You nailed your NZ festival wardrobe this summer but music-festival fashion isn’t one size fits all. Phoebe Watt has the breakdown on what to wear and where.
Peasant dresses and flower crowns have been requisite festival attire since 1967’s Summer of Love, and that’s fine, we love boho-chic as much as the next daydream believer.
But if you think it has been done to death – and you are within your rights to say so – ditch the poncho and grab your passport because we’re taking a tour of the world’s most fashion-forward festivals. (We’re #sorrynotsorry that we’re stopping over at some boho haunts on the way – because as long as it’s still cool with Gigi and Kendall, it’s still cool with us.)
COACHELLA
When: 15-24 April, 2016
Where: California, USA
Vibe: The USA’s biggest cross-genre festival is as famous for its music as it is for being a celebrity and fashion Mecca
Who’s headlining: LCD Soundsystem, Ellie Goulding, Guns n’ Roses, Ice Cube, and Calvin Harris
Who’s going: A-listers, Victoria’s Secret Angels, reality TV stars, social-media celebrities, and one person from your extended friend-circle you’ll ‘accidentally’ unfollow on Instagram that week
Dress code: Desert bohemian
We would wear: Anything in Stolen Girlfriends Club’s ‘cactus flower’ print
Packing essential: Avène Thermal Spring Water 50ml, $14.80, for a hydration application that won’t mess with your temporary tattoos.
GLASTONBURY
When: 22-26 April, 2016
Where: Glastonbury, UK
Vibe: The hallowed, muddy ground where legends have been entertaining since the 70s
Who’s headlining: TBC. Last year’s line-up featured Patti Smith, The Who, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams
Who’s going: The who’s-who of British society: old-gen Primrose Hill (Kate Moss, Sadie Frost), new-gen Primrose Hill (Alexa, Daisy, Pixie), royals (Prince Harry), royal hangers-on (Cressida), a couple of Delevingnes (Cara, Poppy), and some Hollywood ring-ins
Dress code: Rural bohemian
We would wear: A Sylvester ‘Diamonds’ slip, $299, with Hunter rain-boots
Packing essential: A portable phone charger because the fields aren’t exactly replete with power outlets.
ROSKILDE
When: 25 July to 2 June, 2016
Where: Roskilde, Denmark
Vibe: Big-name artists and great design aesthetics are this festival’s calling cards
Who’s headlining: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, New Order, PJ Harvey, Wiz Khalifa, Foals
Who’s going: Young people with enviable genes and expensive jeans
Dress code: Scandi-cool
We would wear: Acne basics, Nudie Jeans denim
Packing essential: Verso Skincare Foaming Cleanser, $64, from Mecca Cosmetica – your ticket to Scandinavian skin.
SECRET GARDEN PARTY
When: 21-24 July, 2016
Where: Cambridge, UK
Vibe: The coolest of the UK’s ‘boutique’ festivals, magic and mystery abound at the Secret Garden Party where the group activities and performance art are as much a drawcard as the music
Who’s headlining: Caribou, Primal Scream, Lissie, Maribou State, Rae Morris
Who’s going: Upwards of 25,000 revellers embrace the opportunity to “be and do anything they desire” amid 10 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds
Dress code: The theme changes every year (think the Met Gala for music). This year it’s ‘The Gardener’s Guide to the Galaxy’.
We would wear: Florals with sci-fi accents
Packing essential: Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water, $12.20, for quadruple-cleansing post-paint fight.
FUJI ROCK
When: 22-24 July, 2016
Where: Niigata, Japan
Vibe: An outdoor rock festival showcasing more than 200 international and Japanese musicians in a picturesque mountain setting
Who’s headlining: TBC. Last year’s headliners were Foo Fighters, Motörhead, Muse, and Deadmau5
Who’s going: Around 150,000, mostly local and very respectful rock fans
Dress code: Bold colours and clashing prints but nothing super kawaii
We would wear: Comme des Garçons Play x Converse Chuck Hi-tops, $235, from Fabric
Packing essential: A Ruby eyemask, $15, for sleeping through the 4:30am sunrises.
BURNING MAN
When: 28 August to 5 September, 2016
Where: Nevada, USA
Vibe: The festival’s tagline is ‘A city in the desert. A culture of possibility. A network of dreamers and doers’. Its core values include ‘decommodification’, ‘radical self-expression’ and ‘leaving no trace’. Got it.
Who’s headlining: TBC. The 2015 headliners were Major Lazer and Diplo
Who’s going: Cara D and Shanina Shaik were there last year and so was Katy Perry, riding a Segway in a fur coat and goggles
Dress code: Another festival where the theme changes every year, the inspiration for 2016 is ‘Da Vinci’s Workshop’
We would wear: Something utilitarian with a twist. Start with ‘Bancho’ overalls, $109, by Earnest Co and take it from there
Packing essential: Le Specs ‘Neo Noir’ sunglasses, $69.95 – she’s dusty in the desert.
ICELAND AIRWAVES
Where: Reykjavík, Iceland
When: 2-6 November, 2016
Vibe: A rave beneath the Northern Lights
Who’s headlining: TBC. 2015 featured Hot Chip, Ariel Pink, Beach House and Battles
Who’s going: The appeal of Airwaves is that it’s still under the radar. At a stretch you might spot Björk or someone from Sigur Rós (it’s their turf after all), but there shouldn’t be a Kardashian in sight.
Dress code: With temperatures sitting at around 4°C, layers are key
We would wear: A Harman Grubiša Mongolian fur stole – the street-style photographers will come running
Packing essential: A Lonely swimsuit for soaking in the famous geothermal Blue Lagoon at the Blue Lagoon Chill Party.
We were snapping our favourite festival looks at this summer’s festivals – were you spotted?
