Here’s a recession indicator: Coachella was actually pretty great this year.
The California music festival returned for its 2026 edition, and for once, nobody cared about the influencers. At least, it seemed that way from my social media feeds, where people were raving about the reunion of the beloved indie band The xx, or the debut of Nine Inch Noize, or The Strokes’ performance of Reptilia (still killer).
This year’s Coachella line-up wasn’t only fodder for Millennial hipsters: indie rock band Geese, Gen Z’s answer to The Strokes, did a cover of Justin Bieber’s Baby that was more commendable than Bieber’s Youtube karaoke session; Internet rapper Fakemink proved that his Tiktok hit LV Sandals sounds just as lit IRL; and PinkPantheress put on a massive musical production that was part musical theatre, part old-school rave. Like what?
It seems like we all collectively remembered that the point of Coachella is, well, the music. That was the case when the festival debuted in 1999, with a humble line-up of rock bands and electronic acts—think Tool, Rage Against the Machine, The Chemical Brothers and Underworld (whom PinkPantheress samples in her track, Illegal). But in recent years, thanks to Instagram and the Kardashians, Coachella devolved into an “Influencer Olympics”, a playground for the rich and Internet-famous to create social media content from attending exclusive brand events (this year’s hottest tickets were from Hailey Bieber’s Rhode and Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila).
Coachella is also where influencers usually commit their biggest fashion crimes. Think: dressing up in outfits that are vaguely “boho chic”, typically involving crochet crop tops and denim cutoffs from Fashion Nova or Revolve. In extreme cases of tastelessness, some influencers also add a touch of cultural appropriation to their ensembles.
This year, we weren’t subjected to that eyesore—not because the influencers were dressing any better, but because all the best Coachella fashion was being showcased on stage.
Blackpink’s Lisa, for one, made an appearance during Anyma’s set wearing an iridescent gown by Iris van Herpen that made her look as ethereal as an angel. Also out of this world: every single look that FKA Twigs wore during her set, which ranged from a studded and spiked coat (Twigs, who had spiky hair to match) to a custom Guvanch dress covered in long feathers. María Zardoya, the frontwoman of The Marías, was also giving big bird energy during her Not For Radio performance. The singer took to the stage in a Swan Lake-inspired ensemble: a giant white shearling coat and a ruffled silk gown, both from Alexander McQueen.
Coachella 2026: Personal style beats fashion trends
Beyond the spectacle, though, there were also moments when personal style was enough for a musician to shine on stage. The Strokes’s Julian Casablancas, for example, was a talking point for many different reasons, including his outfit. Ever the politically-minded rockstar, Casablancas wore a T-shirt with the Amazon Prime logo on it—except the word “Prime” was replaced with “Crime”. Meanwhile, his bandmate Albert Hammond Jr. committed to wearing skinny leather pants for both Coachella weekends. Hedi Slimane would have been proud.
Interpol, another beloved New York rock band, dressed up in black suits. That has been their thing for over two decades now: frontman Paul Banks once explained that he wears a suit on stage because he takes his job as a musician seriously. At Coachella, guitarist Daniel Kessler threw in a little Interpol touch by pairing his leather shoes with red socks—the same red of the band’s iconic debut album cover.
Clearly, some looks never go out of style. When Trent Reznor, the 60-year-old frontman of Nine Inch Nails, took to the stage for the debut of Nine Inch Noize, he looked cooler than his younger collaborator, the Berlin-based DJ Boys Noize. Reznor was clad in the same gritty outfit that he would have worn in the ‘90s: a black shirt, dark jeans, and lug-soled boots, all covered in powder. (Right after his Coachella set, Reznor clarified on Threads that he adds the powder himself.)
Like Reznor, Slayyyter approached her first-ever Coachella performance with a DIY spirit. Channelling her inner “trashy Missouri bar girl” that inspired her new album, Worst Girl in America, Slayyyter sewed her own corset top using parts of a ruffled silk dress, and styled it with denim shorts, boots that she painted, and a trucker hat that she bedazzled.
Slayyyter is part of the new wave of musicians for whom anything goes—be it in terms of sound or style. Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale casually showed off her biceps and buff bod in a ripped tank top and a pair of bright yellow knickers, offering a middle finger to anyone’s expectations of what a woman should look like. One of PinkPantheress’s many outfit changes saw her wearing a red dress with a single blue sock (we told you primary colours are in). The Stateside singer also wore her Coach handbag while performing on stage, a styling quirk of hers since 2022.
At Coachella, personal style prevailed even when a luxury fashion brand was involved. Ethel Cain, who was dressed by Dior, stayed true to her Americana-inspired aesthetic by getting the French couture house to create a pair of distressed, pinstriped overalls. (“Who else has Dior overalls?” she asked.)
For weekend 2, Ethel Cain donned another custom Dior ensemble that’s closer to her gothic Preacher’s Daughter look: a black gown and black hydrangea earrings, inspired by those seen at Jonathan Anderson’s debut haute couture collection for the brand.
Similarly, Gucci runway model Fakemink put his own spin on designer fashion with his wild Coachella outfit: a white tee; a pair of vintage glitter denim jeans from Dior Homme, designed by Hedi Slimane; and high-top sneakers, also vintage Dior Homme.
The 21-year-old rapper styled his outfit with a Burberry scarf tied around his waist, and his leopard-print Tom Ford boxers peeking out. The resulting outfit is as baffling as the things that Fakemink says (for example, he recently declared himself as the “Eminem of the UK Underground”). Still, he pulled off the look—right down to those sparkling skinny jeans.
Again, Hedi Slimane would have been proud.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
