Thursday, April 19, 2012

Coachella...21st Century Haute Hippy Haven

By Laura Medina

Snoop Dogg played host to one of many satellite parties.

Coachella grows by leaps and bounds each and every year. Even receiving jealous responses from urbane Manhattan.  Multiple, well-regarded music festivals, such as the Southeast regionally-dominated, Bonnaroo, cite Coachella as inspiration for their own region.

But there is one and only one Coachella.  It is more than an outdoor concert huge enough to be split into two weekend.  The second half is this weekend and coincides with Earth Day, fitting for the environmentally-awared festival.

From the get-go, Coachella has always incorporated interactive installation art and sculptures.  Some of them were from the Burning Man Festival.  They provide entertainment and eye candy for attendees walking through Indio, California's Empire Polo Club vast field.  They even have a ferris wheel.  From this cultural sideline of an art fair, offshoots of luxury and fashion satellite but major parties have sprung up like gourmet mushrooms.

The French has a name for these chic bohemians, "Babakul."  Their definition for haute hippies.  Let these haute hippies prove to you all there is more to Coachella style than cut-off Daisy Dukes and tanks.

Camilla Belle at the third annual Neon Carnival during the 2012 Coachella Music Festival on April 14. She dispels the notion that Coachella is a down-and-dirty "hippie" festival.  Since Coachella launches the festival/party season,  she proves you can wear all white (remember, this is in the desert) without the stuffy connotations.  She accessorized her look with Lia Sophia's Gloss ring in white and the Technicolor Stretch Bracelet in white and the Attached Stretch Bracelet.  Her ensemble goes beyond the cliched crochet and beaded bracelets.

Believed it or not, preppy outfitter, Lacoste, has joined the fashionable fray and threw their own version of a Summer/White/Pool party.  Again, "Glee"s Lea Michele proves you can be clean and minimal in white.  Elijah Woods hits the festival circuit again.  Even a New York fashion stalwart, as in Alexander Wang, needs a much needed sunny and warm break.  Lacoste's Pool/Coachella party was a great to try your Lacoste nautical-striped bikini and trunks.

Levi's was determined not to be left out.  Coachella Headliner, Snoop Dogg played host to Levi's Haus party, feting fellow perfomers, Florence and the Machine. 

Fashion brands provided the ring of alternative festivals and fetes toasting Coachella.

Gerard Butler hang with Julius the Monkey at the Paul Frank mural. Celebrities' graffitti doodling will be auction off for The Art of Elysium charity at Gen Art's MUSE party.


Tom Cruise's son, Conner, and Paris Hilton partied with Dutch DJ, Afrojack. Conner and Afrojack's performance artist crew were outfitted in special, California Christiania Republic Kryoman Jumpsuits with special glow-in-the-dark dots.. 

Ke$ha at the pool.

Now that Coachella the Music Festival has grown into cultural/style octopus.  Numerous boutique hotels has sprung up.

The Saguaro Hotel hosted the third day of their “Desert Weekender” pool parties with DJ sets from Tokimonsta, Nosaj Thing who performed an exclusive eclectic DJ set, Penguin Prison, Oliver, Jason Bentley, Garth Trinidad, Raul Campos, Aaron Byrd, Valida and Dan Wilcox.“Desert Weekender” is presented by FLAUNT Magazine, HELLO STRANGER, dubFrequency and KCRW.


Alternative mainstay, KCRW even offered up their star DJs to kick-off the festival: Jason Bentley, Garth Trinidad, and Raul Campos. 


Bromance hosted pool party while Black Banditz gave free tattoos to the guests, like French electronic duo, Justice, getting their free tattoos.
 

Bravo's newest stars, "The Shahs of Sunset" like Anita Gohari, enjoyed the perks with their new-found fame, relaxing pool side with the electronica's hottest DJs: A-Trak, Busy P, Brodinski, Pipes, Louisahh, and Rick Rude. 

The guests later enjoyed dinner, hosted by Lexus, at Food Network's Iron Chef', Jose Garces's newest restaurant, Tinto.  Chef Jose Garces will provide an exquisite sampling menu for guests after they enjoy the Herradura Tequila reception that kick’s off the evening’s festivities. Gifting sponsors include: M·A·C Cosmetics and Herradura Tequila. The Lexus private dinner is presented by FLAUNT Magazine, HELLO STRANGER, dubFrequency and JT OUTDOOR.


 
Not to be out-done or be forgotten, Gen Art threw a dome of a party...literally, it's a party dome.  Artists, Kevin Llewelyn and Alexandra Nechita curated a geodesic dome for The Art of Elysium and CIROC Vodka.  

Gen Art's MUSE party, was an arts and cultural beacon, showcasing art installations, neon HEAVEN artwork by fine artist Anthony James, on behalf of the charity, with an interactive photo booth and feature film, and workshops where celebrities: Alia Shawkat, Bryan Greenberg, Chord Overstreet, Danny Masterson, Emma Roberts, Gerard Butler, Jamie Chung, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jessica Szohr, Jessica Stroup, Ke$ha, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Penn Badgley, Tyler & Cameron Winklevoss,  and Zoe Kravitz decorated their own HoodieBuddies and painted by numbers on the Paul Frank mural. All to be auctioned off for THE ART OF ELYSIUM CHARITY.  Attendees biked around, viewing stellar pieces of artwork from Russell Young. 

Fun, fetes, food, and fashion...Coachella is more than "The Great Unwashed" gone dirty hippy.  It's maturing and growing up into haute hip.

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