Coachella Fashion: An Evolution
From boho-chic to eclectic costumes, here's a brief summary of Coachella's style evolution.
Coachella has historically been associated with Boho fashion. At the height of its mainstream popularity, the festival was known for its flower crowns, crochet, denim, bandanas, etc. Now, it seems the festival is much more in-tune with the Y2K revival, Euphoria-inspired outfits, eye gems, and more. Let’s take a closure look at Coachella’s style evolution.
2012-2015
From 2012 to 2015, Coachella’s signature Boho style was at its peak.
Vanessa Hudgens was considered the Queen of Coachella, admired for her effortless chic looks. Among the most notable characteristics of her outfits are denim shorts, tassels, effortless waves and braids, large hats, and of course, flower crowns. To see more of Hudgens’ looks and how the style evolution has affected her looks, check out InStyle’s “Vannesa Hudgens Coachella Outfits Prove She Basically Invented Today's Top Festival Trends”.
As much as we adore this era, it is important to acknowledge the rampant amounts of cultural appropriation that was also taken place during the time. To learn more about the festival’s history of cultural appropriation, read CNN’s “Have Festivals Escaped the Problematic Legacy of ‘Boho Chic’?”
2016-2019
By 2016, influencer culture was starting to take over Coachella. YouTubers and other social media personalities were documenting their time at the festival and brands were starting to seek collaborations with them. As influencers’ presence grew, their outfits became increasingly elaborate, as they collaborated with stylists and brands to curate their festival wardrobe. Coachella looks became a source of discourse, as many made more scandalous choices surrounding their looks. Emma Chamberlain and James Charles are some of the most notable influencers that participated in this transition.
2022
As many suspected, 2022’s Coachella was plagued by Euphoria and Y2K trends. With influencer culture at its peak and the first Coachella back post-pandemic, many aimed for shock-factor looks.
As several fashion blogs predicted, Y2K and Euphoria-Core were among the more popular styles of this year’s festival, with mesh, cut-outs, glitter, and gems all being present. On the flip side, as influencers dominate Coachella, celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber went for more understated and casual looks.
This has been a fashion edition of A Pop of Pop, for more content on fashion and eclectic culture, check out Zoë Hussain’s Ë Cult right here on Substack!