From the mankini to cultural appropriation, the most outrageous Coachella outfits till date
Mark two events on your calendar to witness the most outrageous fashion statements. The first being Halloween as you are expected to dress un-wordly, the second is the much anticipated music fest, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Ever since its establishment in October of 1999, Coachella has served as a platform for fashion movements but in recent years we have seen it as a fest synonymous with cultural appropriation.
This year, the more-than-a-week-long music getaway is kick-starting on Friday the 13th and we hope the controversies play low and people get to relish the spirit of Coachella in its raw essence. But, from celebrities to ordinary folks, everyone eyes to make headlines so here we bring you the most controversial Coachella outfits over the years.
1. The most offensive t-shirt ever
It is granted that the annual fest celebrates art, which often is a freedom of expression. But there are those who know no bounds and sparks controversies and disgust. Featuring number one on our list is an unnamed man who thought it was okay to wear this shirt to a music festival that garners more than 10,000 attendees a day. First tweeted by a journalist, the picture did viral rounds on the internet in 2015 and we realized that cultural appropriation, if practiced unknowingly, is more forgivable than this. The man is seen proudly posing in a slogan t-shirt that reads, "EAT SLEEP RAPE REPEAT," which appears to be a "pun" based on "Eat Sleep Rave Repeat," a Fatboy Slim dance track, except it's obviously not funny at all.
2. Bindis
The High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens was slammed for wearing bindis to Coachella in 2014. Of course, she wasn't the only one wearing the sacred Hindu ornament as an accessory but she faced the brunt of the backlash. She took to Instagram to post pictures of herself, both wearing a bindi and also revealing her bindi tan line and her fans weren’t too pleased with the look.
3. Leather in the heat
In 2015, Slutty Pocahontas get-up became a thing for Coachella participants. Featuring Gigi Hadid wearing fringed leather at 30 degrees and Fergie lacing up the leathers in butt-revealing shorts.
4. Mankini
Not only did the chap think wearing a mankini was an ideal choice at Coachella, but he even paired the neon green with snapbacks. A literal balls to his guts and we hope he regrets this fashion moment.
5. Indian warbonnet
Let's face it. We have seen celebrities and non-celebrities sport war bonnets of Red Indians at Coachella and it is highly likely we will be seeing it again.
But this is one of the most controversial reason why Coachella is accused of cultural appropriation. A blogger by the name of Adrienne K explains, "The image of a warbonnet and warpaint wearing Indian is one that has been created and perpetuated by Hollywood and only bears minimal resemblance to traditional regalia of Plains tribes. It furthers the stereotype that Native peoples are one monolithic culture, when in fact there are 500+ distinct tribes with their own cultures. It also places Native people in the historic past, as something that cannot exist in modern society. We don't walk around in ceremonial attire everyday, but we still exist and are still Native." And also, says Adrienne, "“Playing Indian” has a long history in the United States, all the way back to those original tea partiers in Boston, and in no way is it better than minstral shows or dressing up in blackface. You are pretending to be a race that you are not, and are drawing upon stereotypes to do so."
A very recent comment reads, "Take this off Instagram, it’s been 4 years and you’re still being ignorant."
6. Nudity
And skin-fashion is another casual Cochella day.
In 2012 Coachella, we saw Emma Roberts leaving her Daisy Dukes unbuttoned and opened while taking in the tunes pairing a fringed and beaded tiny tube top with her undone shorts.
7. Plain weird
The pictures speak for themselves.
The Coachella spirit is widely acclaimed and celebrated. Besides music, the event is a showcase for the visual arts, including installation art and sculpture, many of which provide visual treat for attendees. We are sure there is a myriad of ways to dress up and exude the harmony of the fest. However, controversial outfits and cultural appropriation of the music fest needs to be discarded.