These Alt-Models Are Breaking All the Festival Style Stereotypes
After two full weekends of Coachella street style galleries and Instagram photoshoots filling up every fashion lover’s Explore page, a sign has emerged: that the festival era occupied exclusively by Victoria’s Secret models and long-limbed influencers in chokers, flower crowns, and fringe is on its way out. Onstage, an exciting crop of artists chose clothing that broke the status quo. Maggie Rogers wore simple white tank tops and jeans, Rosalìa didn’t shy away from latex, and Dev Hynes cemented his reputation as a style icon in patchwork pants and a leather beret. Meanwhile, out on the field, models like Slick Woods, Barbie Ferreira, and Salem Mitchell—all of whom have been breaking barriers with their commitment to authenticity—brought their own irreverent spirit to play. Notably, their surprisingly casual approach to Coachella style translated to something far less contrived than the “Desert Valley best” perfected by models before them.
Barbie Ferreira, Bria Vinaite, and Slick Woods
Woods, who famously went into labor on the Savage x Fenty runway and has never been afraid to speak her mind about the industry’s pitfalls, was there in full combat attire—cargo pants, a bra, and a pair of Ugg sandals. It felt particularly fitting, given her pointed railing against the rampant cultural appropriation that has become the prevailing image of the festival’s uniform. “When I think of Coachella, I think of a white girl with braids in her hair with the beads on them that don’t match and different colored nails and then, like, one of those jackets with the fringes and high-waisted shorts, one butt cheek cut out and then [probably] a headdress. Ignorance is not bliss,” Slick Woods told Vogue. “But I mean, as long as [. . .] you’re willing to learn at the end of day, I’m open for anything. Do whatever.”
Salem Mitchell
In a similar vein, when it comes to her own wardrobe, Woods says she isn’t thinking too much about it. When one considers the time and money her contemporaries spend carefully curating their festival attire, that alone represents a radical shift. ”I like to be comfortable and I like to dress as in whatever I’m doing. Say I’m going to a fashion show, I want to be fashion,” she said. “If I’m going to Coachella, I’m casual.” Salem Mitchell, who has also earned credit for her unapologetic individuality, has an equally low-key philosophy. “When it comes to style I’m more simple and I aim to be comfortable, so I based my Coachella look around that. Cute and fun but comfy enough to dance around in all day with my friends. I wore a thrifted shirt I cut, ripped jeans, and some AF1s that I don’t mind getting dirty,” she explained.
Barbie Ferreira
Mitchell attributed this year’s diversified landscape to a crowd more open to experimentation. “People are using Coachella to experiment, and that’s awesome,” she said. “More people use the festival to debut different hairstyles, clothes that they wouldn’t have an opportunity to wear day to day, or feel more comfortable in their skin because of the festival environment. I only hope for more of that in the future.” Model and Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira has been a long-time body-positivity activist, consistently pushing back against the idea that only women of a certain size can be featured in fashion. She agreed that Coachella offers men and women—like her friend and festival partner, actress Bria Vinaite, who wore neon lingerie—an opportunity to experiment, even if it’s within that pre-set, bohemian-tinged aesthetic. “I think there is a phenomenon where people just like to plan outfits for things, whatever it is. I’m the laziest person, so I just throw things into a suitcase. But I understand why it’s fun for people to shop for new and interesting things. It’s become an excuse to wear something crazy,” she said. “I wish people would do that in their everyday lives more, but I guess if they feel like Coachella and festivals are the place to do it, then so be it.”
Though the festival clichés may never vanish completely, many attendees are embracing an individuality that reflects a larger shift in the fashion industry. Woods, Ferreira, and Mitchell’s choice to forgo Coachella's unofficial dress code may have been personal, but these models are more broadly remarkable in the ways they make the most predictable occasions their own. That’s something worth noting, whether you’re festival-bound or not.
Barbie Ferreira, Bria Vinaite, and Slick Woods
Woods, who famously went into labor on the Savage x Fenty runway and has never been afraid to speak her mind about the industry’s pitfalls, was there in full combat attire—cargo pants, a bra, and a pair of Ugg sandals. It felt particularly fitting, given her pointed railing against the rampant cultural appropriation that has become the prevailing image of the festival’s uniform. “When I think of Coachella, I think of a white girl with braids in her hair with the beads on them that don’t match and different colored nails and then, like, one of those jackets with the fringes and high-waisted shorts, one butt cheek cut out and then [probably] a headdress. Ignorance is not bliss,” Slick Woods told Vogue. “But I mean, as long as [. . .] you’re willing to learn at the end of day, I’m open for anything. Do whatever.”
Salem Mitchell
In a similar vein, when it comes to her own wardrobe, Woods says she isn’t thinking too much about it. When one considers the time and money her contemporaries spend carefully curating their festival attire, that alone represents a radical shift. ”I like to be comfortable and I like to dress as in whatever I’m doing. Say I’m going to a fashion show, I want to be fashion,” she said. “If I’m going to Coachella, I’m casual.” Salem Mitchell, who has also earned credit for her unapologetic individuality, has an equally low-key philosophy. “When it comes to style I’m more simple and I aim to be comfortable, so I based my Coachella look around that. Cute and fun but comfy enough to dance around in all day with my friends. I wore a thrifted shirt I cut, ripped jeans, and some AF1s that I don’t mind getting dirty,” she explained.
Barbie Ferreira
Mitchell attributed this year’s diversified landscape to a crowd more open to experimentation. “People are using Coachella to experiment, and that’s awesome,” she said. “More people use the festival to debut different hairstyles, clothes that they wouldn’t have an opportunity to wear day to day, or feel more comfortable in their skin because of the festival environment. I only hope for more of that in the future.” Model and Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira has been a long-time body-positivity activist, consistently pushing back against the idea that only women of a certain size can be featured in fashion. She agreed that Coachella offers men and women—like her friend and festival partner, actress Bria Vinaite, who wore neon lingerie—an opportunity to experiment, even if it’s within that pre-set, bohemian-tinged aesthetic. “I think there is a phenomenon where people just like to plan outfits for things, whatever it is. I’m the laziest person, so I just throw things into a suitcase. But I understand why it’s fun for people to shop for new and interesting things. It’s become an excuse to wear something crazy,” she said. “I wish people would do that in their everyday lives more, but I guess if they feel like Coachella and festivals are the place to do it, then so be it.”
Though the festival clichés may never vanish completely, many attendees are embracing an individuality that reflects a larger shift in the fashion industry. Woods, Ferreira, and Mitchell’s choice to forgo Coachella's unofficial dress code may have been personal, but these models are more broadly remarkable in the ways they make the most predictable occasions their own. That’s something worth noting, whether you’re festival-bound or not.
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