The following article originally ran in the edition of The Observer on April 22, 2010.
The music festival Coachella took over the valley of Indio, Calif. this past weekend and left behind more than just the memories of amazing shows. Amazing star-studded fashion also took over the scene.
It seems that in the past years, pictures of celebrities at Coachella have popped up all over the place. Many big names, including Jake Gyllenhal, Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long and Kirsten Dunst, have attended the festival and made their presence known. That is what makes Coachella such a magnet for fashion.
It's three short days, but every celebrity who attends knows they will be photographed, so they dress to impress. What these famous faces wear defines what is chic for the following summer. These clips are just a sample of the fashions seen at Coachella this year.
Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung, seen here attending the Lacoste party, has shot into the fashion spotlight because her originality and British charm make her downright delightful. She sported a silk romper, espadrilles, a light shirt and an over-the-shoulder bag at this year's festival. Her style can be emulated but never really repeated because there's just something indescribable about the way she dresses. She is effortlessly cool.
Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth, pictured left, exudes the hip California vibe Coachella is famous for. She chose to wear a loose-fitting tie-dye halter dress, gladiator sandals and a slouchy purse. Her outfit is the perfect blend of practicality and taste necessary for a music festival. Her style can be easily replicated because she hasn't chosen to wear anything outlandish. She picked simple clothes that look good and are comfortable, which is all you can ask for during a scorching hot day in the desert.
Anne Hathaway
Wow. This picture is truly saddening. At a festival with such a high concentration of actors and models, why did Anne Hathaway choose this? Why?! Perhaps she was coordinating with Kelly Osborne who showed up looking like she was 80, complete with the blue hair to prove it. This outfit does literally nothing for Hathaway. She chose a dress that cuts her off at the worst part of the leg, making her appear extremely frumpy. To top it off, the dress is in the single worst color for her complexion. Perhaps she'll get it right next time, as long as she remembers she's 28, not 90.
Whitney Port
Another miss this year was Whitney Port. While she does have enough style to land a job at Diane Von Furstenberg, she didn't show it here. Wearing some kind of weird bathing suit top and extremely high waisted silk shorts, she looked like she was trying way too hard. The outfit just didn't make sense, at least not for the venue.
Good, bad or really ugly, Coachella had plenty to offer this year for the fashion-conscious observer.
