Dressing for the desert, done right

Let’s be real. Coachella is no longer just a music festival. It hasn’t been for years. It is, at this point, essentially the red carpet of bohemian, western, chic festival fashion and the internet will absolutely hold you accountable for what you wore. Every year, the same thing happens: the lineup drops, the aesthetic moodboards and brand recommendations flood your feed, and before you know it you’ve got three browser tabs open, full carts and a very overwhelming feeling in your stomach.

The temptation is real, and I get it completely. But buying a whole new wardrobe for a single weekend in the desert is just not it. There are better ways to do it, so I’m going to break it down for you, with three ways to be a little smarter about how you dress for the desert.

1. Rent it

I’ll say it louder for the people in the back: what better time to experiment with a cool brand and try something totally outside your usual wheelhouse than for an event that happens literally once a year? Rental is the way to go. You get the experience of wearing something truly special, you’re not contributing to wardrobe clutter and you get to explore brands that may hold an inaccessible retail price tag, but for a 4-day rental period, are accessible to borrow and experience.

There are many platforms you can rent from in the US, so here are a few picks I’ve pulled from Isle of Monday, Pickle and Rent the Runway.

Isle of Monday is a great place to look if you want the archival designer edit without the market trawl. They’re currently carrying some Roberto Cavalli pieces that are exceptional, including the 2004 Patchwork Print Halter Maxi Dress, the SS 2004 Floral Jeans, the FW 2001 Leather Pants and an unsigned 2000s Italian Beaded Bustier, all standout pieces for your festival looks (and more).

2. Vintage - nothing hits harder than something no one else is wearing.

The whole Coachella aesthetic was born from vintage and thrift culture, which makes it the most desirable place to show up in a one-of-a-kind piece. And I genuinely believe that when it comes to festival dressing, vintage isn’t just the sustainable choice, it’s the most unique one.

I’m lucky enough to be based in London, which is one of the best cities in the world for this. I have Portobello Market at my doorstep, Brick Lane in East London, and charity shops scattered all across the city to scour at leisure. For this particular occasion, I popped into the market on Portobello, where a handful of standout shop owners I know always have the best selection for exactly this kind of brief.

Mission accomplished.

I came home with three things that I genuinely could not have planned better if I tried.

1. Frye cowboy-style brown suede boots in pristine condition. If you know Frye boots, you know the quality of these is unreal, and finding them in this condition at a market stall was a huge win.

2. Roberto Cavalli pants that fit me like they were made for me. Archival Cavalli is almost the entire selection at this shop called Cache. Every week she has insane new finds.

3. Light brown oversized vintage leather jacket for cooler desert nights, because yes, it does get cold in the desert, and the piece was just such a stand out I had to cop it.

The whole haul cost a fraction of what any one of these pieces would cost if sourced elsewhere. That’s the point. Check out the reel I shared trying on my unique finds.

3. Independent - the small brands.

Instead of feeding the fast fashion machine or dropping a small fortune on something from a brand you’ll wear once, consider putting that same budget toward an independent designer who is genuinely pouring themselves into what they create. The pieces are more interesting, the stories are better and it’s more original.

I could dedicate an entire post, well honestly, an entire excel spreadsheet on the brands I’ve been discovering. But for now, here are the standouts that I have on my radar, specifically when pulling looks for this season:

Capiaghi Summer — a Melbourne-born accessories label doing handcrafted, considered pieces designed to make a bold statement and last beyond a single season. Their coordinating leather bra and belt/skirt sets is what caught my eye as a super cute festival duo.

Marfa — an Istanbul-based label bringing a distinctly Mediterranean meets Middle Eastern sensibility to contemporary womenswear. The kind of brand that feels deeply rooted in texture, colour and craft. A lot of their sheer pieces feel like a great festival option if you’re into that, and the best part is they can double as swim coverups for this summer.

Cultnaked — a Ukrainian slow fashion brand founded in 2018 by Mary Furtas. A female-led brand born from a search for the perfect going-out wardrobe that didn’t sacrifice comfort. All of their dresses and skorts have built-in shorts aka the perfect and practical party girl feature.

Gimaguas — if you haven’t heard of this one yet you will soon, and honestly you might already have it on your feed without knowing it. Founded by Spanish twin sisters. Think everyday wear, swimwear, studded sandals and the best leather handbags quite literally made for a festival. I have this leather cropped top from them that I cannot wait to style this season

EB Denim — designed in LA and doing some of the most directional denim you’ll find right now. If you’re looking for low-rise shorts or jeans, start here.

NiiHAi — a London-based brand by designer Rosie Williams, described as boundary-pushing with a playful, slightly sexy, ironic approach. They have affordable footwear for festival season that will make heads turn.

Ginza - a leather shop. Think bustiers, mini shorts, handbags, custom-made pieces. They have got it all.

Awave — A Turkish brand I recently discovered. They create polished pieces, from tailored and fashion-forward cargo trousers and jackets to leather jackets and other gorgeous items. My fave is this standout lace bodysuit that is on my list.

Fanci Club - Vietnamese cool girl brand that has been in the press a lot recently, but honestly has been on my radar for years now. Their speciality is bustier corsets and micro mini skirts. The craftsmanship is elite and the pieces are one-of-a-kind statements.

A Final Note

This year was the first time I tried to style board my looks before deciding what I needed to purchase and honestly, it helped. I did mine on Miro but you could also use Canva or any other user friendly platform that lets you drag and drop images into it.

xx KP