Coachella has always been a hotspot for all the latest trends, aesthetics, and accessories—whether or not they’re suitable outside of the festival, well that’s up to you. In previous years, our eyeballs and feeds have been fed a constant drip of crochet co-ords, denim hotpants and controversial cultural appropriation. But it looks as though there might officially be a new sheriff in town.

Nepo babies Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber were previously festival style go-tos when it came to finding inspiration. Now, this year the two socialites held back and kept it pretty casual. Many netizens have speculated that their decision to emulate quiet luxury was an attempt at making us forget their recent bullying antics. But for us, once a mean girl, always a mean girl.

 

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With the likes of Jenner and Bieber taking a step away from the assless chaps era of Coachella, it was necessary for us mere mortals to also consider cooling down our wardrobes. The influencer it girls hinted at a boho chic revival and the TikTok masses are calling it—brace yourself—coastal cowgirl.

 

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The cowboy aesthetic has been making the rounds for a couple of summers now. However, this season, it seems as though the Southern style is hitting the beach. Gone are the days of ecologically unfriendly glittery makeup and oddly placed clip-in dyed hair extensions, things are now much more natural. Less neon, more pastels, less fitting and more flowy. Overall, it sounds like a comfy aesthetic I could definitely get on board with.

The fabrics featured in the coastal cowgirl style are also more natural—linen and cotton are a must. This is also great news for the sustainable fashion game, as hopefully, polyester and nylon will soon cease to clog up landfills.

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when i say yee, you say haw! 🤠🌸 #coastalcowgirl #coastalcowgirlaesthetic #cowgirlcore #kendall #matildadjerf #aesthetic

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It’s safe to say that this new vibe gives off significant snug energy, and is way better suited to the summer heat than some other trends we’ve come across. So, grab your cowboy hat and say yeehaw, here is our roundup of all the key staples you’ll need to achieve this look:

It would be rude to channel your inner cowgirl without being the proud owner of a trusty pair of cowboy boots. To get the coastal vibe down to a tee, look for a pair in neutral tones or playful pastels.

You could try your hand at scrolling through eBay and Vinted to find an authentic vintage pair but keep in mind that the high street has also caught onto the trend, so if you’re looking to make you life that much easier, here are two good options:

To achieve the effortless look, midi skirts are required, more specifically the tiered, asymmetric kind. The flowier, the better. After all, ‘tis the season to be frolicking on the beach at sunset.

Double denim, also known as the iconic Canadian tuxedo, is one of the biggest trends of the year. Given the fact that both 90s and Y2K aesthetics have been the overarching style of the last five years, it’s about damn time the trend dominate the mainstream.

Now, we’re not suggesting you recreate that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake VMA look—think Western cowboy cruising through the desert on horseback.

Flowy dresses can be long, short, and everything in between just as long as they have volume in abundance. The coastal cowgirl spends more time by the beach than she does on her horse, so don’t worry about practicality, have fun with it.

 

In those colder summer evenings, you need to master the art of layering. Swedish influencer and fashion designer Matilda Djerf is seemingly good at everything, but her ability to layer knitwear is an exceptional source of inspiration.

 

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So, why not get these pieces to channel your inner Scandi girl?

An invite to the Met Gala has always been the most sought-after seal of approval in the fashion industry. And with this year’s event just days away, we thought we’d better give you all the rundown on everything you’ll need to know approaching the upcoming soirée. From who’s invited, who definitely isn’t and what the dress code will be, here’s SCREENSHOT’s official Met Gala 2023 cheat sheet.t

Each year, the Gala’s theme is carefully curated by top dogs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume institute, with a final green light, of course, from Vogue’s very own director and decider of taste, Anna Wintour.

Past themes have included ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’ and ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’. Guests, in collaboration with designers, are expected to dress according to the theme—although some are often better than others. Boys, we’re looking at you…

The theme for 2023 is ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’, to honour the late designer’s legacy and his time at Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and Balmain.

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Lagerfeld died in 2019, and while his impact on the fashion universe was significant to say the least, it does tend to overshadow a flurry of problematic racist and fatphobic statements the iconic designer made throughout his time in the spotlight.

In a 2012 interview with Channel 4, the German designer stated: “There are less than one per cent of anorexic girls… The models are skinny, but they’re not that skinny.” When a man of such influence and power says things like this, the body positivity movement sadly stands no chance.

Lagerfeld also criticised singer-songwriter Adele, noting: “She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice.” In a moment of panic and damage control, the designer later claimed he was actually talking about Lana Del Rey… Is that supposed to make anyone feel better?

Lagerfeld also infamously condemned the #MeToo movement. The Chanel creative director infamously said, “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model!” But of course, the designer is clearly the perfect person to celebrate at the biggest fashion event of the year.

Although it’s hard to predict how A-list celebrities will approach this year’s theme, we’d love to see them challenge Lagerfeld’s problematic views by challenging his own designs, something we can only guess he didn’t want. The Chanel Mademoiselle look is historically targeted at smaller frames, and the label’s runway shows are still overwhelmingly white to this day. Could this year’s Met Gala be an opportunity to explore Lagerfeld’s designs on a wider range of people and bodies?

In terms of this year’s Met Gala guest list, invitees are carefully selected by none other than Wintour herself. So, if you want to stand a chance at making it up those iconic steps, don’t get on her bad side or we could have another Miranda Priestly versus Andie Sachs situation on our hands (if you know, you know).

The Kardashian and Jenner sisters attended the event together for the first time in 2022, along with matriarch Kris Jenner. However, there’s been much speculation of them being shunned from this year’s Gala. The family has seemingly taken a step back from the public eye after controversies such as Astroworld, and, of course, anything and everything that comes out of Kanye West’s mouth. This had led many to question their relevance.

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Kim Kardashian, however, put any doubts regarding her attendance at ease last night, Wednesday 26 April, on Instagram. The reality star posed alongside Largerfeld’s recognisable cat, Choupette, while seeking inspiration from none other than the late designer’s personal office in Paris.

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In the past, the annual event has received some backlash for inviting influencers who’ve been considered not high fashion enough, and undeserving of an invitation to the prestigious evening.

This year, TikTok-famous, sorority sister and University of Miami student, Alix Ashley Earle is rumoured to attend. Earle’s make-up artist recently shared the news that she will be doing a celebrity’s glam for the Gala. Could it be the 22-year-old? Her 5.1 million TikTok followers certainly hope so.

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So, what if you’re not a celebrity? Or your mum’s best friend isn’t Anna Wintour? How can you secure a ticket to one of the most exclusive fashion events of the year? Well, if you have an extra $50,000 lying about, you could potentially buy yourself a ticket, but without the high-end status or celebrity connections, your chances sadly remain slim.

Traditionally, designers will buy out a table for a whopping $250,000 to then fill with their celebrity collaborators. The guest list primarily remains top secret until the evening itself. However, confirmed so far, are co-chairs Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, and Roger Federer. An eclectic bunch, to say the least.

In 2021, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton bought an entire table in order to showcase young Black designers. Hopefully, these kinds of changes and actions are beginning to mark the start of a much needed transformation for the Met Gala.

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The Met Gala officially kicks off on Monday 1 May at 18:30 EST (that’s 23:30 for us across the pond). I don’t know about you, but I’ll definitely be staying up until the early hours of the morning purely in hopes of catching a glimpse of those much anticipated first shots on the steps. I wouldn’t also hate getting to sneak a peek at some of the paparazzi shots of my favourite celebrities drunkenly stumbling out of the after party. Just saying…