During Coachella weekend, it is nearly impossible to go on social media without seeing content from influencers about their extravagant looks. Festival season planning has become so widely accepted that most have made choosing the perfect outfit equivalent to a runway fashion show. After all, those who attend are subject to being judged for their style, Instagram posts, and expertise on trends. 

If you do happen to see photos of festival-goers, you may notice repetition in wearing desert boots, glitter makeup, unique cutouts, crochet tops, and more. Brands have taken advantage of this by creating specific collections centered around festivals like Coachella. For instance, Free People designed a festival edit filled with disco, lacey, and fringe pieces. Thus, brands have also created campaigns with influencers as well. To name a few, companies like Revolve, Hugo Boss, and Levi’s rely on music events for trends and to increase their sales. 

The bohemian vibe from festival wear has manifested a new genre of style within itself. In the past, many have capitalized on items such as flower crowns and body paint, while this year, platform shoes, vintage, and 2000s throwbacks have made a comeback. 

“I really like Coachella fashion because it allows you to be weird, crazy, and express yourself,” said sophomore Isabella Ramirez.

As seen on TikTok, many users have made videos with the headline, “Get ready with me for Coachella,” “What I wore during Coachella,” and “Rating Coachella outfits.” This shows how mainstream festivals have gotten—to the point where it is not only for the music. Ultimately, it has turned into a giant social media promotion event for different brands, influencers, and celebrities. In fact, most can thank the celebrity presence for the popularity in festival fashion. 

“Fashion and nostalgia have always gone hand in hand, and when it comes to Coachella, it’s that whole romanticism about having a music festival, open in the prairies, with a flower child look. It’s a hippie look mixed with grunge elements,” said Anupreet Bhui, senior editor for WGSN to CNN. 

This year following a two-year pause due to the pandemic, Coachella had over 150,000 attendees on each day of the event during weekend one. An example of a brand on board with this was Hugo Boss. Like many others, the brand partnered with a party house where guests could have food, drinks, and live performances against a Hugo Boss installation. They also released a four-day hype house which is a social media focused space for TikTok influencers to make content for the brand in Hugo clothes, and other branded items. Another company, Revolve, has even fabricated its own Revolve Festival with a private pool party, nightclub, and many other goods to correspond with Coachella. 

“It is essential, it’s massive … it’s this kind of Super Bowl,” said Raissa Gerona, Revolve chief brand officer to Business of Fashion.

If you attend a music festival, it is a requirement to make a fashion statement: from designer pieces to personally styled outfits, celebrities have brought this notion mainstream. In the end, consumers love to observe from their couches, and brands love the festival season for commercial benefits.

Photo Courtesy of FLICKR