Camp Coachella: Has Coachella Really Lost its Style?

In a year of Pretty Little Thing rebrands and the rise of ‘tradwife’ trends, it seems as though the classic eccentricity of Coachella has come at the perfect time. Swarms of crochet overlays, cowboy hats and super mini shorts have flipped recent fashion trends on their head. However, despite the shock factor of these outfits, I can’t help but wonder why I haven’t seen many original ensembles, has the festival actually lost its style? Or are we becoming unfamiliar with extreme dressing in a desert of minimalism? 

Starting with one of the most iconic outfits of the weekend, Tyla. Gold fringed shorts were paired with a pair of ripped fishnet tights. On one hand, the outfit is new and unique, I would kill to get my hands on her chunky red belt. On the other, the combination of the tights and docs screams 2000s Avril Lavigne, restyled to blend in with 2025 style. This isn’t unusual for Tyla who is inspired by Y2K fashion, but the outfit itself compliments the boho-chic festival style, successfully adhering to the extreme dress code while bringing in a sense of originality. To me, this outfit didn’t show a lack of Coachella style but instead presented a brand new approach to the festival’s fashion. 

Going in the opposite direction, I was underwhelmed with Kendall Jenner’s full length yellow dress for her appearance at the 818 Tequila party. 10 years ago, Kendall and Kylie ruled the Coachella wardrobes, but now her minimalist dress seems out of place - especially at a pop-up for an alcohol brand famous for its shots with lime and salt. The combination of one of Coachella’s royalty with such a tone-downed dress certainly sparks worries for the future of festival fashion. Have conservative clothes really weaved themselves into every corner of style society? Kendall’s outfits throughout the weekend confirmed this fear, swapping her mini shorts for skinny jeans and her beach waves for slick backs. Although there’s nothing wrong with her style, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in the lack of creativity or experimentation in her outfits, especially for someone who used to set the standard for Coachella fashion. Kendall’s outfits are simply continuing the fight between casual bohemian style and perfectly curated ‘clean girl’ trends that have battled for at least the last 70 years. 

Luckily, I did see an artist who successfully incorporated current trends into Coachella fashion and that is the always effortless Clairo. Pearls, polka dots and lace were all key features of her outfit and key features of current style, yet the use of these features in the outfit caused it to become completely new and original. I was obsessed with the sheer polka dot top paired with the lace bralette, and even more obsessed with the innovative mix of fabrics. Nancy Kote, Clairo’s stylist, balanced the experimentalist style of Coachella with 2025 fashion, although the fabrics themselves scream coquette, the outfit itself is boho festival through and through, I loved it. 

We just can’t talk about Coachella fashion without mentioning the artist highlight of the weekend, Lady Gaga. I was particularly interested in her religious inspired white angel outfit, featuring a sharp red cross on her front. This outfit certainly succeeded in the ‘shock factor’, and makes everyone feel as though Gaga is back. Her gothic inspired performance and outfits had everyone’s eyes on the stage, but was it really Coachella? With all of these artists, I still felt as though I was searching for something that made them stand out from other concerts, it felt like the start of festival season but it didn’t capture the essence of Coachella overall. 

Over the weekend, I found that most of the outfits that really screamed Coachella came from the multitude of influencers and nameless attendees, rather than the celebrities and artists. I couldn’t see any flower crowns, barely any round sunglasses, and the brown boots seemed mostly to carry on the current cowboy trend rather than uphold the boho Coachella aesthetic. Despite this, I did enjoy seeing the ensembles and I certainly wasn’t bored, perhaps this year simply showed us that Coachella fashion isn’t really dead, it might just be adapting with the times. Has Coachella lost its style? Or have we just lost our fashion flexibility? Either way, this just proves that the future of festival fashion will be interesting to see, striving for a place in style just as strong as the current minimalist trends.