Runway Avenue

Once a year, the quaint desert town of Indio, California, is...

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:06:22 -0700

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.

womensweardaily: Red Carpet Report: Oscar Trends Penelope Cruz...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:12:53 -0800

womensweardaily:

Red Carpet Report: Oscar Trends

Penelope Cruz in custom Giorgio Armani and Chopard

vogue: ON THE RUNWAY: Burberry Prorsum Fall 2012 Photographed...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:54:33 -0800

vogue:

ON THE RUNWAY: Burberry Prorsum Fall 2012

Photographed by Evan Sung

Burberry Prorsum | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012 Christopher Bailey...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:17:59 -0800

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.

See more at style.com

Karl Lagerfeld illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld for today’s...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:32:05 -0800

Karl Lagerfeld illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld for today’s Metro International.

Photo via WWD

Kirsten Dunst | ph. Yelena Yemchuk | style: Leith Clark | Vogue...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:35:47 -0800

Kirsten Dunst | ph. Yelena Yemchuk | style: Leith Clark | Vogue Italia Feb. 2012

See more at Hollywood Rag

Comme des Garçons Homme Plus | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012 Every...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:02:05 -0800

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.

modeavenueparis: Natalia Vodianova | Valentino Fall/Winter...

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:15:49 -0800

modeavenueparis:

Natalia Vodianova | Valentino Fall/Winter 02/03 Haute Couture | Paris

Valentino | Backstage | Couture | Spring 2012 A gorgeous...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:11:04 -0800

Valentino | Backstage | Couture | Spring 2012

A gorgeous behind-the-scenes look into Valentino’s spring couture show.

Lana del Rey in Louis Vuitton | ph. Mario Testino | Vogue...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:39:36 -0800

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

Marc Jacobs | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012 Marc Jacobs puts a new...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:52:40 -0800

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.

See more at the fashionisto

Natalia Zakharova | ph. Dimitri Skoulos | style: Eirini Vassou...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:45:05 -0800

Natalia Zakharova | ph. Dimitri Skoulos | style: Eirini Vassou | Elle Greece Feb 2012

See more at Fashion Gone Rogue

Alexander McQueen | Pre-Fall 2012 With a preview as glorious as...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:26:09 -0800

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.

See more at style.com

Ellie Goulding | ph. David Schulze | style: William Graper...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:10:14 -0800

Ellie Goulding | ph. David Schulze | style: William Graper | Marie Claire Feb. 2012

Karolina Kurkova | ph. Willy Vanderperre | style: Nicola Santoro...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:25:00 -0800

Karolina Kurkova | ph. Willy Vanderperre | style: Nicola Santoro | Vogue China Feb. 2012

See more at ZAC Fashion

Gazzarrini | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012 Could a menswear...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:45:07 -0800

Gazzarrini | Ready To Wear | Fall 2012

Could a menswear collection get any more Italian than this? Extreme angles and impeccably tailored and styled clothing make this collection a wonder to revel in.

See more at The Fashionisto

Morgane Dubled seems to have had a slight wardrobe malfunction...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:17:00 -0800

Morgane Dubled seems to have had a slight wardrobe malfunction yesterday at Jean Paul Gaultier.

(Photo via WWD)

Valentino | Couture | Spring 2012 Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:55:30 -0800

Valentino | Couture | Spring 2012

Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri continue to produce garments that should make Valentino Garavani proud. Feminine, dainty, and exquisitely constructed, these pieces emit the grace and beauty of delicate flowers, similar to the ones printed and knitted into the fabrics of each garments.

See more at style.com

Chanel | Couture | Spring 2012 I must say that the first time I...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:28:00 -0800

Chanel | Couture | Spring 2012

I must say that the first time I saw this collection in photographs, I was not impressed. After watching this video, though, and after seeing how the clothes move, and the thickness or thinness and type of fabric for each piece, and the entire environment of the Grand Palais, the collection truly came alive.

billidollarbaby: Face to Face: Karl Lagerfeld Interviews...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:51:00 -0800

billidollarbaby:

Face to Face: Karl Lagerfeld Interviews Himself | NET-A-PORTER.COM

See Karl Lagerfeld as you’ve never seen him before. Watch hte exclusive video now to find out what the fashion icon really thinks about himself and more.

Karl Lagerfeld confirms his status of Supreme Being in this interview he does with himself for Net-A-Porter. These witty and well-spoken questions and responses show us that outside of his professional demeanor, we really know nothing about this man. How interesting it must be to be him.