Coachella: let's go over its history (and looks)

The Coachella Music Festival is the undisputed king of spring, reserving at least one week every year to talk exclusively about it. It was launched in 1999 and held (as it still is) on the grounds of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in an atmospheric venue so decked out on Instagram that it was one of the hottest events of the year. But in 1993, it was Pearl Jam who had taken advantage of the location near Indio. The '93 event had come about as a protest against Ticketmaster's price increases for concert tickets sold, so the band decided to stage a concert by distributing the tickets themselves. Despite being a musical event, to this day it is inescapably fused with the fashion world and their best looks are as much talked about as they are at the Met Gala. In all its years of existence, it has only been interrupted three times, the first in 2000 due to still low popularity and attendance, while there was an interruption in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid 19 pandemic, only to resume with pomp and circumstance in 2022. After initial hurdles that saw the organising company Goldenvoice lose more than a million dollars, the turnaround came in 2004 with a lineup that would continue to generate the same hype to this day. The Pixies, The Cure, Belle and Sebastian and Radiohead sell out their tickets for the first time; it is the edition that brings the festival to life and establishes it for good. In the years that followed, the lineups confirmed themselves as unmissable and the celebrities of the time attended the festival, not dressed up, but in casual clothes, on the lawns of Indio, under the stage, with a few beers and a pair of jeans. The aesthetics of the festival were like that then, simple and comfortable, often even for the singers themselves.

The style at the time was much more casual, the hipster/boho/hippie dress code had not yet taken effect, but it was much more common to see guests in Converse and looking - on the surfaceat least - unreasonable, as long as comfort was the priority. In this 2005 shot, we see Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz striding across the lawn of Coachella, dressed in the perfect two poles of the Y2K aesthetic. Diaz wears a long tank top and midi skirt with boots, Barrymore wears a classic striped t-shirt with bare shoulders and a bowler hat on her head, almost a look inspired by British singer Pete Doherty. A photo archive that is definitely far from the "parade" we have been used to seeing on Instagram for years.

It's hard to name a big name in music without seeing him or her on stage at Coachella, from the legendary performances of the first editions to those of Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and our compatriots Måneskin in less distant times. This April 2023, the festival will take place over two weekends. The first will take place from 14 to 16 April, the second from 21 to 23 April. The big names that will be performing instead are those of Bad Bunny (so do not miss Kendall Jenner in the audience), the Blackpinks and Frank Ocean. In addition to the headliners, however, there are many other guests such as Charlie XCX, Rosalìa, Labrinth (who wrote and sang the entire soundtrack of Euphoria) and the Gorillaz. Over the years, as with any music festival of note, there has been no shortage of controversy and scandal, to name a few: First, the 2019 event was boycotted by many fans and public figures due to the political leanings of its founder. Although the festival itself is a safe and open space for people of all backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations, it remains owned by AEG president Philip Anschutz. Anschutz has a long history of investing in anti-LGBTQ initiatives, climate change denial and other far-right causes.



In addition, invited celebrities have caused plenty of trouble, starting in 2015 when none other than Justin Bieber was kicked out of the performers' area by security during Drake's performance due to a misunderstanding. Or the accusations of cultural appropriation due to the outfits of some celebrities such as singer Eliza Doolittle in 2011, whose accessories were reminiscent of Native Americans.



Now it's time to retrace his major fashion milestones and analyse the outfits that disappointed us and the ones we hope to find as quotes in this 2023 instead. You can not talk about Coachella without mentioning Vanessa Hudgens, who has worn the most copied and appreciated looks for years. Her hippie looks with kaftans, shorts, frayed booties and the ubiquitous fedora are undoubtedly a must for the festival. The appeal to the hipster aesthetic of the years when We Heart It was the old Pinterest will also be strong at this edition, considering that the festival now has unwritten rules when it comes to inspirations to follow.

Remember that other style queen Selena Gomez, who is not only on stage in 2019, but always doing her much-appreciated bit. Her looks, which are of the bohemian but elegant stamp, include the aforementioned fedora, albeit paired with a "see-through" lace dress and shorts of the same colour, favouring light and spring tones over the dark ones of her colleague Hudgens. The tightly curled and wavy - but neat - hair helps create an overall more sophisticated look that is still on trend for the event.

The 60s/70s revival of late, thanks in part to the TV series "Daisy Jones and The Six" coming out just in time, and the return of past icons to the scene, will ensure that there will be no shortage of retro and vintage-look bachelor outfits at this edition. An absolute yes to this outfit by Alexa Chung from 2015, featuring a white maxi dress accompanied by a minimal necklace, bare feet and round sunglasses. Very simple, but perfect for going all out for the festival, where there's dancing and singing and too many frills might spoil the fun.



On the other hand, the maximalism of some glitzy looks, both in make-up and clothes, sequins and accessories, is not a contradiction at all. The secret to making it work is to take inspiration from Euphoria's trends, where each look is perfectly calibrated in its excess. Leonie Hanne looks stunning in this bejewelled skeleton dress, paired with equally striking earrings and make-up in shades of light blue, while opting for a simple hairstyle with very straight hair.



What are the outfits we definitely do not want to see again? First, beware of the eccentric: Remember the Jeremy Scott "guitar" dress Katy Perry wore with space buns in her hair and fur slippers? Katy Perry is still Katy Perry, but this look is not at all the best, quite the opposite. Equally, do not miss out on micro trends, such as the "thermal" jumpsuit by James Charles. Some looks run the risk of being a carnivalesque parade rather than an exercise in style that might surprise us - for the better.



Even Halsey, who was absolutely on the ropes of the festival aesthetic, could not keep up: After so many crazy looks, she settled for sheer sweatpants, a cropped jumper and a sequined bralette, all complemented by strappy white trainers. Probably an ill-conceived choice that we would not have expected from her.

What trends do we hope to see on - and under - the Coachella stage this year? Kaftans, fedoras and booties/afibi boots will undoubtedly be present, mostly for comfort, but we hope to see fewer micro-trends and more personal choices, so we can add some examples to our personal review of the best looks to take back to our summer holidays for reference.