Somewhere between a music festival and a cultural thesis, Coachella 2025 felt less like a weekend in the desert and more like a visual dissertation on the state of celebrity, nostalgia, and a particularly warped interpretation of Y2K fashion. Gone are the days of flower crowns and fringe vests—this year’s Coachella was a fever dream of white fabric, crucifixes, deconstructed silhouettes, and one unforgettable outfit that literally doubled as a car. Yes, you read that right.
The true stars of the festival weren’t on the step-and-repeat carpets or sponsored rooftops; they were onstage, performing through the sun-soaked haze in outfits that ranged from transcendent to terrifying. And while some artists missed the mark entirely, others seized the opportunity to say something with their clothes—something messy, emotional, and just stylized enough to survive the next cycle of fast fashion erasure.
Let’s get into the ones worth remembering.
Charli XCX and Benito Skinner: Y2K Daddy-Daughter Realness
In a move that felt like method dressing for a reboot of The Hills, Charli XCX and Benito Skinner showed up looking like an episode of reality TV no one asked for but we’re still watching anyway. Charli’s sash—cheekily declaring herself “Miss Should Be Headliner”—was less a fashion accessory and more a manifesto. The ensemble felt like a Gen Z inside joke folded into an archival Tumblr post. It worked because it didn’t try too hard to work. And that, ironically, is the only way to make it work at all.
Lorde: The Anti-Festival Festival Look
lorde looks like she wants to attract women and it’s working pic.twitter.com/s8tQnhfzDm
— ♡ (@idreamaboutit) April 13, 2025
While others cosplayed chaotic deities, Lorde showed up like your cool friend’s older sister who already went to Burning Man and is now deeply over it. Her slacks and t-shirt were a stark contrast to the lace-drenched masses, and it was brilliant. She looked relaxed, grounded, and entirely in control. At a festival so saturated with spectacle, her outfit whispered—more powerful than any scream.
Lady Gaga: The Return of the Myth
Lady Gaga‘s Coachella set was more like a couture séance, conjuring ghosts of her own past while debuting a new incarnation of herself draped in Dilara Findikoglu. This wasn’t just a dress. It was sculpture, it was texture, it was chaos distilled into fabric and draped over divinity. The nods to her Paparazzi era, her healed hip, the trauma and triumph of being Gaga? Fashion therapy on stage. And we were the silent, sobbing audience.
Clairo, Addison Rae, and María Zardoya: The White Dress War
White dresses were everywhere, but not all whites are created equal. Clairo’s attempt—a busy patchwork of textures—read more wedding shower than headliner. Addison Rae fared better, embracing the carefree freak vibe she’s been carefully cultivating with a dress that danced with her onstage. But it was María Zardoya who stole this round. The crucifix necklace, the sharp waist, the lace—Courtney Love’s ghost was absolutely vibing.
Ciara: Denim, Crucifixes, and Vaquera Swagger
Vaquera’s signature maximalism met Ciara’s quiet confidence in an outfit that shouldn’t have worked—but somehow did. Was it chaotic? Yes. Did the crucifixes battle the denim for dominance? Absolutely. But Ciara looked like the boss she is, and that skort? Wildly fascinating. This was an outfit made for the stage and for PAPER magazine readers, full stop.
Queen Latifah: A Vision in Braids and Puffers
Queen Latifah‘s cameo during Megan Thee Stallion’s set was a reminder that icons don’t fade—they evolve. With braids cascading down her puffer trench vest and glam sharp enough to slice through the Indio heat, she was a walking lesson in how to command attention without begging for it. Understated drama. Peak cool.
Ravyn Lenae: Corsets and Cream-Colored Dreams
In one of the weekend’s best-dressed moments, Ravyn Lenae arrived in an ensemble that balanced structure and softness, restraint and rebellion. The corset under the cropped shrug, the delicately layered skirt, the blood-red hair—all of it harmonized without shouting. She’s always been one of the coolest people in the room. Now her wardrobe agrees.
Arca: Leather in the Heat, Because Why Not?
Arca showed up in leather during 90-degree weather, with a chain tethered to her ponytail and a look of pure conviction. Was it practical? Not remotely. Was it memorable? Completely. Arca doesn’t care what you think, and neither does her outfit. That’s why it worked.
Missy Elliott: Literally Dressed as a Car
Missy Elliott at Coachella 2025, iconic as always pic.twitter.com/maMWNJFSkN
— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) April 12, 2025
There’s not much to say here except Missy Elliott wore an outfit that doubles as a car. What are you doing with your life?
Lola Young: Overexposed and Underwhelming
Lola Young’s look might’ve worked in another year, or maybe even another context. But after being force-fed her song on TikTok for what feels like a millennium, this felt like an aesthetic burnout. From the hood to the gloves to the teddy-trimmed details, the whole thing screamed, “Look at me!”—but forgot to say why.
Coachella 2025 wasn’t just a fashion parade. It was a mood board of postmodern stardom, stitched together with memories of Tumblr, trauma, and designer collaborations. The looks that worked best weren’t polished—they were layered, referential, and sometimes a little ridiculous. But isn’t that the whole point of dressing up for a world that’s always watching?
So here’s to the mess. To the leather in the desert, the crucifixes on denim, the dresses that make you wonder if you’re in on the joke—or the punchline. Whatever it is, we’re still talking about it. And in the attention economy, that’s the only metric that matters.
