Sunettes tortoiseshell sunglasses, the heavy metal Lanvin bracelet and the studded Mia Bag shoulder bag add a bit of eclectic edge, making this look worthy of a modern day riot grrl ready to rock.
Our second pick is inspired by the California’s answer to the girl next door. It just so happens that she’s a true fashionista with a killer wardrobe.
Keeping accessories to a minimum, the center piece of this approachable look is most definitely the MSGM floral mini dress. Worn over a pair of embellished MSGM jean shorts and you’re ready to do cartwheels across the lawn. Flat Prada sandals add style and comfort at the same time.
A crossbody Gucci purse is a practical choice to carry your sunscreen and lip balm, and features a couple of on-trend oversized tassels. We picked the cat eye Bottega Veneta glasses and the Lanvin Luck Necklace for their slightly sixties flavor. Summer of What’s Not to Love?
Our third and last look goes all in on femininity, delicacy, and ethereal beauty. This look is for the girly-girl who is living her festival fashion goddess fantasy. Complete with over-the-top flower crown. Why not?
It’s all based on the gorgeous exotic floral print Alberta Ferretti dress. The rest of the accessories round out the look, taking it from garden formal to rock-and-roll. Tory Burch flip-flops are the perfect casual shoe for our trust fund hippie, coordinating with the woven Gucci belt. The fringe on the Proenza Schouler PS1 satchel takes this venerable It Bag up to whole ‘nother level of trendiness. For a perfect outlook, just add a pair of rose-colored Sunettes sunglasses and a flowery bracelet from Almala.
Here you have three inspiring festival fashion looks to take you through the season of outdoor concerts: the modern bad-ass fairy, the nice Californian summer girl, and the feminine flowery goddess. Pick the one who suits you best. Or who knows? Maybe you’ll try out all three of these personas. Now it’s time to rock the festival!
About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.