If, like me, you’re currently procrastinating revision and have no other choice but to be chronically online, you will most definitely have seen the tons of Coachella outfits circulating on social media: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But as I complete my morning doomscroll, feeling like I’m slowly morphing into Anna Wintour from the amount I’m judging these looks, I start to forget that Coachella is actually a music festival and not a fashion show. The question is, therefore, has Coachella become synonymous with the runway?

I mean, it certainly wouldn’t be outrageous to think this way just by scrolling on TikTok. If influencers are constantly trying to have the most attention-grabbing looks online, can you imagine the wardrobe explosions that happen when they all spawn at the same place, at the same time, in real life? Influencer Kalita Hon has produced a divisive look this year, making her own outfit; a dress made entirely of jewellery. Albeit a visually stunning piece, with a gold chain underlayer and colourful gems on the surface, I’m unsure that a festival in the desert with 30°C weather is the most perfect occasion to wear a heavy dress made of various metals. But maybe I don’t have the eye for festival fashion. This outfit has been extremely popular amongst other influencers, with many of them making their own last-minute copies.

“I’m unsure that a festival in the desert with 30°C weather is the most perfect occasion to wear a heavy dress made of various metals”

Another influencer with a passion for fashion, Ami Charlize, made a TikTok video in which she detailed the distressing time she had with her outfit after one of her items of clothing had broken (yes, remember we are talking about influencers here). But in her case, it’s hard to decide whether she’s actually the one frustrated with her outfit, or if instead her fans are the issue. Despite the mishap, Ami managed to whip up a replacement ensemble, which looked equally on theme, yet the request she made to her followers was “please, please no hate comments,” suggesting that her biggest concern isn’t that she had to change her plans, but that people online will judge her for doing so. I mean, Sabrina Carpenter isn’t going to see a difference.

But would it even be an insult to high fashion to call Coachella a runway? Most of these outfits have to be new, trendy and cheap to go viral, meaning most of the attendees’ looks are made up of items from various fast fashion companies. Besides, with tickets needing a remortgage of your house to afford, people want to keep costs as low as possible. I get it, but when you’re paying $30 for a burger and fries at least three times in one weekend, maybe even spending money on international flights, surely you can pay the same for a more ethically sourced skirt?

What’s even worse is that people seem to be sacrificing their health for fashion reasons. And of course this isn’t something new, personally I’ll always choose heels on a night out over being blister-free, but after dust pollution warnings being released and “unhealthy air quality expected in parts of the Coachella Valley,” I’m now thinking, why am I not seeing bandana-chic all over my screen? And I’m not talking the Lana del Rey-esque COVID mask, a proper face-covering mask to save these people’s lungs! Bring back the 2020 creativity!

“Bring back the 2020 creativity!”

Now, something I have seen this year which is very different to typical Coachella fashion is outfits displaying Latin American culture and pride. This is all thanks to La Bichota, Karol G, the first ever Latina to headline Coachella. Her outfits clearly celebrated her Colombian heritage, bearing the colours of the Colombian flag which are yellow, blue and red. She also honoured Mexican culture by putting her own twist on a charro suit, a traditional Mexican outfit worn by mariachi performers, by making it bright blue and bedazzled. She also inspired festival-goers to incorporate their own Latin culture into their outfits, some people wearing clothing that matched the colour of their own flag, or some simply wearing the flag itself! This is the type of fashion changes that we like to see, especially with the current political climate in America. Hats off to her stylist, Brett Alan Nelson.

Ultimately, music festivals are always going to be places where a trendy outfit is essential, and I don’t intend any shade to these influencers personally, their looks were incredible. Online influencer culture on the other hand… I mean it’s clear to see that this is facilitating the fashion-obsessed aspects of Coachella, and making us all forget about the music. Maybe next time you watch a video of an “outfit check” instead of Bieber scrolling on his laptop, take a minute to consider whether you’re getting FOMO from the songs, or from a few items of clothing.