Once a year, the quaint desert town of Indio, California, is overtaken with tens of thousands of people, ranging from children under five to, well, pretty old people, all for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.This year, attendance levels broke new records, with 80,000 to 85,000 people – the same amount as the town’s own population – coming through the gates each day over two weekends in April. Attendees came from nearby LA to as far as Australia in order to join the festivities on the Empire Polo Field.
There is a specific feeling of unity and comradery that comes along with participation in such an event. For the campers, the fact that the opportunity to sleep past 7:30 in the morning was almost nonexistent thanks to the insane power of the sun combined with the fact that most camping parties continued the music even after the festivities had ended – around 12 every night – long into the early hours of the morning, made for tired yet energetic and anxious festivalgoers. Simple things like this made one feel as though everyone, VIP pass or General Admission, was on the exact same sweaty, dirty playing field.
Each day started with a throng of off-site attendees entering into the campgrounds, spreadoing off into the arts & crafts tents, preemptively hiding under the shade of the tents before the 100+ degree weather really hit them. Campers had the ability to take showers for free (though someone wrongly informed yours truly that they cost $10) before heading off into the sweltering heat and gigantic crowd of each performance.
Upon entry into the festival grounds (which were gated off from the campgrounds themselves), one would find themselves facing a giant field with tents, stages, and, of course, people. To the left, the iconic Coachella ferris wheel stood out from the rest of the arid atmosphere of the festival grounds with its bright lights and huge presence.
Spread out around the grounds were various stands offering concertgoers $2 water (the same price as when the festival first started in 1999), delicious frozen lemonades, watermelon slices, and other refreshing foods and beverages to consume. It is only common courtesy for someone making a beverage run to purchase water for their entire group of friends to share.
Music filled the air from all directions, at all hours of the day. To some, this may not be pleasant, but to us festival attendees, this is what we came for. It is what tied us together – our love for music. On Friday, people endured through 110 degree heat in order to hear musicians, whether they were a favourite band or someone theyíd never heard before. Together, the crowds swayed, sang, jumped, danced, to the tunes coming from the stages.
Unlike other concerts (especially at arenas), the crowd could feel the band was completely in this with them. After all, bands, too, had to endure the same heat that their audience did – there is no air conditioning to run to here.
While waiting for a band to start, some fans sat in the grass around the stage. People would start talking to their neighbors, which, once the music started, manifested into a group dance, a shared joint, an assisting hand when knocked aside.
In the end, the Coachella experience is one that society as a whole should experience. There are not many things more humbling than a crowd of over 80,000 people swaying in unity at a single location. It is truly a place of equality; a place where generosity can come from the most unexpected places, where one can learn to care for a stranger. It teaches us that we are all in this together.
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Red Carpet Report: Oscar Trends
Penelope Cruz in custom Giorgio Armani and Chopard
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Burberry Prorsum | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012
Christopher Bailey is back on top of his game with this refreshingly casual-chic collection for Burberry Prorsum. Each piece coincides beautifully with one another, with the softness of a bow contrasting against the dark, moody colors chosen by Bailey.
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Karl Lagerfeld illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld for today’s Metro International.
Photo via WWD
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Kirsten Dunst | ph. Yelena Yemchuk | style: Leith Clark | Vogue Italia Feb. 2012
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Comme des Garçons Homme Plus | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012
Every season, Rei Kawakubo manages to mesmerize audiences with her collection for Comme des Garçons, and this show is no different from any other. The Fall 2012 collection of Comme des Garçons Homme Plus takes another stab at bringing menswear the revolution it needs with colors traditionally considered feminine, floral prints, and by combining smooth and rough textures in order to create a harmony of structured chaos. The pieces themselves are unsurprisingly constructed gorgeously, and the word ‘different’ gets a new meaning with each look – one of which consists of all prints and patterns from the collection featured on a single blazer.
See more at The Fashionisto.
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Natalia Vodianova | Valentino Fall/Winter 02/03 Haute Couture | Paris
(Source: modeavenueparis)
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Valentino | Backstage | Couture | Spring 2012
A gorgeous behind-the-scenes look into Valentino’s spring couture show.
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Lana del Rey in Louis Vuitton | ph. Mario Testino | Vogue UK Mar. 2012
This is Lana del Rey’s second magazine cover in just two months (her first being Interview Russia). The it-girl has already landed a contract with Next Model Management, and her songs have been featured on various runways this past season. Hopefully we’ll be able to actually see her on the runway sometime soon.
photo via Fashion Gone Rogue
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Marc Jacobs | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012
Marc Jacobs puts a new twist on chill culture with his latest fall menswear collection. The line plays an intricate game, mixing casual slacks with patterned blazers, all while throwing bold colors into this melting pot of men’s fashion.
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Natalia Zakharova | ph. Dimitri Skoulos | style: Eirini Vassou | Elle Greece Feb 2012
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Alexander McQueen | Pre-Fall 2012
With a preview as glorious as this, it is difficult to not be excited for Sarah Burton’s creations for the McQueen fall/winter line.
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Ellie Goulding | ph. David Schulze | style: William Graper | Marie Claire Feb. 2012
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Karolina Kurkova | ph. Willy Vanderperre | style: Nicola Santoro | Vogue China Feb. 2012
See more at ZAC Fashion
